A few weeks ago, one of my son’s sixth grade teachers asked me if my college professor’s remind me when I have an assignment due or if I am over due. I was caught a little off guard and I replied “No. I don’t turn in late assignments.” I think her point was that they shouldn’t have to tell me when my son misses an assignment.
Teachers are so big on kids accepting personal responsibility and being treated like adults. The problem is, they often don’t always make the best, most adult choices either. And is the need to make kids more responsible really for the kids benefit or is it to ease the burden on teachers.
Regardless, I did give the teacher’s question some serious thought and I came to a few conclusions. The first is that it is comparing apples and oranges. I am a forty something unemployed student with a family to feed. I’ve been out in the real world and I’ve seen the value of an education. I’ve seen employers turn down me and my 20 years of experience because I don’t hold an actual college degree.
My son on the other hand is an 11-year-old boy who doesn’t have a family to support and doesn’t need to hold down a job at this point in his life. School is his job. I’ve had plenty of years to learn how to be responsible. He has only had 11 and I’m not sure you can count the baby and toddler years.
The next thing I discovered was that my teacher’s actually DO remind students of due dates. Students follow a syllabus. We have a set schedule and on the day’s an assignment is due, we get a reminder. At times, as was the case this week, the professor will send out an extra e-mail reminder. I can also go to my professors and request additional time to complete an assignment.
My son isn’t given a syllabus to follow. The day goes as needed for the teachers and students. Yes they may have something they plan to talk about, but they don’t always stick to this plan. Any reminders they get about assignments are verbal reminders. I never learn he’s missed an assignment until report card time when it’s too late to do anything about it.
The final difference is that my professors take advantage of technology. Everything I need for class is accessible online. I even learn my grades online and usually in a timely manner. Each assignment is also detailed online so I know exactly what I need to do. At my son’s school, they also have a program that can tell parents about assignments and grades. The problem is many of the teachers don’t use them. It is too hard or they don’t have time.
So I thank my son’s teacher for making me think and for reminding me that there are many differences between my education and my sons. I wish teachers today took half the time gradually preparing my son for college instead of taking the easy way and expecting a kid to perform better than adults.
My Turn
Thoughts and Theories by Michele Hladik
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Police Officers Under Attack
For far too long police officers have been either taken for granted or viewed in a negative light. In some communities it is not uncommon for even young children to hold disdain and contempt for the men and women who vow to protect them at all costs. I’ve heard and seen children calling officer’s names or pointing their fingers at them as if they were guns. Even the Ohio Governor John Kasich has verbally disparaged law enforcement officers.
Well they are under attack again and this time it’s not with toy guns, fingers or tongue lashings. This time it is with actual guns with real bullets. Since January at least three have been killed in the line of duty. The most recent was a Georgia police officer trying to stop a carjacking. Another was serving an arrest warrant. The third was a Sandusky officer also on duty.
It’s important to remember these aren’t nameless, faceless robots just here for us to use when it’s convenient. They are men and women with hopes and dreams like the rest of us. They get up and put on the uniform to protect the public and to provide for their families. They have parents, siblings and friends. In many cases they are family men. The Sandusky officer left behind two young children and a wife. He’ll never get to see those children grow up and they’ll never get to know their father.
Public view is often formed by the few cases of officer misconduct, or a run in with the law. If we get stopped by the police, it must be the officer’s fault, despite the fact the speedometer read 10 or more mph over the posted speed limit. Despite the fact alcohol is involved. In the case of children, these attitudes are learned from parents and other adults.
It’s time we as the public stop blaming the police if we get a speeding ticket or a DUI. There are those who need to recognize they can’t just break the law and get away with it. Don’t commit crime if you aren’t willing to go to jail. If you get caught, then man up (or woman up) and accept your punishment. If you hear of officer’s killed in the line of duty, support their families. It’s called personal and social responsibility. Families of hard working police officer’s shouldn’t have to pay for the selfishness of others.
Well they are under attack again and this time it’s not with toy guns, fingers or tongue lashings. This time it is with actual guns with real bullets. Since January at least three have been killed in the line of duty. The most recent was a Georgia police officer trying to stop a carjacking. Another was serving an arrest warrant. The third was a Sandusky officer also on duty.
It’s important to remember these aren’t nameless, faceless robots just here for us to use when it’s convenient. They are men and women with hopes and dreams like the rest of us. They get up and put on the uniform to protect the public and to provide for their families. They have parents, siblings and friends. In many cases they are family men. The Sandusky officer left behind two young children and a wife. He’ll never get to see those children grow up and they’ll never get to know their father.
Public view is often formed by the few cases of officer misconduct, or a run in with the law. If we get stopped by the police, it must be the officer’s fault, despite the fact the speedometer read 10 or more mph over the posted speed limit. Despite the fact alcohol is involved. In the case of children, these attitudes are learned from parents and other adults.
It’s time we as the public stop blaming the police if we get a speeding ticket or a DUI. There are those who need to recognize they can’t just break the law and get away with it. Don’t commit crime if you aren’t willing to go to jail. If you get caught, then man up (or woman up) and accept your punishment. If you hear of officer’s killed in the line of duty, support their families. It’s called personal and social responsibility. Families of hard working police officer’s shouldn’t have to pay for the selfishness of others.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Media Research and Writing Class Can be Both Grueling and Rewarding
One word to describe Media Research and Writing class is grueling. How about practical, energizing or even painful? I would contend that all of these words might apply.
No matter what your feelings about the class, the lessons learned are invaluable. The class gives students a window into the real world of public relations. It gives them a chance to attempt several types of public relations deliverables, to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes. Practically speaking the class lives up to its name.
Students can’t help but feel an energizing thrill when they receive a good grade on a deliverable or successfully plan a campaign. Positive feedback from the instructor, an expert at public relations, gives the student a thrill. All of these things give the student the energy and the desire to continue in the public relations field. Hearing PR professionals can make a lot of money certainly doesn’t hurt the energy level.
But to get to those good feelings and practical benefits, students must first wade through the painful and grueling parts of the course.
Most students would probably agree the most painful part of the course is trying to figure out what the assignment is looking for the student to complete. Often the assignments were vague and left a lot of room for interpretation.
While trying to interpret the assignment the student must also keep in mind pleasing the instructor. After all, it is the instructor who controls the grade and the student’s energy level. To some extent the instructor also shapes the students practice of public relations.
Finally comes the grueling and tedious work of actually completing the assignments on time. This isn’t much of a challenge in the first couple of weeks, but as the class goes on the depth of the assignments increases until the frenzy of the fifth week smacks the student in the face. Wham.
Suddenly the student is faced with six assignments. Not just simple read and answer questions, but actually in depth and creative projects.
The successful student will be the one interprets and completes the assignments on time, understands their practical relationship with the real world and maintains a high level of excitement for the field. If a student can manage all of those things they’ll also be successful in future classes and following graduation.
No matter what your feelings about the class, the lessons learned are invaluable. The class gives students a window into the real world of public relations. It gives them a chance to attempt several types of public relations deliverables, to make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes. Practically speaking the class lives up to its name.
Students can’t help but feel an energizing thrill when they receive a good grade on a deliverable or successfully plan a campaign. Positive feedback from the instructor, an expert at public relations, gives the student a thrill. All of these things give the student the energy and the desire to continue in the public relations field. Hearing PR professionals can make a lot of money certainly doesn’t hurt the energy level.
But to get to those good feelings and practical benefits, students must first wade through the painful and grueling parts of the course.
Most students would probably agree the most painful part of the course is trying to figure out what the assignment is looking for the student to complete. Often the assignments were vague and left a lot of room for interpretation.
While trying to interpret the assignment the student must also keep in mind pleasing the instructor. After all, it is the instructor who controls the grade and the student’s energy level. To some extent the instructor also shapes the students practice of public relations.
Finally comes the grueling and tedious work of actually completing the assignments on time. This isn’t much of a challenge in the first couple of weeks, but as the class goes on the depth of the assignments increases until the frenzy of the fifth week smacks the student in the face. Wham.
Suddenly the student is faced with six assignments. Not just simple read and answer questions, but actually in depth and creative projects.
The successful student will be the one interprets and completes the assignments on time, understands their practical relationship with the real world and maintains a high level of excitement for the field. If a student can manage all of those things they’ll also be successful in future classes and following graduation.
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