[Winona Online Democracy]
I just graduate from high school, and worked my junior and senior years of
high school. I did this so I could pay for college so I could get the job I
want and not be stuck in a near minimum wage job for life. I work at a fast
food restaurants, and I make decent money. And in my opinion, I learned a
lot from it. I learned responsibility, communication skills, time
management and how to work well with others. So in my opinion, I didn't
loose any skills I learned valuable lessons
Ben Klinger
----- Original Message -----
From: "andrew thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 4:40 AM
Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
> [Winona Online Democracy]
>
> But my point was that while a few students get jobs as nursing aides or
work
> in a family business, most are not doing anything particularly educational
> beyond the realm of basic life skills, which I won't minimize. The
majority
> of my working peers work basic, part-time, very simple jobs, some of which
> seem to actually contribute to the loss of skills through atrophy.
Working
> the counter at McDonald's consists of entering simple information into a
> computer that calculates prices and change due, and giving back the
> appropriate currency. Certainly this doesn't help the employee's math
> skills, and most of the counterpersons I encounter don't seem to be
learning
> communications skills very well. In some places, the registers' keys even
> have pictures on them, not written words--God forbid we demand the kids be
> able to read. yes, they have to be there on time, but there are lots of
> things that require punctuality. (like high school) I worked very briefly
> in a retail job and was told to stop calculating prices and change in my
> head, because the register kept records based on the items assigned
> price-lookup keys. This seems to be the way many student-held jobs run,
and
> the routine of not using one's mental skills can't help in the development
> of young minds.
> As for sports, I will make the comment that at least a student can hold a
> job and still come to school and encounter an environment designed around
> intellectual development, but athletic distractions are implicitly
promoted
> even while the student is in school. Student athletes regularly leave
> classes to go to events, and I've had more than one teacher devote
classtime
> to discussion of school sports and "school spirit" activities. Several
> times every year I am pulled out of my classes for the purpose of
> celebrating the school's sports teams. What does this say is important?
> Interestingly enough, most of my classmates who confuse Cambodia with
> Colombia, associate Thomas Jefferson with the Civil War, or don't know how
> to read a periodic table are major participants in school-sponsored
> athletics. (All of these actually happened in classes I've been in.) It's
> because football (or track, or dance team) is more important to them, and
no
> one tells them othwerwise.
>
>
> >From: "Joliene Olson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: "andrew thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
> >Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 21:35:32 -0600
> >
> >Again Andrew, it all depends on what you mean by "educational" and what
you
> >mean by "valuable". All of the points I made in my first response to
your
> >letter would/should be considered "part of a person's education and
> >valuable". If an individual doesn't know something, learns about it,
> >masters a skill around it etc etc then you are being educated. (example:
> >importance of being to work when scheduled, and on time, seeing 'other
> >work', besides assigned work, to do)
> >
> >I agree however, that in some cases, students devote time to work or
> >curricular activities at the expense of their education. That should be
> >the
> >responsible parents job to watch and see that there is a balance.
> >Joliene Olson
> >507-454-1236
> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "andrew thompson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Sent: Friday, January 05, 2001 2:51 AM
> >Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
> >
> >
> > > [Winona Online Democracy]
> > >
> > > I was by no means implying that these jobs are valueless. Indeed, we
> >would
> > > be nowhere without the people who cook and clean up for us. My point
> >was
> > > that the picture some may have of teenagers going out into the
community
> >for
> > > hands-on educational experience to acquire skills for life is not
> >accurate
> > > in many cases I have seen. Computer technology has eliminated the
need,
> >and
> > > therewith the training, for intellectual aptitude in the jobs
teenagers
> > > typically hold. I was not implying that these jobs are not valuable,
> >only
> > > that they not be viewed as educational, meaning many adolescents
should
> >be
> > > encouraged to take some time off of work (and sports, and shopping,
and
> >drug
> > > use) and devote it to their education.
> > >
> > >
> > > >From: "Jerome Christenson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >To: "Winona Online Democracy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > >Subject: Re: [Winona] Teen Employment
> > > >Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2001 09:00:24 -0600
> > > >
> > > >[Winona Online Democracy]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Let's be careful about equating "menial" with "valueless." We all
enjoy
> >the
> > > >clean toilets, hauled trash, and uncluttered floors "menial" workers
> > > >provide
> > > >us with.
> > > >I daresay, a good trash man, cook and janitor contributes more to the
> > > >common
> > > >good than the average school administrator, store manager or
newspaper
> > > >pundit.
> > > >Our kids are out there doing some of the most important work there
> >is...too
> > > >bad they don't get paid in proportion to its true social
significance.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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>
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