Today i had the privelage of volunteering ath the Hampton Youth Career Expo, an experience that i will most likely remember for quite some time. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I was out there harassing folks with "cross into the blue" pamphlets and trying to stuff kids into F-22 seats, and you're incorrect.
Instead, I was given the opportunity to give mock interviews to about 30 or so high school juniors and seniors. It was really interesting to be able to delve into their minds, even if just for a few moments. Some things i heard today troubled me greatly, some things inspired me beyond belief. If you've ever read my blog before, you know it's not beneath me to take a few shots at the kids with whom i interfaced today... but I'll try not to.
What I did notice is that there is an enormous gap between the cream of the crop and the "i'm-just-thankful-to-be-graduating" students. I'm talking tremendous gap, gap between Fantatsia's pre-dentalwork teeth gap. Some kids sat down with college acceptance letters in hand, majors chosen, and five year plans mapped out. Some kids didn't know what a mock interview was (sorry my dude, there is no job offer at the end of this thing). Some saw themselves on wallstreet making moves with corporate juggernauts, and for some the 10 year outlook was simply "hopefully i'll have a job and be making car payments." You've really got to ask yourself what the hell are these kids being taught, where their dream life is a job (any job will do I suppose) and car payments. I prefer hearing the cliche NBA, NFL dreams than to hear it's my dream to struggle. Who the fuck dreams of struggle? Kids at this career fair just witnessed the inauguration of the first black President and still haven't developed aspirations greater than the bondage that is debt. It pains me to see it.
It's not that the "i'm just thankful to graduate" students are dumb. In just speaking with them for a few minutes it's easy to tell that there is an entire group of intelligent, respectful, and resourceful students that are simply not being reached. Teachers, earn your pay. Remember, today's loafer is tomorrow's stick up kid. And who wants that? On a side note, what ever happened to Book It? Remember when the promise of a personal pan pepperoni pizza could motivate you to read? Where did those days go?
With every great accomplishment comes greater expectations. The bar is set much higher, and it's obvious that we all have to work together to reach it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
I remember Book It (or a similar program to bribe...er, I mean, entice students to read). But I also remember the year when that program was traded in for an even better one. Instead of spending my free time reading book after book to create some sort of gift-receiving credit, I was handed a small catalog of useless crap which consisted of off-brand candy, wrapping paper, and horrible imitations of Hallmark holiday cards. So instead of reading I was out troubling my neighbors with lame preprogrammed sales pitches in hopes to collect enough orders to get the limo ride to a pizza buffet. To this day I still don't know where the money from those sales went. That, in my opinion, was the beginning of the end for noticeable academic progress.
Post a Comment