How old would you want to be if you could manipulate time?

[nice90sguy]

. It's hard for any large system to inculcate independent thinking and creativity, but I wouldn't describe the school systems I've observed as factories of conformity, either.

My life was changed by my math teacher who used to set multiple-choice exams where, in some of the questions, all the choices were incorrect -- he expected us to challenge authority. He looked like a stereotype of a math teacher in his chalk-stained corduroy jacket and horn-rimmed glasses -- but he was a real maverick.

 

[gunhilltrain]

That is amusing.

I've always said standardized tests are bullshit and don't do anything but show how much you panic over the idea of tests.

Though, I have to say if that was the goal of schools, mine all failed miserably. My teachers thoroughly encouraged free thought and asking questions of everything they taught.

I must've been one of the troublemakers without even knowing it. Lol.

You watched that video? It said, I think, that public schools, by their own standards, aren't "failing miserably at their goals." They are doing exactly what they intended to do.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I'm skeptical. My sense is that the creator of the video cherry-picked sources to reach a pre-determined conclusion about the system.

My own experience, having attended both public and private schools in the USA, and having taught a little, and having watched my kids go through the school system, is mixed. It's hard for any large system to inculcate independent thinking and creativity, but I wouldn't describe the school systems I've observed as factories of conformity, either.

Yeah, merely by talking about schools, we are stumbling into political questions that are far beyond what can be answered on AH. But that happens fairly regularly here.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Depends on what you define as "properly".
It's different for everyone.

Every thread on here seems to digress into difficult questions like this. To be be brief: to me, "properly" means "use it at all." There are like three different directions I could go off on, but I'm going to rein myself in.

Also, this thread seems to overlap the "High School" thread. I'm losing track of which one I'm responding to.

 

[djrip]

All I know is, all my life I've been hearing people say stuff like "they don't teach you that in school!". And for whatever example they were using, my response has almost always been, "well I learned about that in school, so..."

 

[SeraphNocturne]

If I'm stuck at an age and not going back to an age, I'm choosing the tail end of 19. I saw pictures of myself recently at that age and I realized my view of myself was distorted and inaccurate. I'd love to look like that again.

I can relate to this real deep, body image struggles are a real pain in the ass. Nineteen year old me was gorgeous and I thought I was a freaking hideous whale… honestly twenty five year old me was gorgeous. I was in the gym four times a week and out on a trail every other weekend, I was definitely in my physical prime.

So I’d probably dial it back to twenty five. I’ve got the “baby face curse” and I’m five foot one, so aging isn’t really a big deal, people still think I’m late teens early twenties… but being that physically fit again would be wonderful.

 

[mirafrida]

For me, the "time when kids required a lot of care and attention" was in my 30s and early 40s. With those days behind me, I'm enjoying more me/couples time, and glad the kids have grown into their own people, but miss the special sense of purpose and anticipation from that active parenting phase.

 

[KeithD]

30. That was a pivotal point for me in lifestyle and sexuality, and I was well fixed financially and professionally then.

 

[Leglover1234]

Right now and go back to being 20. Would do so many things differently and of course take notice of those red flags