Waiting for Superman” is about the American education system.
Our American students are falling behind compared to other top nations. Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft) was featured in the video, too. Gates argued that he is worried about the future of our country. Companies needing well-education people are looking outside the United States to fill these high-playing positions because we don’t have the people who can do the job.
The documentary, “waiting for superman” puts the blame on the school system and even blames poor-performing teachers for the problem. Teachers in American public schools are under pressure. The documentary blames unions.
Good teachers who produce results get paid the same as poor teachers who don’t. I heard one comment apparently made by a teacher during the documentary. It said, “I’ll get paid rather you learn anything or not,” or something similar. They have a contract and the quote is, "you can't fire me." The video calls these types of schools: "Failure factories."
I worked a Chick-fil-A during my high school and college years. I'm certain that if I ever said, "I'll get paid regarldess if you (the cutomer) gets your food or not," then I'd be fired." By the way, I have a real/ genuine interest in helping others today. It really is "my pleasure."
They’ve found some interesting facts on what does work in education. At one time, the world thought that the sound barrier couldn’t be broken. Yes, they featured the famous West Virginian, Chuck Yeager, who was the first to break the sound barrier in the documentary. Yeager had done something previously thought impossible.
They also showed something else that people didn’t think could happen. They showed that outstanding charter schools produced results. Children in these schools met the achievement gap when it was previously thought impossible and all of them were going to college! There weren't any "drop-outs."
Parents who care about their child’s education and success in life want their child to attend one of these character schools. The problem is that not all children who apply will get an opportunity to attend. They have a lottery where they randomly draw numbers/ child names to be accepted to these charter schools. The documentary follows several students at different ages and school levels.
I felt emotional during the part of the documentary where they played the lottery.
Some of the children followed in the documentary won and were accepted.
Some of the children followed in the documentary didn’t win the lottery and weren’t accepted.
This lottery system seems degrading to children. I felt that the children who weren’t selected were quite literally being “left behind” in America. This lottery reminds me of a dystopia short-story by Shirley Jackson with the same title, "The Lottery." The lottery meant someone was going to be doomed. Maybe the documentary should have been titled, "The Lottery."
I felt tearful during the lottery section of the documentary. I’m not sure when I felt more tearful. I was upset that one little girl wasn’t accepted. I was worried while watching the facial expressions of another student who was fretting as they called other numbers. They finally called this student’s number and she cried. One boy didn’t make it. He was upset. He received a phone call that there had been extra spaces available and that he would be accepted. I felt really glad for him!
I’m a Recreational Therapist for children in a residential treatment setting. Children stay at this program for 6-months to a year. They're in treatment for serious mental health needs. I feel I have a personal obligation to be an advocate for the children who I provide services for and to be responsible to provide the best and most effective interventions possible.
I take the treatment process: assessment, planning, and providing outstanding interventions very seriously. Of course, my favorite part of being a Rec. Therapist is providing interventions. I enjoy this lot. And I hope that the post-intervention evaluations show outstanding gains!
Our residential program has a school on campus. Of course, I want our program to be outstanding in all areas: treatment, education, and other areas, too. It is my goal to provide Rec Therapy interventions that help the child build on her (or his) strong points as well as address areas of needed improvement in mental health. I want to provide interventions that can help the child to be more effective in all areas of her (or his) life, including, school.
I’ve heard that some Individual Education Plans (IEPs) have Recreational Therapy interventions and the need for a Rec. Therapist. As far as I’m aware, there aren’t any children in West Virginia who have Recreational Therapy on their IEP. I had recently brought this up with a teacher. She said, oh yes they do, in schools; they call it, “Occupational Therapy.” Of course, this was an excellent opportunity to advocate for Recreational Therapy and what we do to help people (and in this case, children). Of course,
We, Recreational Therapists don’t want to be “hot under the collar” as the public school systems have been in this documentary. “Recreational Therapy” is often stigmatized because of the word “Recreation” based on my experiences as a Recreational Therapist. The basic assumption is that recreation is “fun and games.”
In the documentary, Waiting for Superman, one girl wasn’t allowed to go out and play until she did her homework. Of course, I’d advocate that playtime should be mandatory for a child because it promotes: social interaction (with other children), physical fitness, cognitive abilities, and overall emotional wellness.
However, one teacher in the video was using music and games to teach children. She made multiplication into a rap song, which the children were learning. In fact, these children were overheard “singing the math song” during their own recess. Who said learning should be boring or hard?
Why can’t it be fun? I think I learn better when it is fun.
What about you?
ALSO -- Recreational Therapists do work in some school systems. To the best of my understanding, they provide services for children with physical needs. I’d imagine there are many recreational therapy interventions that a RT could use to help children with mental health needs, including: learning disorders, expressive language disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders.
Just some thoughts by your good friend, Danny
Striving to be a Super Recreational Therapist.
Here is a youtube trailer for the documentary:
Here are the links for the book and DVD:
“
Here is an interesting study on children with ADHD. I thought I'd share it with you:
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/14/adhd-brains-may-have-faulty-brakes/?hpt=T2
