A Story of Two Students, Peter and Jill (Part 1)
Launch the media gallery 1 playerIt has been a couple of weeks since I last wrote. At that time I talked about the high cost to our children for not having a post-secondary education of some sort. Of the students I have known in my 30+ years in education, relatively few had any sort of plan for a career. Parents and students thought they had done what was needed for post secondary success. You know, go to school, get good grades, and stay out of trouble. For so many, the plan was to “go to college” but for at least half of those students, college attendance did not equate to a college degree. After the college experience (for whatever time they actually spent in college) came the tough task of finding a career that would help them to achieve the “American Dream”. What I present to you here are two short stories regarding students and the path they took to find their “American Dream”.
Peter was a typical child growing up in a small community in Kansas. He was the child of middle class parents who worked hard, like so many people you know, to make ends meet. As a child growing up in a typical public education system, Peter’s grades were A’s and B’s though these grades did not accurately represent the skills he needed to be successful in his post-secondary experience. Peter never spent much time working on homework, reading, or doing anything to enrich his intellectual self. That was fine with Peter’s parents as they figured if his grades were good that Peter was getting the education he needed to be successful.
A review of Peter’s academic preparation as per the breakdown of his ACT score clearly showed that, based on the ACT criteria, Peter was not academically prepared for college. Peter had spent much of his youth playing video games, watching TV, and/or just “kicking around”. He did not work a job during high school nor did he work much around the home. His parents might attend parent/teacher conferences but they were never very active in Peter’s academics after about 4th grade. Family expectations meant that Peter would attend college upon completion of his 12 years in public schools. Peter was active in student activities (sports primarily) and had many friends. He was a pretty typical American high school student. What Peter lacked was any vision for what he wanted to do after high school. No plan, no goals, basic preparation, little motivation, and parental expectations.
Predictably, Peter was off to his favorite local college. The college experience calls for a young adult to have the discipline to manage their time; have appropriate study skills; have strong reading and writing skills; and in general take responsibility for their behaviors. Like many young people at this stage of life who have no defined goals and lack discipline, Peter struggled with the academics, time management, and he let his social life become the focus of his college experience. This is a pretty typical story for a lot of our children. The good news at this point of the story is that Peter was still in college after his freshman year (many students like Peter will drop out during their freshman year of college) though his grades reflected his lack of skill preparation, time management, dedication/commitment to his studies, and any sort of goals.
Jill was also a typical child growing up in the same small community in Kansas. Her parents were middle class as well who had the same expectations for Jill as Peter’s parents had for him. Jill was active in student activities and while in high school held down a part time job. From an early age, Jill’s parents bought books to read with Jill and learning games that they regularly played with her. They would limit time in front of the TV and on the computer. When she was a child, Jill’s parents constantly forced Jill to go outside and play. As a teenager they found things that interested Jill and actively encouraged her to pursue these interests. She was a hodgepodge of music, babysitting, youth group, entrepreneurial endeavors, and community causes. Engaged and active, she interacted regularly with adults and peers alike.
Jill’s parents were active in her education. From an early age she was expected to live up to their expectations of academic success. Every night there was dedicated time to her intellectual development. They would expect Jill to do her homework and would check it over to ensure it met their rigorous standards. When there was little or no homework, Jill was expected to read in areas of her own interest. Many times one of her parents would engage her in a discussion of what she had read. When Jill became a teenager, she would get mad at her parents for forcing her to produce quality work. Undaunted by the claims that her work was “good enough for her teachers”, her parents would stick to their convictions and help her to produce quality work. Since this was the only expectation she had ever known, Jill knew that her efforts to do less than what was expected was futile.
In high school her parents were active in selecting the classes Jill would take. Since college was the goal, her parents insisted that she take the most challenging classes offered. They knew that Jill might well make a B or C in many of these classes; they understood that the process was more important than the outcome. Placing Jill in tough learning environments where she had to learn resiliency and determination was more important to future success than earning an A in a less challenging class. And if failure should occur, they wanted her to learn how to cope with it as long as she gave her best effort.
When it came time to take the ACT, Jill scored an average composite score though her reading and writing skills were in a range that indicated she was prepared for college level studies. As a freshman, Jill was prepared to flourish with her new found freedom. Her grades were good, not great. However, she was prepared for all of the challenges that can come with a child’s first year away from home.