Professur

I'm truly sorry to have to keep finding things like this ....



http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/WeirdNew.../21546906.html

MDchanic

I've never taken criticism well, so red ink always made it easy to know exactly what to ignore.

If I were in that school, I don't know what I'd do!

- Eric

stevengerard

research here in the USA says the same thing, many schools have requested or told teachers not to use red. They still correct papers but it is said to deflate children. Remember seeing the kids paper next to you covered in red, it was a billboard for everyone to see that the child messed up big time.

Allan R

I think teachers must have contract with BIC or other pen manufacturers. That and an agenda to use up all the red ink in the world. I grew up with teacher using red ink, and in short order I found myself compelled to proof my work carefully to avoid the red tide. That's just me though.

I've seen this topic many times, and don't agree with the use of Red, although it makes it easier to see where the errors are. I like the idea of having a colored ink dialogue the teachers and students can debate with though. Red is an 'angry' color IMO, unless you're looking at electricity. Then it's a HOT topic

oldcutlass

I think the kids need the prodding of red ink as an incentive to do better. They are supposed to feel bad when they fail, it makes them work harder to succeed.

coppercutlass

I saw a lot of red ink back in my school days. I learned that I'm not good with books so I took every shop class from woods to mechanical drawing and blue prinitng , metals and machining and autobody and electronics. I took more shop classes that was permitted but the school saw I did well and they let me proceed with that. I made it up by taking college credited classes in my votech program which made up for the lack of normal classes. Loop holes gotta love em. I never felt bad when I saw the red I knew what it meant but it didn't break my spirit or make me feel bad. My brother is 10 years younger than I am . All I can say is its a much softer generation of couch potatoes.

kitfoxdave

Its better that they deal with the "blood" in school... it gets a LOT more embarrassing at work when an engineering analysis report comes back full of "blood" from the higher ups....

oldcutlass

How are kids going to value success if they don't understand failure.

redoldsman

I am 67 and have no idea how the heck I survived with all the red ink I got back in the day. This is more of that crap where every child gets a trophy and nobody loses. That is really going to prepare them for life. I think it is a bunch of HS (and this don't stand for High School).

navvet

Red = get your head out of your #$% and work harder. Tough if you don't like it. wa wa wa. How about if we don't grade angthing?
I got a ton of red ink on my papers and I can fly a plane, chew gum and talk at the same time. Direction and knowing where you stand is better then a sugar coated message

47 Convertible

________________________________________________
X2
If kids don't learn how to handle small failures in school and from parents how the heck will they learn to handle major issues as adults?

Octania

Hank Hill, dismayed that the kids were learning "camping" with fake fire, for their safety.... other guys says, "well, Hank, you wouldn't want the kids to get BURNED, would you?!"

to which Hank replies, "Well, yeah.... a LITTLE..."

Fail and learn.
[I have learned a LOT]

coppercutlass

You gotta crawl before you walk and in between you will fall while trying to balance your self.

69ishHoliday

My two children are in a private grade school and my son gets his fair share of red ink. Either my wife or myself has to sign his papers so the teacher knows that the he showed them to us. He feels terrible when he has to have me one littered with red. I can see why another color might make it a little better and less shameful, it doesn't have to be shameful.

Koda

Yes, it does. People need to feel bad when they do bad, either they pick it up, or they don't try and we can stop wasting time on them. I'm tired of carrying people.

Swoopy

political correctness, plain and simple.
Schools have stabbings, drugs, metal detectors and substantial racism and that's in my boys middle school.
Yea, red ink is the worry.
Tis a sad day.
How bout we try Ebonics again?
parents raise children, not schools, not govt, period.
I feel deeply sorry for kids without parents who give a damn and very proud of those who make it regardless of there idiot parents. I know several, and I make sure to pat them on the back.
Less rules, more basics and acknowledge those kids in need.
unfortunately, many of the kids with idiot parents have gone to the idiot side, no drive and could care less for school. it's just a place to meet opposite sex.
with the current status of education and political correctness, it's going to get worse.
difficult topic that needs help from those smarter than me.
Professur your so correct, direction is downward.

68conv455

Red is better than pink.
If people don't learn to show their absolute best, it's a pink slip they'll get.

MDchanic

I'll just let that one go by for now...

- Eric

Rocket331

I don't suppose either side of the debate is 100% correct. I guess I must've been raised to learn from my mistakes. I don't recall ever getting bent out of shape just because my teacher put red marks on my paper. But, I know I learned from them. I'm pretty sure green, purple, or any other color would have had the same effect.

stellar

Being color, it blind doesn't make a darn bit of difference weather it is red or green. Can't tell them apart. I think it is discrimination against the color blind minority to use either color and should be stopped immediatley or face a law suit. From now on all corrections and criticism should be written in white ink and only in the borders and inbetween the lines on white paper. If you care to criticize my opinion please type it in white on white then I won't be offended or have my feelings hurt. Thank you for your consideration. I can feel my self esteem rising already.

Macadoo

It's the teacher that makes it shameful or not shameful, not the red ink. It's our job to help guide students into life choices that will help them to be happy and content. If a student feels shamed then the teacher didn't teach the right lesson; that we learn more from our mistakes than our successes.
I've heard from many students that they hate the coddling attitude of late. They want to know if they really suck at something. It seems grades have lost their meaning. In the students' eyes there is the "A" and there is failing. This is where the "no red ink" dogma has lead us. Grades should be an arrow not a personal judgement.
I'll leave you all with this; my brother-in-law teaches Spanish in a major metro area, and has for more than 20 years. This year it was decided that any homework assignment not turned in will "earn" half credit.

rustyroger

A century ago enlightened reformers fought long and hard for children of the poor and underprivileged to get at least a basic education, hoping that the intelligent hardworking kids among them would stand a chance of improving their lot.
Now it seems every kid has a right to top marks and a better place regardless of whether or not they put any effort into their education.
In Britain and America and most of the rest of the developed world we need to instil the work ethic back into our children, it's what made both our nations great, America is likely to follow Britain into irrelevance if it carries on as it doing now.


Roger.

69ishHoliday

My son did bring his spelling grades from an F to an A because it was quite embarrassing for him. My sister lived in Milwaukee and a tough area near her had a truancy rate of 60% on any given day. A teacher can't do much with that level of absenteeism.

oldcutlass

Watch the movie Idiocracy.

Macadoo

When I taught LD/BD we would hop in a van and go get the student out of bed if he/she didn't show. I don't miss those days. But you're right, the parents play a large role.

My point however was that a good teacher should inspire not harm. I have a pretty good case of dyslexia. The treatment when I was young (before it was called dyslexia) was to make me stand in the front of the room and point and laugh while I struggled to read. It was many years before I would learn to enjoy reading.

Macadoo

I believe everyone has the right to try. But trying shouldn't guarantee success. Case in point; a couple of semesters ago I had a blind student take my drawing class. He wasn't completely blind but significantly. I had no objection until I was expected to lower my expectations. That's when the difficulties started.

steverw

So green is the new red. It will be just the same and have the same effects. Theres too many rule makers steering way of the path of whats important for the kids. Kids get away with way too much these days and are not held responsible for their actions. Most of this starts in the home and then in the classroom. Its so out of hand now, I think they will have a very tough time getting the kids to know who's in charge and how the world really works. Kids too young are allowed too much exposure to what should be for adults only. So many adults/parents don't care. So many are "too busy" to teach the kids right from wrong. Teachers are not allowed to punish kids anymore. I had my share of the paddle when I was in school, I guarantee it made me think twice about my actions. Then theres the GAMES they play, TV and movies that are out. Sex, violence, death and destruction, its everywhere for their young eyes and minds.
Its no wonder things are the way they are now. So many kids grow up not having to be responsible for their actions and have little reguard for other peoples feelings, lives, or life in general. They know in most cases someone will bail them out, and they will continue to do the same wrong things. Because of NOT being taught correctly from a young age. I know not all kids are bad but DAMN theres alot of bad kids who have worse parents who let them be bad, parents who don't teach them the right things, and parents who hand them everything they want without making them work for it.
This could go on and on..... too much to say on the whole subject.

sammy

I certainly saw my fair share of red ink, and it did not harm me...I went on to University and college and became self employed etc etc...what frustrated the heck out of me was not the red ink, but were the "you can do better" remarks that usually accompanied the red ink, yet they never showed you HOW...this process is called learning....I tell my son it is not that you got it wrong, but rather what steps will you take to get it right! That process has nothing to do with the colour of ink that is used........IMHO of course

sammy

Reminds me of when my kid was 3 or 4...he loved to wonder up to the wood stove and touch it when on....we kept saying no...still he persisted.Friends would tell me of all the methods they used to barricade the stove to make it childproof..elaborate ones and expensive. I let my son touch the stove after repeated no's....he never touched it again....my point is he was ALLOWED to learn.....I was right there BTW, and he was not injured....needless to say many people saw this as bad parenting...but my son learned before he was really injured......

rustyroger

"Hoping the intelligent hardworking kids among them would stand a chance of improving their lot".
If the kids never went to school they had no chance of trying.


Roger.

Blackpage

The wussification of America in the name of "progress" continues. It's difficult to not be cynical. It is sad to see so much spinelessness, lethargy and general aimlessness in many of our youth. Thankfully, not all. Just look at our military for an examples of conviction, respect and honor.

Teachers can correct papers in any color they like. It really doesn't matter if the parents aren't engaged in their children's futures. Unfortunately, the kids get a lot of the blame when it really should be directly pointed, with a laser focus, on the parents.

Parents are way too busy worrying about their careers, keeping up with the Jones' or their own issues to make the continual effort to parent. They want to be "buds" because that's what is expected nowadays.

Parents expect the sitter, daycare Mom or teachers to do the heavy lifting. When these caring people do so, its the parents that are the first one being critical of them and quickly advocating for some BS excuse for their kids when a teacher or care provider calls their kid out for wrongdoing.

Path of least resistance. These kids know Mommy & Daddy will run to their defense no matter what the infraction. Why bother making any effort whatsover if they know the enablers will make any and all excuses for their lack of effort or bad behavior ?

I know if my principal, teacher or coach had to go to my parents regarding my effort or behavior there was a price to pay. I learned quickly, the hard way, there are consequences. Our culture no longer believes in consequences. Mommy & Daddy or the government will take care of it.

Unfortunately, it's the workers and the earners that actually do. And that is what gets lost. Off my soapbox.

navvet

Simple rule for kids: Responsibility, Respect and Consequences. Those three words cover actions, education and life. Be disrespectful and lack responsibility you pay consequences.

Octania

How can I get the "grown-*** man" or so he says [23 y.o.] to learn some responsibility and respect? He needs more consequences I guess.


On the red ink thing, I heard a report a while back on how Asian cultures accept struggle and failure as a natural part of the learning process, moreso than the USA does. We are not all perfect and great at everything, else we would all just play rock concerts for one another, and who would make our sandwiches?

Struggle
Fail
Learn
Succeed [to various degrees]
it's ok to fail a little.

When my eldest was young, I had him on the counter and told him not to touch the hot glue gun because it will hurt. He did. It did. He started believing me about warnings.

Professur

Today if your kid has bruises, you end up facing a social worker to explain it. Good luck there. There are good social workers, and there are 'others' ... Good social workers will understand .. the others ... don't want to.

oldcutlass

Don't leave marks.

Professur

Never have done. My number one son got into a fight with number 2 son who's quite a bit smaller than him. He spent the next week trying to figure out how Dad could wallop him for 10 years and not leave so much as a welt, while a kid I do curls with left his entire arm a lovely shade of purple for a week. I think he might have clued in some that all the 'discipline' over the years was so much smoke and mirrors.

Nature, on the other hand, isn't quite so generous. Several kids in Ontario died this winter when their snowfort collapsed on them. I took the boys outside and rolled a good sized snow boulder over them. They got the message immediately. When I offered to drop it on them from the height of a snow fort roof, they weren't interested. All their snowforts are nice open air ones. They still win the snowball wars.

coppercutlass

I got my share of whoopins. The funny part was all my bruises where from skateboarding so the doctors would always ask if everything at home was ok. I never understood why until I got older. I got a lot of respect for my parents I haven't been perfect but usually I rarely crossed that fine line you shouldn't. Just like there is good and bad social workers there is also good and bad teachers. When I was young probably kindergranden and 1st grade I had issues being quiet and the teachers gave me parents a hard time they wanted me to be medicated so my parents finally caved in when a scocial worker forced them too. Lucky for me the shrink who I had to see was on old timer and said I was normal and I needed to keep busy in order to burn of my energy. He talked to the teachers and told them I was fine . Then my dad's boss called them if they kept callin my parents where going to lawyer up. I thank god that played out how it did.

z11375ss

I'm still hurting from the abuse of red ink on my papers. I may never get over it. I'm crying right now.

oldcutlass

My dad striped my back with a belt more times than I can remember. Looking back, I might have been a bit hard to deal with growing up.


Luckily, I only had to spank my kid once. He was the opposite of me, and sometimes I feel he might have missed out on some of the learning experiences I gained from my mistakes. He has always done well in school and currently an Honor Student in his junior year of college.

sammy

There was always a paddle and a bar of soap close by in my house growing up...thankfully, I did not implement these tactics in my parenting. I came up with other methods...