> “My teacher didn’t like the project, because I put it on the wrong size paper.”
> It is boring and condescending and even my son, at the age of twelve, can figure out that the rules are arbitrary, that they are enforced in a haphazard fashion
Unfortunately, and it should not be like this, life is full of situations where rules are arbitrary, and applied in a haphazard fashion, often by people who are idiots.
Your son is right. But it is important for him to learn how to deal with these people, otherwise he is himself up for a life of frustration and pain and disappointment.
When attempting homework there are 3 things he needs to do.
i) Work out what dull arbitrary rules are being enforced, and obey these.
ii) Do the homework.
iii) If possible find interest in the homework. Expand it to other subjects, understand why it's useful, where it comes from, who uses it in their day to day life, or what it's been replaced by.
School does really suck for some people. There are lots of things that education based startups could address. It'll be tricky to get any change in education because it is so heavily political.
> It is boring and condescending and even my son, at the age of twelve, can figure out that the rules are arbitrary, that they are enforced in a haphazard fashion
Unfortunately, and it should not be like this, life is full of situations where rules are arbitrary, and applied in a haphazard fashion, often by people who are idiots.
Your son is right. But it is important for him to learn how to deal with these people, otherwise he is himself up for a life of frustration and pain and disappointment.
When attempting homework there are 3 things he needs to do.
i) Work out what dull arbitrary rules are being enforced, and obey these.
ii) Do the homework.
iii) If possible find interest in the homework. Expand it to other subjects, understand why it's useful, where it comes from, who uses it in their day to day life, or what it's been replaced by.
You can try the Phil Beadle books - his style might be too annoying for you. (http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Beadle/e/B0034NOMOU/ref=ntt_athr_...)
School does really suck for some people. There are lots of things that education based startups could address. It'll be tricky to get any change in education because it is so heavily political.