Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem?

Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (Full Version)

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Nutty4God -> Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 12:17:48 AM)
I found out an interesting trend in schools today, something that I didn't know. It seems that many educators believe that correcting schoolwork with red ink pens makes children feel bad because of their mistakes. According to these "experts, this damages a child's self esteem and creates a hostile classwork environment. [:o] I'm like, what are these people smoking? I remember schoolwork corrected with red ink when I was a child. What got to me was the underlined words SEE ME! that made me feel like running for cover. These situations made me feel uncomfortable, but they didn't hurt MY self esteem, because I knew that I needed to learn from my mistakes. What do you think about this?

GlassMoonWaltzes -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 12:36:43 AM)
Well, I've been through teacher training, and they told us not to grade in red because it so easily visible to fellow students. I think that made sense.

garsyt -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 8:16:08 AM)
quote: Well, I've been through teacher training, and they told us not to grade in red because it so easily visible to fellow students. I think that made sense. My ds's history teacher uses green and his english teacher uses a variety of colors. Personally I don't think it matters what the color is unless it's the same color that the student used. Plus if it's a typed paper and the correction is made in handwriting others are going to notice anyway. Kids learn to look for the color that the teacher uses. Blessings, Garsy

Hadassah_ -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 8:24:57 AM)
I don't think it's the colour so much as it is what it represents. I personally don't care what colour a teacher uses just so it's clearly defined as hers. But this coddling, hand holding, don't upset the little ones attitudes are going to cause nothing but trouble when this generation becomes adults.

DeliveredDarling -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 9:00:12 AM)
quote: But this coddling, hand holding, don't upset the little ones attitudes are going to cause nothing but trouble when this generation becomes adults. Absolutely agreed! We live in a harsh world and it only gets worse the older we get. We are teaching our children that mistakes aren't wrong, that they are ok and should feel good about making them. Doesn't anyone see that this creates an atmosphere of complacency in our little ones. We are more concerned about their feelings than we are about preparing them to survive in a hostile environment.

stampinlady -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 12:14:22 PM)
This was started years ago. [8\|] Anyway, I agree to a point. If you have self esteem issues and all you see is the negative it can be just aweful. Are there there better ways to help such children, of course.

SurpassingPeace -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 12:35:30 PM)
At first glance, I agree that this is another example of mollycoddling and is not preparing children from the real world. Then I thought back to when I was in grade school. Time and time again came flooding back to me as the teacher would hand back the papers or have someone else do it. You could see that red marker from across the room. Then you would see the papers so messed up they were decorated like Christmas trees. As an adult, I can look back and the humilation and shame some of the kids getting these papers were going through. In hindsight, these kids weren't necessarily not trying, they were having legitimate issues learning the material. I am not saying we should have an attitude that there is no failure. Children should be expected to work to their potential. I just think in this case, public humiliation was not the best way to get results.

stampinlady -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 12:47:50 PM)
quote: Children should be expected to work to their potential. I just think in this case, public humiliation was not the best way to get results Thank you.

Hadassah_ -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 1:42:20 PM)
So you don't think children will panic at the sight of a paper covered in green? Or purple? Or blue? What next? Teachers aren't allowed to correct papers but merely "suggest" what needs to be changed? If a child is having that hard of a time in a class where his paper is daily covered in markings then the teacher isn't doing something right for not noticing, the parents aren't doing something right and simple intervention could help that student not only improve his schoolwork but also his self esteem. Changing the colour of the ink isn't the answer; finding the root of the problem is. And quite frankly the red ink for me was a HUGE motivator. Whenever I got a paper back my freshmen year and saw it covered in red ink I would work my tail off to turn in the correct paper. It paid off too; my senior year I had just about perfect papers from the same teacher.

stampinlady -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 1:56:25 PM)
quote: And quite frankly the red ink for me was a HUGE motivator But sadly some children see it differently.

SurpassingPeace -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 2:01:10 PM)
Agreed, it doesn't work that way for all children. Corrections made in a similar ink to the rest of the paper is just as effective in correcting and does not glare across a room. quote: If a child is having that hard of a time in a class where his paper is daily covered in markings then the teacher isn't doing something right for not noticing, the parents aren't doing something right and simple intervention could help that student not only improve his schoolwork but also his self esteem. It doesn't mean steps and actions haven't been taken. It just means it has not come together as of yet. A student's progress is the business of the student, parents, and teacher,not the children sitting 10 feet away.

Hadassah_ -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 2:36:34 PM)
I still stand on the fact that this is another way of hand holding children to protect them from the big bad thing we call "life". I can't imagine growing up to become an adult having never dealt with embarrassment, shame, or whatnot without learning how to handle it in a mature fashion.

SurpassingPeace -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 5:15:59 PM)
I learned to deal with trouble, hardship, and life in general without having my daily failures publicly announced to a bunch of people that had no business knowing. So I will have to respectfully disagree.

TXRedhead -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/3/2009 5:39:49 PM)
When I taught professionally, we were told we couldn't use red ink because it looked like someone had bled all over the paper. LOL Anyway, I generally used green because it came free from the school, but I know teachers who used other shades, too. Frankly, they were all just as visible across a room as the other [with the exception of orange which, I learned the hard way, is just plain hard to read at any distance]. And, as my seniors were fond of saying, "A 60 looks just as bad in green as it does in red." I don't really care what color people grade in, but, to be honest, I thought the reasons given by the schools were asinine. Oh, and I did end up using red on a couple of occasions as well. The kids either didn't notice or didn't care. What they WOULD notice was whether they had a piece of candy attached to their quizzes or not.

KnowJesus -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 1:00:22 AM)
quote: RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? An F in any other color is still an F. [:)]

SurpassingPeace -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 6:44:35 AM)
Yes but an F that all your classmates can see and then whisper and laugh about is different from an F a child and the teacher is aware of and hopefully working on.

DeliveredDarling -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 7:19:10 AM)
Children are going to find any number of ways to pick on and laugh at other children. They just do. It is our job as teachers and parents to correct this when it occurs. If they are making fun of a student because their paper is marked up with red ink-teachers need to correct that behavior right there on the spot. Changing colors so as to not draw attention, is an avoidance of the issue. If a kid doesn't get it or just didn't try hard enough or put enough effort into, it NEEDS to be corrected. letting them slide by, by "gently" correcting is intentionally denying the child the opportunity to learn. Life in the real world DOES NOT work this way. There are no real gentle corrections in adulthood. It's not about their self-esteem, it's about our responsibility as teachers and parents to teach. The educational system today is failing our students. We have made it so easy for them to pass on through school without learning much of anything. they barely make it to graduation and have no intentions to go to college. If they do happen to make it to college, they have to be reeducated just to stay in class. Red ink is not a bad thing, it is an opportunity to teach MORE. It's a needs improvement, not "you are a failure". Teach your kids that from the beginning and you solve this psycho babble stuff that is really damaging to our kids. We are teaching our kids more and more how to be pansies rather than survivors.[:@]

buckifn -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 8:19:55 AM)
Let's give them purple butterflies and see what happens! Cheater's avoid red marks but at the end of the day they are still losers so what difference does it make? I am more for the pass or not pass system. You are tested in reading, math, etc and are either at a level high enough to advance or you are not and receive more help to get there.

SurpassingPeace -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 8:26:30 AM)
I never said it shouldn't be corrected. It most certainly should. Just not by public humiliation. Sadly, a teacher telling children not to make fun of other students, just doesn't work. There will be a point that the teacher won't be there and then the mob mentality comes forth. I love children, I truly do, but they can be downright cruel. I completely agree that children will find other things to pick on therefore I don't think we need to provide them with more fodder. Think about it this way, we all have failings or things we are not too proud of and are hopefully working on. At least that describes me. Now think of that issue you have. You know that one deep down inside that makes you cringe a little when you think about it. Each day, in front of a group you would like to fit in to, I am going to announce your failings to this group. Then we are all going to have a good laugh at your expense. Through out the day we will taunt you about this. This will happen day in and day out. After a week, month, years, let me know how you are feeling about yourself and life in general. Look, I am not for this idea that we need to protect our children from realities of life. Baseball games that everyone wins because one team couldn't possibly lose are ridiculous. I could go on and on. But this particular issue turns over failings to the judgment of peers that are immature and depending on the age, ill equipped to show compassion. I think it is cruel.

Hadassah_ -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 8:36:50 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: KnowJesus quote: RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? An F in any other color is still an F. [:)] Exactly! And there are few colours in the rainbow that can't be spotted across the aisle, except maybe yellow. [8\|]

SurpassingPeace -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 8:42:20 AM)
Okay, for those of you who think this is a great idea, maybe because life is hard, what would you say to your child when they come home in tears because they are teased for being stupid? You know they are trying their best. You would just tell them, "Buck up kid, life's rough. Get over it." I am just curious.

Hadassah_ -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 8:54:52 AM)
Pretty much. [;)] Unfortunately children are cruel and have unsensored mouths and minds. They are going to say the first thing that pops up and if it happens to be something cruel then that's the way it happens. All we can do as parents is teach our children that words hurt but when the are spoken to us they don't have to be taken personally. Easier said than done, but I have two boys who have been made fun of for something or another and they are WONDERFUL about letting it roll off them because they know they aren't indentified by those people. Let me ask you something; children are made fun of everyday for various different things. Looks, money, clothes...whatnot. Should we readjust the schools to prevent this from happening? Should we ban the chunky kids from eating sweets so people won't make fun of them? Should we distribute contacts to the kids who wear thick glasses? Should we have stretching machines for the kids who are shorter than everyone else? Should we have beauty salons for the girls who don't fix their hair "properly"? Should we have all integrated classes so no one knows who the geeks are? There is a fine line in protecting our children and smothering them in a bubble and this is turning into one of those issues that jumped over protection and went into absurdity.

SurpassingPeace -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 9:06:28 AM)
I completely see where you are coming from Tinkerbell. Learning to not put much credence into the words of those who don't love me was an important lesson and one I will teach my children. I understand we cannot wrap our kids in a bubble. One of my favorite books right now is "Free Range Kids." I do not agree with everything Lenore Skenazy says but she has some great points I see the ink as differently. Let's use the chubby thing. Should we force them on diets or withhold sweets, no but a teacher should not stand up at lunch and annouce to the room, "Hey look everyone. Sara is eating a cupcake and she is fat! " That is how I see the ink thing. Do you see what I am saying.

DeliveredDarling -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 9:09:38 AM)
quote: Each day, in front of a group you would like to fit in to, I am going to announce your failings to this group. Then we are all going to have a good laugh at your expense. Through out the day we will taunt you about this. This will happen day in and day out. After a week, month, years, let me know how you are feeling about yourself and life in general. It's not the same thing! This is school! They are there to learn. That is the primary purpose and with that comes failures and mistakes, hopefully teaching them by correction. The truth is, sometimes it is embarrassing and humiliating to make mistakes. They are called consequences. We teach our children that making mistakes is a bad thing rather than teaching them that it is a normal part of growing up. And that those mistakes will come for the rest of their life as we are always growing and learning quote: ORIGINAL: SurpassingPeace Okay, for those of you who think this is a great idea, maybe because life is hard, what would you say to your child when they come home in tears because they are teased for being stupid? You know they are trying their best. You would just tell them, "Buck up kid, life's rough. Get over it." I am just curious. quote: Okay, for those of you who think this is a great idea, maybe because life is hard, what would you say to your child when they come home in tears because they are teased for being stupid? You know they are trying their best. You would just tell them, "Buck up kid, life's rough. Get over it." I am just curious. Yep, it is a lesson they need to know from a very young age. Then we would discuss that is NOT the way others should be treated and they are not stupid. And on to a discussion about why the concept is so difficult for them and what we could do to help making learning it easier. BTDT quote: Should we have stretching machines for the kids who are shorter than everyone else? Is there one of those?[:D] I'm only 5' and have been since the 6th grade......I still get teased about it almost daily a comment is made. I got over it a long time ago! quote: There is a fine line in protecting our children and smothering them in a bubble and this is turning into one of those issues that jumped over protection and went into absurdity. Agreed and I really appreciate you perspective![:)]

Hadassah_ -> RE: Red Ink Hurts Self Esteem? (11/4/2009 11:42:14 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: SurpassingPeace I see the ink as differently. Let's use the chubby thing. Should we force them on diets or withhold sweets, no but a teacher should not stand up at lunch and annouce to the room, "Hey look everyone. Sara is eating a cupcake and she is fat! " That is how I see the ink thing. Do you see what I am saying. Show me a teacher who does that and I'll show you a teacher out of a job so fast that whiplash won't even begin to describe her experience. There is a HUGE difference between INTENTIONALLY humiliating a child and corrected a child in an orderly, nonjudgmental way, which is what grading papers is. quote: ORIGINAL: DeliveredDarling quote: Should we have stretching machines for the kids who are shorter than everyone else? Is there one of those?[:D] I'm only 5' and have been since the 6th grade......I still get teased about it almost daily a comment is made. I got over it a long time ago! I wish there was! I'm 5'1" and haven't grown an inch since 7th grade. In fact I think I shrunk half an inch somewhere in there. [8D] quote: ORIGINAL: DeliveredDarling Agreed and I really appreciate you perspective![:)] Awww! Thanks! [:D]

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