Teens acting out Post

For my blog this week, I wanted to write about something relevant that was from another's blog on CNN.com. A teacher named Robyn Barberry wrote a blog post about a school shooting at a nearby high school called Perry Hall in Baltimore, MD. A 15 year old student had brought a gun to school and shot a 17 year old who ended up recovering from the gunshot. The article is not as focused on the shooting as much as how schools handle their students, academically and emotionally.

The blog says, "The American school system has become so focused on attaching numbers and labels to children that we’ve forgotten about individuality. We’ve devalued independent thinking in the world of multiple choices, but one right answer.

Strides in science and math are essential to our country’s future in our global economy, but without humanity and creativity, how can we progress?

It’s time for the pendulum of American educational philosophy to stop swinging and start balancing in a way that accounts for all of our students’ needs. Gladden was described in local media reports as “smart,” but evidently, he was unstable, too. Students like him tend to disappear in a world where good grades and test scores mean everything is OK"

This is all so fascinating to me! I totally agree with everything that Barberry said. I don't think that school anymore care so much about children's creativity and well-being as much as test scores and ability to push themselves to their limits. Now, with all of the modern technology and ways for kids to get a hold of dangerous weapons or drugs, it is even MORE important than before for the schools to be checking in with kids and making sure they are doing okay, on a personal level. 

I don't like how kids are labeled and numbered, instead of nurtured and individualized. I understand that it is an easier way to handle large groups of kids, but when it comes to admissions or evaluations, the scores should not be any deciding factor whatsoever in a decision. Like the boy in the article, a smart kid can still make stupid decisions. When I read this article, I got chills thinking about this ever happening at our own school, and I hope that the school systems change eventually towards more individualistic thinking classes and expectations.