Too Stressed To Learn?

*A re-post from 2007, but as relevant today as then*

Life's tough. Perhaps a little too tough.

So says a letter to the Editor in the February 8, 2007 edition of The Denver Post. Two classes of sixth graders, in a "joint, in-class writing project" and mentored/guided by their teachers, wrote a letter espousing how "stressed" they are in this day and age.

Here's the letter:

It's time to change the definition of winning.

It's tough being a kid these days. Even before we are born, our parents, teachers, coaches and counselors are stressing about us. Our parents are choosing to work two jobs to have enough money to get us into the right play groups, the right schools, and onto the right teams so we can all be winners.

At school we have to start earlier, stay later, we get no recess and more homework to do better on CSAPs (state standarized tests to measure achievement and performance) so we can all be winners. Our coaches schedule more practices, make us play year-round, and tell us not to play any other sports so we all can be winners.

But here's the problem: we can't all be winners because there aren't enough games, so we feel like we're letting everyone down. Then everyone wonders why we're so stressed out - and that's where the counselors come in.

What's the solution? Maybe we should change the definition of a winner. Right now, winners are those who have the most things - like money, trophies and fame. We think the real winners should be those who love, who are loved, and who are happy. And turning us into objects is not the way to get there.

Mrs. Frisch/Mrs. Sinn's sixth grade classes

Hill Middle School, Denver CO

Finally, there's a note from the Editor: this letter is a product of a joint, in-class writing project. With the stress of CSAPs drawing near, students sounded off on the pressure and expectations they face, and how it's taking away from "just being a kid".

Let's have a collective "awwwwwwwwwww".

Yep. Sure sounds like life is tougher for sixth graders today than it was in 1968, when I was a sixth grader. After all, we didn't have parents, teachers, coaches and counselors pushing us.

Oops; yes, we did.

Well, we didn't have to go to school from early morning until mid-afternoon.

Oops; yes, we did.

We didn't get recess.

Oops; yes, we did.

We did, because we didn't have parents, teachers, coaches, counselors, layers of school administrators, bureaucrats AND lawyers who fretted about students being "traumatized" on the playground in competitive games of dodgeball, tetherball, kickball, softball, etc.; nor were they worried about us participating in competitive sports where scores were kept and there were winners and losers.

In fact, one of my elementary physical education instructors taught us that "losing a game inspired one to work harder to win the next time". He was right.

As for focusing on one sport at the expense of all others, none -- not one -- of my coaches and physical ed instructors, from elementary through high school, ever encouraged me to limit myself to one sport and one only; the more sports and activities, the better and more well-rounded an athlete and physically fit I'd become. Perhaps 21st Century coaches at Hills Middle School just forgot about that during Political Correctness 101.

Homework; we didn't have that to cope with.

Oops; yes, we did.

And there's those pesky, stress-inducing CSAP tests; we didn't have those back in 1968.

Oops; yes, we did.

They were called the Iowa Basic Skills Test. We took them annually. Preparing for them was like preparing for any test in any class we took. In fact, studying for our individual classes prepared us for the Iowa Basic Skills Test. A test I reckon was every bit as demanding as the current CSAP, if not moreso.

I did overlook something here: my parents didn't have to work two jobs to put five kids through school.

Oops; yes, they did. They worked two jobs and were active in state level politics.

Guess I musta been too stressed to "just be a kid", eh?

Oops; no, I wasn't. At least I didn't have any of my teachers back then telling me how "stressed" I should be.

As for the letter, I don't put any blame or shame on the students of these two classes. They're sixth grade kids. I put the blame for the whiny, pathetic tone of this letter and much of what it conveys on the teachers, the educrats of Hills Middle School, AND the teachers union that fosters such whiny pablum.

It must be hard for some who choose teaching as a profession to actually teach students to learn, to strive, to achieve, and to excel. Especially when it isn't fair that not all will. So some of the aforementioned sixth graders at Hill Middle School should be held back, told how "stressed" they are, and made to feel guilty about trying to 'win', achieve, excel and advance. This will better level the playing field for all. After all, it isn't about winning in life; it's about equal outcome for everyone, right?

Oops; not in real life beyond school, it ain't.

And what about 'winning': should the definition be changed in the same way that Bill Clinton tried to change the definition of 'is'? Isn't a winner defined as anyone who works hard, does their best, gets up when they fall down, and views a loss as a learning experience? Is a winner really and strictly defined, at least according to this letter, by awards, trophies and "objects" that a winner collects?

If that's how a winner is viewed by these two classes, then I ask you: what are these two teachers really teaching these kids? This letter makes me wonder. For the parents of these students, they should be wondering as well.

Now I'll grant you that probably not every teacher at Hills Middle School adheres to the "life's too tough" approach in their teaching philosophy. And even among those who bow three times to the union image in the school restroom daily, not all believe that winning, achievement and excellence are a bad thing for kids to strive for.

But this letter from sixth graders at Hills Middle School does tell me one thing: I'm glad I don't have kids attending that school. Not because the students are just "too stressed"; because apparently, the teachers of those two classes are too stressed to do their students a real service in life and learning.

Life's tough. It's tougher if your kid's teachers are too stressed to do right by your kids.