AIBU to think the wording in this high school transition book isn't great?

[Whatswiththesmalltalk]

Dd recieved a transition booklet to look through, I'm assuming most kids transitioning to high school recieved these. The part that bothered me in particular was the are you an average or an awesome kid? It listed attributes of average kids such as not putting your hand up. I get the idea behind it but I don't understand the need for labelling kids who feel uneasy raising their hand or lacking in confidence as average. Surely that will only do the opposite of what was intended. I've attatched an image.

People who are taking the slide and thinking it's awful should read more on growth mindset.

There is totally nothing wrong with being average. But many of those average attributes aren't things we'd want to encourage in children. Eg just doing enough.

My ds has a physical disability and asd and was horrendously bullied, threatened with a knife in class and had to move schools.

The school he went to were fantastic. They encouraged ds to see he could be more than he thought he could. Gave him strategies to interact, had different ways of engaging students other than just 'hands up'
Taught him that despite struggling severely with reading and writing his inate high intelligence could be communicated other ways.

This isn't about average not being ok. It's about teaching people not to undersell themselves and find their own interests and talents and to foster them.

@itsgettingweird that is great that he moved to such a supportive slide. I posted above - I’m a fan of growth mindset. But just stick some points on a slide and lumping together shy with lazy is not the same thing. That’s why the slide is awful.

I have read all about growth mindset. I had to, I was a teacher. That's how I decided it is largely a whole load of crap. Crap that exists to sell itself to schools looking for the latest buzzwords to throw about.

ah, dd did this at school and told us we were all average - i said nothing wrong with that

I wonder if we're at the same school, OP? DD3's new school put this out, too. I've actually emailed the head teacher and told him what this 'material' says about DD2, who already attends.

This sounds like an excellent school that will really push the DC to set high standards and push themselves. Your DD will be extremely fortunate to attend.

Too many parents are happy to tolerate coasting and laziness. My DC all know that average is not good enough in this house- they are expected to be working hard and pushing themselves to do better all the time whether it be in academics, sport or relationships.

And unfortunately it is total nonsense that DC can just go through life being shy. The people who get the best opportunities and jobs are not those who are the brightest or best, it is the individuals who have the confidence and ability to speak up.

So in a view of your household you are all average then.

I'd suggest you read other posts from FishyDuck before you bother to engage.

Hairy doesn't even begin to cover it!

I've spent the past 3 weeks reassuring my y6's that they'll be OK. Most are excited but still a bit nervous. Some are very anxious for various reasons. Some have horrific home lives and now they're being taken away from their safe place and their friends.

They all need to hear they'll be OK.

That poor. Apart from, as you've all pointed out, the fact that they don't appear to understand the definitions of average and awesome and have poor logic, it's also harsh. I wasn't lazy, and worked really hard and was bright and academic, but was also cripplingly shy, so putting my hand up often scared me.

Same here, Lemony. All A*, A and B at GCSE, As at A level, first class degree from a red brick. Passed pgce with flying colours and spent over a decade as a teacher, state and private, including two head of dept jobs. But I didn't like putting my hand up so I guess I'm just disappointingly average... .

But look at that username @SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito!! That's pretty flamboyant

Fucking Growth Mindset bollocks.

It's used for ill in every school I've encountered it - not able to run fast because you've got a disability? Look at x athlete, they managed it, so, unlike non disabled people who have no hope of ever becoming an Olympic athlete, you're deliberately failing to think nice thoughts and it's your fault.

Have depression because you live in poverty with three siblings to a room and a parent is sick? Look at x celebrity, they feel sad sometimes, but they don't let that get in the way whilst they weep on their bed of dollars in between trips on private jets to awards ceremonies. You could be just as good as them if you only decided to be better at acting happy in front of the cameras.

It's utter bullshit and blaming people for not thinking happy thoughts about shit that happens to them, restricts their choices, opportunities and chances.

I fucking hate it.

@mitzik, I agree. I am infuriated by the implication that children just need to think their way out of what might be very significant personal struggles and challenges.

I don't doubt that as a medium to long-term framework, with commitment and personal, individual coaching, that growth mindset can be a powerful tool. But paying lip service to it with a few sound bites is awful and likely to do more harm than good.

It's easy to be flamboyant online, Lougle! Really I'm just plain old Sam Vimes.

Cheese, not just personal struggles, it completely minimises structural inequality.

@SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito

I'll be interested to hear what the HT has to say in response to my email. I'll be sad if my concerns are dismissed with trite platitudes.

What a load of ableist bullshit.

The people who get the best opportunities and jobs are not those who are the brightest or best, it is the individuals who have the confidence and ability to speak up.

The rest of us need to stop enabling these substandard gobshites. Really.

What a horrible thing for the school to hand out, I would complain if my child’s school did that. Seems like it was written by someone who doesn’t much like kids!

Most people are average. That’s kinda what the word means. What are most people supposed to do, loathe themselves?

And it isn’t even accurate. They’re writing about children who, for whatever reason, don’t want to fully participate in the class. That isn’t being average that’s having issues that haven’t been addressed.

Those who think this is growth mindset need to look up what Carol Dweck and other researchers on this topic have said about false growth mindset, because this fits it to a T.

@FishyDuck

And unfortunately it is total nonsense that DC can just go through life being shy. The people who get the best opportunities and jobs are not those who are the brightest or best, it is the individuals who have the confidence and ability to speak up.

Nope. I was very shy as a child, so was DD. We're both doing absolutely fine as adults.

As a teacher I can definitely say that the kids that put their hands up a lot are rarely the best students. It's nonsense. Schools these days are full of faddy initiatives. This will be some PE teacher ( who has been ill advisedly promoted to SLT) trying to impress with a bit of something he's copy and pasted from somewhere

@chubbyhotchoc
Every single word you've written is so true! Especially the ill advisedly promoted to SLT bit