Stevenson

Today in class, we discussed whether or not Stevenson's mentality about grades being important instead of learning is teaching us the right lessons in life. That kid who tries really hard, but isn't naturally smart is more likely to get the benefit of the doubt than the more knowledgeable student in the class. I think that there are both benefits and drawbacks to the way that schools in general unintentionally enforce this mentality in students. While it is good to encourage kids to try their hardest, it also shows people that knowing something isn't what actually matters, which is contradictory here at Stevenson. We are taught that grades are everything, no matter our effort, yet when a kid tries hard the teachers give them that extra edge. Well if grades are all that matters, how does someones effort influence that grade? A lot of the smartest kids at Stevenson do not apply themselves, yet when it comes to testing they score the highest of anyone. I'm not sure how Stevenson sees these kids. On one hand, they are not achieving the grades they possibly could, yet they do still have these craved high test scores that the school puts so much emphasis upon. Sometimes, I feel that this school isn't the great learning place it is made out to be. We are pushed so hard to get grades here, but how will that play out in the real world? Also, even the best is not good enough here. The first time I took the ACT, my score was over a 30, and I was told that I should probably take it again if I was to be sure that I would get into the colleges of my choice. To me that showed that good is not good enough. We need to be perfect to be praised here at Stevenson. I think that this school often brings down the brightest of kids despite all the hype we get.