Reading Stoic_Slaughter's journal

I was looking around at the people in my grade; the top of my class...the people who do better than I at school in reference to grades and whatnot. Recently I've come to the realization that these people do well because they listen to their teachers and complete their assignments. They cannot think on their own, and they all share the same opinions among themselves. I don't pride myself on being the sharpest knife in the drawer, but they do...and what disturbs me is the fact that they are not signifigantly intelligent. I have always felt inadequate to these people; always felt less intelligent...but a certain circumstance made me think otherwise. My English teacher (I'm sure you're all sick of hearing about her, but boy do I get a kick out of that class) was discussing the symbolism in "The Old Man and the Sea" by Hemingway. She mentioned that the author said there is no intended symbolism behind the story. So, basically, she was encouraging us to deviate from the truth that the author had intended no deeper meaning behind the literature and to go ahead and follow our own opinions which were entirely wrong since the intention of the text had already been clarified. I was so furious with her idiocy that I said some things I should not have said, and she replied "I think it takes a certain level of intelligence to uncover symbolism in literature. I would suggest that you stop taking Advanced Honors English classes." I was shaking with such rage at her idiocy that I could merely mutter, "Perhaps I lack that intelligence." I don't think it bothered anyone else in the entire class. They probably think she knows exactly what she is talking about, and that's fine, but I do know this much; in five years, I shall not be teaching a high school English class in Sumner co. Tennessee.

For my next trick, I shall make you all disappear.

:) I understand the sharpest knife in the drawer bit, but on the subject of English and symbolism, etc., I'm utterly helpless.

Hell, our #1 student grade wise CHEATS! I noticed the whole "I copy my opinions" deal too. I just love having different opinions than them and watch them struggle to defend theirs. It's great. You should (and maybe have) try it sometime. Take a stance where your opinions differ (which are probably most) with soemone you can tell are just conforming, and watch them struggle.

BTW, it doesn't take a certain level of intellegence to extract symbolism. It takes a certain type. I'm not an abstract thinker, I perform extremely well in logical problem solving (ie math and physics) but when it comes to abstracting thoughts... I fail miserably. Unless of course we are doing a timed writing that is argumentative, and then I enjoy myself ;)

Pistol Grip Pump In My Lap At All Times

I've noticed that quite a bit as well, and only this year I've started making that obvious. The top of my class and I aren't too far appart (he's #1 and I'm #5), and we've always slightly competed against each other at every opportunity given.

However, this year I decided to stop competing for the letter grade and instead challenge his intellegene. So our competition has moved from a graded paper to a verbal debate, particularly in English. We've argued over everything from symbolism to things not at all related to the subject in hand. Our teacher - his mother - just sits back and watches with a bit of a smirk, especially on the occasions when I'm right. Due to this arguements other people in our class have started noticing that he's not as smart as everyone thought he was. Granted, I conceed that he's much better at math than I am.

As far as your class goes, I'd suggest challenging the top student, just to see how everyone else around you responds to what's untried and true being tested and falling.

--Jami

You fail it.

Have mercy. I don't know him, but he might be really fed up if he constantly has to prove himself. And with his mother as your teacher, really, seems like a poor guy to me.

'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman. 'Get stuffed!' the Harlequin replied, sneering.

It used to be real arguing, however most the time now it's just banter. We've gotten to be pretty good friends through it. :)

--Jami

You fail it.

Ha.. and she also stated that her whole thesus is based on symbolism, correct?

I was bothered, too, but I'm sure I wasn't shaking with rage. I know that she's an idiot, and that's all. It's just sad that no one else notices it.

"It is remarkable how similar the pattern of love is to the pattern of insanity."

They probably think she knows exactly what she is talking about, and that's fine, but I do know this much; in five years, I shall not be teaching a high school English class in Sumner co. Tennessee.

Oh-ho-ho. Tennessee Public Schools? Which school? I'm another unfortunate sufferer (or was) of the Tennessee Public Schools, and we've got to be some of the worst in the country. I'm guessing, of course, that you at least got adequate funding (or moreso than I did out here in the boondocks of Memphis), seeing as Sumner is relatively close to Nashville, and our government has one of the most severe cases of "If it isn't nearby, it doesn't matter" syndrome ever when it comes to education. As for the intelligence of the average "bright" kid; all I remember from my brief (pronounced "seven years") stint at Cordova Optional School was that you got more points for making your presentation look good than you did for content, and I say that with no exaggeration whatsoever. What happens in the end? You don't learn to truly think for yourself, but you go to a good private school, possibly an Ivy League, then you go into business and stay in middle management where you while away your life pissing off your underlings. But if you've got that spark of intellect that our schools fail to extinguish (and they try, with all the gusto and relish of a redneck running over a squirrel), you might actually do something in your life you find yourself enjoying. Don't worry, high school doesn't last forever.

Thbbbbt

(and they try, with all the gusto and relish of a redneck running over a squirrel)

ha, nice.

okay, completely unrelated to that, I find it very hard to pay attention in that class. Ive usually got my face burried in a book (other than the one shes trying to read with absolutely no emotion, I might add). and whenever I am forced to pay attention, I usually am doing a better job than the people who DO pay attention. in fact, im suprised im pulling a C in there. I never do crap. there are people in there who work their butts off and get a C. I kind of feel sorry for those people, but its their fault for taking advanced honors.

Not only is our english teacher completely in the box, however. I was talking to my guidance councelor about my schedule next year, and we sat in her office for 35 minutes while she asked me over and over if I was SURE I wanted to double up on maths next year. I was ready to just blurt out, "YES DAMMIT! I WOULDNT HAVE CIRCLED BOTH OF THEM ON MY SHEET IF I DIDNT WANT BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!" but I didnt. which is good, I tend to get carried away, and it probably wouldnt not have stopped there.
Sigh, what has our school systems come to these days? is it just like this in Tennessee? or is it like this everywhere? I certainly hope not. God bless you all if it is.

"Wishing on a star that's already burned out..."

I imagine it's like this in a good deal of places, but in the Northeast a lot of the schools are well-functioning and funded, even though they are old, and have curricula that have been worked out over the decades. Then out in the West and Southwest, the school systems are newer, so a lot of what they have going on is more up-to-date with how kids function in classm and the Northwestern states at least get decent tax returns to push back into the schools. Meanwhile, in states like Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, etc. (Old South, mostly), we've got none of those advantages and all the disadvantages of zilch for funding at the state level, a still-rampant mindset of "Gawd a-wants me to learn mah own chilluns, ain't no guv'ment gonna get thur hands on mah kids," and the fact that kids in this country really do seem to tend more towards laziness and stupidity (not ignorance, stupidity) than in a lot of other regions.

Thbbbbt

I'm out of school now, have been for a few years, but one of my favorite classes was english. The reason being it gave me a chance to argue without getting in trouble. when it came to symbolism and discussing what some dead author meant 100's of years ago I would always disagree with the majority. Usual, even though I was disagreeing to spike an argument, my ideas were as valid as the teachers. He certainly didn't know what this author meant. No one did, unless of course he wrote an explanation on it "..this is what the moral of the story is...".
When Hemingway wrote his stories (For Whom the Bell Tolls is very good, if you haven't read it try it out) I doubt he was putting as much thought into each sentence as High School teachers would believe.
Sometimes when an author says "He woke up with a fever, he had the flu"-he means just that, he woke up with a fever because he had the flu. Although some of these, need I say quaks, will have you discussing this to the bitter end
"I think what he is trying to say is that when he wakes up he realizes he has to face the world once again. To live in it's filth and struggle....."
Yada yada yada, get the guy some Nyquil.