The biggest pressure cooker in the dmv?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

This doesn’t address op’s questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

This doesn’t address op’s questions.

Probably the most academically rigorous school in the DMV is St Anselms.

Despite the rigorous program the culture is not really one of academic competition between students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

What is the difference? Is it the competitiveness?

[Anonymous]

BASIS. It's basically a college attended by high school students.

[Anonymous]

DMV = Department of Motor Vehicles

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS. It's basically a college attended by high school students.

And middle school students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

What is the difference? Is it the competitiveness?

DP: My impression of the academically rigorous, but not "pressure cooker," is a lack of fear about performance or grades or the future or of failure. It comes from a down-to-earth, humble awareness that there are many paths to success and that not everyone has the same ultimate goal. My sense of kids that fit such a place is that they are internally-motivated and enjoy the rigor because they enjoy the academics. They aren't in the class to get an A, though they might; they are there to learn Latin or philosophy, or to understand history or chemistry. Grades are secondary to that. If the joy comes from understanding, then you can be at peace with a B or even in spite of a C, as long as in the end, you understood. There is a kind of peace that comes with such an attitude.

Of course, if you do get a C, there will be some stress at home no doubt!

[Anonymous]

RMIB, a moco magnet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

What is the difference? Is it the competitiveness?

DP: My impression of the academically rigorous, but not "pressure cooker," is a lack of fear about performance or grades or the future or of failure. It comes from a down-to-earth, humble awareness that there are many paths to success and that not everyone has the same ultimate goal. My sense of kids that fit such a place is that they are internally-motivated and enjoy the rigor because they enjoy the academics. They aren't in the class to get an A, though they might; they are there to learn Latin or philosophy, or to understand history or chemistry. Grades are secondary to that. If the joy comes from understanding, then you can be at peace with a B or even in spite of a C, as long as in the end, you understood. There is a kind of peace that comes with such an attitude.

Of course, if you do get a C, there will be some stress at home no doubt!

The high school administration do not place pressure on grades particularly in a high achieving school. Come on. It's the parents and students who want to get into colleges. Stop blaming academically rigorous schools as being pressure cookers. They are only so because of the student's and parent's desires.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS. It's basically a college attended by high school students.

And middle school students

Yes, but pressure cooker implies a negative. They have a ton of positive reinforcement that is very motivating and fun for some kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS. It's basically a college attended by high school students.

And middle school students

Yes, but pressure cooker implies a negative. They have a ton of positive reinforcement that is very motivating and fun for some kids.

I can’t imagine that you are a BASIS middle or high school parent. They do not have positive reinforcement or support on an institutional level. Some teachers do their best to keep student stress levels down, but the school itself is often a hindrance to those efforts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

What is the difference? Is it the competitiveness?

DP: My impression of the academically rigorous, but not "pressure cooker," is a lack of fear about performance or grades or the future or of failure. It comes from a down-to-earth, humble awareness that there are many paths to success and that not everyone has the same ultimate goal. My sense of kids that fit such a place is that they are internally-motivated and enjoy the rigor because they enjoy the academics. They aren't in the class to get an A, though they might; they are there to learn Latin or philosophy, or to understand history or chemistry. Grades are secondary to that. If the joy comes from understanding, then you can be at peace with a B or even in spite of a C, as long as in the end, you understood. There is a kind of peace that comes with such an attitude.

Of course, if you do get a C, there will be some stress at home no doubt!

The high school administration do not place pressure on grades particularly in a high achieving school. Come on. It's the parents and students who want to get into colleges. Stop blaming academically rigorous schools as being pressure cookers. They are only so because of the student's and parent's desires.

I'm pretty sure that is completely consistent with what I just wrote.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

What is the difference? Is it the competitiveness?

DP: My impression of the academically rigorous, but not "pressure cooker," is a lack of fear about performance or grades or the future or of failure. It comes from a down-to-earth, humble awareness that there are many paths to success and that not everyone has the same ultimate goal. My sense of kids that fit such a place is that they are internally-motivated and enjoy the rigor because they enjoy the academics. They aren't in the class to get an A, though they might; they are there to learn Latin or philosophy, or to understand history or chemistry. Grades are secondary to that. If the joy comes from understanding, then you can be at peace with a B or even in spite of a C, as long as in the end, you understood. There is a kind of peace that comes with such an attitude.

Of course, if you do get a C, there will be some stress at home no doubt!

NP. In my experience, it's a lot easier to not fear failure, and to be at peace with a B, if you know college and grad school are paid for and you have a very secure financial safety net at home. I think public magnet schools like TJ may have more kids where the fear of failure isn't just a fear of disappointing parents. There's also a financial element, and that influences the level of competitiveness among the students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

What is the difference? Is it the competitiveness?

DP: My impression of the academically rigorous, but not "pressure cooker," is a lack of fear about performance or grades or the future or of failure. It comes from a down-to-earth, humble awareness that there are many paths to success and that not everyone has the same ultimate goal. My sense of kids that fit such a place is that they are internally-motivated and enjoy the rigor because they enjoy the academics. They aren't in the class to get an A, though they might; they are there to learn Latin or philosophy, or to understand history or chemistry. Grades are secondary to that. If the joy comes from understanding, then you can be at peace with a B or even in spite of a C, as long as in the end, you understood. There is a kind of peace that comes with such an attitude.

Of course, if you do get a C, there will be some stress at home no doubt!

NP. In my experience, it's a lot easier to not fear failure, and to be at peace with a B, if you know college and grad school are paid for and you have a very secure financial safety net at home. I think public magnet schools like TJ may have more kids where the fear of failure isn't just a fear of disappointing parents. There's also a financial element, and that influences the level of competitiveness among the students.

This x1000.

When there is security, getting a B is not the end of the world. A kid who gets unconditional support at home (e.g., no pressure to go to a SLAC), and does not worry at that stage about financial security, is going to be in a much better position not to worry about a grade or two. If you are the first in your family to contemplate college, or if your financial aid packages will be in jeopardy, then that pressure can loom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't want to send my kid to a school that is a pressure cooker. I would much prefer to send my kid to an academically rigorous high school. There is a difference between the two.

What is the difference? Is it the competitiveness?

DP: My impression of the academically rigorous, but not "pressure cooker," is a lack of fear about performance or grades or the future or of failure. It comes from a down-to-earth, humble awareness that there are many paths to success and that not everyone has the same ultimate goal. My sense of kids that fit such a place is that they are internally-motivated and enjoy the rigor because they enjoy the academics. They aren't in the class to get an A, though they might; they are there to learn Latin or philosophy, or to understand history or chemistry. Grades are secondary to that. If the joy comes from understanding, then you can be at peace with a B or even in spite of a C, as long as in the end, you understood. There is a kind of peace that comes with such an attitude.

Of course, if you do get a C, there will be some stress at home no doubt!

NP. In my experience, it's a lot easier to not fear failure, and to be at peace with a B, if you know college and grad school are paid for and you have a very secure financial safety net at home. I think public magnet schools like TJ may have more kids where the fear of failure isn't just a fear of disappointing parents. There's also a financial element, and that influences the level of competitiveness among the students.

This x1000.

When there is security, getting a B is not the end of the world. A kid who gets unconditional support at home (e.g., no pressure to go to a SLAC), and does not worry at that stage about financial security, is going to be in a much better position not to worry about a grade or two. If you are the first in your family to contemplate college, or if your financial aid packages will be in jeopardy, then that pressure can loom.

I'm sorry, but this is insane. If you are terrified that getting a B will have life long consequences (a laughable concept), then you are not enough of a risk taker to be very successful anyway. Even (especially) poor kids know this.

- former poor kid who got Bs and now has a high HHI, so chin up, kids