Nights

Sometimes nights are the hardest...

I wonder what the stars think?

What kind of alarm clock person are???

What kind of alarm clock person are you??

Do you hit the snooze button more than once?

Can you sleep through the alarm?

Can you sleep through the alarm so well someone has to wake you up?

Do you sleep through the alarm so well someone has to yell at you?

Can you sleep through the alarm so well someone has to throw water on you to get you up?

Do you sleep through the alarm so well people are pissed at you for having to spend so much time trying to get your lazy ass out of bed??

Do you pop out of bed the minute the alarm begins to sound?

Do you just snuggle under the blankets for a few minutes longer, awake but enjoying that early morning warmth?

Are you up before the alarm goes off?

Do you never sleep and the alarm is just a reminder of the time?

Are you one of the unique who do not need an alarm, aren't terrified of waking late and wake up each day at the exact same time?

I wonder what that feels like.

Teens on the fringe?? Is that a good thing???

I was in a math training the other day discussing the high drop out rate of teens in Nevada's schools. Nevada has one of the highest drop out rates in the country.

Most people living in Las Vegas will tell you the story about the Valet parking attendant making a six figure salary. Kind of a Horatio Alger story-making the point that education isn't necessary in the Silver/(Gold) State.

Educators know that isn't the case. The largest group of kids are not the lowest-it is the brightest who drop out.

One of the many tragedies of standardized testing is the fact our brightest-are not always the children who do well on tests. In fact they tend to do poorly because they question the status quo. Gifted teens tend to read more into a question than needed-always asking, "Is this what they want?" Is this what this means?-as if some deeper meaning exists.

Educators gear information to the middle-the average. Most gifted students not only become bored-they become neglected-discouraged and eventually dispirited.

Education of the masses is such an ironic activity. It is all about socializing and enlightening children to become one of many. In fact, successful test takers are usually those kids who follow the rules well, get their homework in each week, complete assignments and don't question the system.

Learning is all about questioning systems, looking at alternatives, developing critical thinking and applying logic, a little intuition and making use of independent observation to draw conclusions-not necessarily following standard procedure.

I am a lousy test taker but I am not stupid. I always study with the best test takers I know. They teach me what to look for-and what not to look for.

The irony is in the goal. Do we educate our kids to be one of many? Or do we want to provide a learning environment in which our kids will become unique in thought and independent enough to make the difficult decisions in the midst of group think?

Those fringe kids you cringe at when driving by the high school? The ones with the piercings and tattoos? The ones willing to take a risk? Those who question the status quo?

They will rarely become government bureaucrats -nor should we hope they do-we need to be encouraging those kids to revel in their intelligence-it is how scientists, artists, inventors and innovators are nourished , born and bred.

Let's not lose them to mediocrity.