What!?!? two days in a row? Fail.  

Posted by Tim Appleton (Applehead)

I was visiting a school today (as I do everyday.) The teacher and I got into a conversation about students failing. He stated that it is easier to give the student a D- then to fail them. I was shocked. Really? If you give a student an F, then you need to prove that you tried to teach that concept, idea, whatever, etc ten times. We were talking about children who have IEPs (Individualized Education Program) and normal children (who doesn't have an IEP anymore, btw?) so I could get this wrong. The point is it is easier to give a student a D- than fail them. That is the most absurd, asinine thing I have ever heard. What kind of teaching is that? Is the system really set up that way? Some teachers take the easy road when I know this is reality I have been around the block, I taught in the public schools. I know what goes on.


Seriously? This is why society is like it is today. Nobody fails anymore. We give participation trophies to all the kids in little league even though they didn't win a game. We have kids now that can't hold jobs as adults because they were never taught how to learn from failure as a child. Let me share something I teach my children: FAILURE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND. We learn from failure. We pick ourselves up off the ground and try again until we succeed. That is what the country is founded on and that is how this country has succeeded for the past 233 years.

I could go on for a while, but I just wanted to share the conversation that I had today. Full disclosure: I taught for a year in public school, my wife taught for four years in middle school, bless her heart, and we home school all four of my children (no IEPs), and live on a farm in the middle of nowhere so you can't find us.

who is this?  

Posted by Tim Appleton (Applehead)

Don't adjust your computer screen..I am posting. I drove past Kroger's today. They have Christmas trees set out to buy. Did I time travel two weeks into the future? Has Thanksgiving come and gone already? The answer is no. I don't time travel (yet), Thanksgiving hasn't passed me by. Why do the retailers think that Thanksgiving does not exist? Why did I watch a Christmas special on TV BEFORE Thanksgiving?!? Do they think we will spend more money if they advertise earlier? The answer is yes, probably. I won't spend more, but other people might. there is a statistic out there somewhere.


I haven't been out to hunt this fall yet. I have been picking up the slack on the farm lately because Paul has been to the hospital more often than not in the last month. He is doing great btw. I'm am not complaining. I enjoy the work at the farm and I will get out to hunt this fall eventually. The chicken house is almost completed. The kids think the attic is their new playhouse. My brother and his friend came down to hunt Monday, It was nice to see him, can't wait until he stays a bit longer next time.
Well then, I might post again before Christmas... Be sure to follow me on twitter, and even if you don't twitter, just put twitter.com/t100acres in your reader subscription and your all set.