Relating Ramble

Essays aren't really about connecting with you, though. They're meant to test your knowledge. They're not asking you to write an essay on say, the war of 1812, because they think you'll really have tons of similarities and interests in the war of 1812. Instead, they're asking to prove you can explain the war of 1812. Besides, writing reports on things that you don't like is important, because what if in the real world you're asked to do that? "Sorry boss, can't do that project. It doesn't connect to me." Won't work out real well.

But I somewhat agree with two of your basic premises: A) Why are we forced to learn a bunch of stuff that neither interests us or we want to know. Why did I have to take 3 years of Spanish when I hated the subject after the first day of the first class? Why did I have to waste time in classes I didn't like and weren't real useful to me? And B) Why does the teaching curriculum turn every subject into such a bleh mess? It tries to connect, but fails to do so. And the worst part is that if it just stuck to it's actual subject material and taught it well, it'd connect to students. History can be pretty interesting, when it's taught well and not beaten to death with stupidity like modern history is.

I don't really know the answers to those two questions, either. On the one hand we're told that we need to be well rounded. Everyone should know basic Math, English, History, and Science. And I agree with that. But the problem is they're not even teaching these subjects that well. And to top it off we're supposed to take art, language, technical, and of course physical fitness and health. Because the idea is the more you try the more you might find you like, or something like that?

I don't know. Personally, the whole system confuses me. And it really seems like the cheapen the essence of the subject a lot. Say in History you're reading about the Aztecs, and it asks you something stupid like, "What would you do if you were in a society like the Aztecs and you saw people being sacrificed? How would it make you feel? Would you rebel or would you accept it as a traditional way of life preserved by time?" I mean, what the heck is that crap? And yet we're routinely asked these kind of questions all throughout our subjects. And not just history, too. It's in English, (If you had created Frankenstein, what steps would you of taken to control it?) and sometimes sneaks into Science, too.

I don't know. The whole teaching system is ridiculous nowadays. I wish I could completely remake it. I'd change everything, pretty much.