Wow...DD's HS team seems to be struggling academically

[maksoftball]

Coach went ballistic on the team yesterday. 24 out of 28 players are "failing" by her standards (her standard is anything below an 80). 5 Varsity starters are truly failing at least one class...including pitcher who is failing 2. DD maybe starting as pitcher (instead of OF) tomorrow night's game as a result.

Anyhow, I am really, really shocked that so many are struggling. DD says that it's not that they can't make the grade but more for lack of trying. Coach ranted and raved about missing grades, failure to retake failed tests, etc. Coach mass-emailed all the parents asking them all to please be aware of their DD's grades, and that if they don't know where to check, email her, and she will tell them everything. At the end of her tirade, she pointed at 4 players (including DD), and said "You're good...feel free to kick back, put your feet up, and watch your teammates suffer". LOL.

It made me wonder if the parents are aware and if they are trying to help/push their dd's at all. DD said that the incoming freshman are the "most lazy, whiny bunch" (not targeting freshman but just period). She feels the weight on her shoulders as she knows what is ahead of her as an upper classman starting next year...but I told her that all she can do is "set an example and be a team player".

Anyone else see this happen or has seen this happen? For us, we have a strict "No Pass, No Play" policy. Should be interesting to see who takes the field tomorrow night as a result.

 

[Doug Romrell]

I teach in college, but I'll tell you that I've seen a marked change in the mentality of students over the last several years.

Sure, the best students are better than they've ever been, likely due to all the computer technology and such that they have grown up with. HOWEVER, there is a much strong sense of laziness among the other student. I believe our kids are too spoiled today, and we do not discipline like our parents did (not necessarily talking the spanking stuff). I, myself, have failed in that regard.

I find some students study habits to be dismal at best. Academic motivation for some is zero, yet they rack up all these student loans. I don't get it. Of course, all these motivational problems are far more prevalent at the college freshman level than at the senior level.

 

[BobInMadison]

It appears this particular coach believes that student athletes should be students first and foremost. Good for her. No, GREAT for her.

Sometimes this sort of "tough love", IF accompanied by real support, can work.

It worked for my DS. His grades his freshman and sophomore years were horrible. He ran track as a freshman, and was suspended from the team for a couple of weeks for grades. Luckily for him, that was the same time he had shin splints and couldn't run anyway. The coaches put enough pressure on him to raise his grades to where he could finish the season, and he ran some summer events as well.

As a sophomore, he switched to rowing. His rowing club has no grade restrictions, but his parents do. We worked out arrangements with his coaches that he needed to meet certain targets or else we would pull him from the team, and for a while we made him skip some practices to catch up with homework. That led to him being demoted to a lower boat.

His grades got better his jr. and sr. years. At one point he decided he really wanted to attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering, which has a great Mechanical Engineering prgram, and one of the best (if not THE best) D III men's rowing programs in the US. The admissions folks at MSOE very bluntly told him to get his grades up if he wanted to go there. So he did.

DS just finished his last exam for the quarter a few minutes ago. (They use the weird west coast quarter system, which he likes better). He is finally starting to show his academic potential. Tomorrow the team heads off to Waco for a week of warm-weather training with the Baylor crew. A well earned treat for him.

Keep in mind, DW and I did everything we could to support DS in this process, ranging from helping him with homework to emotional support to an occasional metaphoric kick in the pants. But, in the final analysis, HE did the work. HE decided HE wanted to row, and to have a career. HE did the work required to make it happen.

So, if those girls really want to play softball, they will do what it takes to get on the field. It would be worth losing, or even having to forfeit, some games to straighten up the team.

 

[Jojo]

My DD teaches at low income district. Common Core.

She teaches seniors. She is amazed that they cannot read, write, do simple reading comprehension. Have no knowledge of the outside world other than their circle of peers and celebs.

They don't want to learn, don't care if they fail, she constantly calls their parents and is lucky if she gets one parent that is mildly interested in their child's school work. Discipline is another issue and the parents really don't care about that either. But discipline leads to being disciplined in other area's of life as well, like your education, work ethics, etc.

 

[Indiana]

I agree that the best students are better now than they've ever been. I've been pretty shocked at how competitive the top 20-30 or so colleges have gotten, and how competitive the top students are. On the other hand, the teachers that I know are frustrated by the "it's not my fault" attitude of some students.

I watched a documentary last night on Steven Hawking (in his own words - not the recent movie). In the documentary, Hawking described the overall attitude at Oxford in the 1950s. Amazingly, "Hard Work" was frowned upon. You were supposed to either be a genius, and therefore succeed without trying, or accept your mediocrity and settle into a lesser degree. Hawking went on to describe the hard-core party atmosphere at Oxford. Oxford! Anyway, an interesting perspective.

Bob - congrats to your DS with his rowing - I knew some of the rowers at my alma mater - those kids were nuts!

 

[29dad]

Mak - are these the same lazy, disinterested kids who refused to properly celebrate your dd's titanic homerun about a week ago??!!!

 

[knightsb]

failure to retake failed tests, etc.

This is a relatively new concept to me... Do I understand it correctly, now in school, you take a test, and if you're not satisfied with your grade, you have the option of retaking the test? This is how my DD and DS have explained it to me. WTF?! You get a redo? If this were around 40 years ago I'd have had NO problem with school.

 

[Doug Romrell]

...the teachers that I know are frustrated by the "it's not my fault" attitude of some students.

So true. I always get a kick out of the student who comes up and goes through this checklist. You know.... "I read the chapters 5 times. I came to class. I did this. I did that. I only got a 68/100." Then they just look at you. I've gotten to the point where I ask, "And your point is what? You clearly need to change what you're doing. A lot of students did far better than you." Typically, the student has never asked me a specific question about the material.

 

[redhotcoach]

I know my dd has put off studying before because "I can just retake it if I need to."

...AND they (well my kid) acts like a teacher is being unreasonable the few times they are not allowed to retake.

 

[Indiana]

Hmmm. DD was up late last night fuming over an essay that her history teacher gave her an "82" on. She swears up and down that she got her facts directly from the class notes. Personally, I thought she was a little bit off with some of her timelines, and pointed that out. - though at 11:30 p.m DD was in no mood to listen to reason. She marched into school this morning (in an almost-blizzard; but school was still on!) to talk to her teacher about her grade. Oh dear. I'll have to buy the poor guy a coffee - or a beer.