Comments on: When Being the Best Student isn’t Best for the Child–The Myths of Education (Part II)

By: Christine Duvivier

Christine Duvivier — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:55:38 +0000

John, thanks for your comment! It gives me great hope when I see that wise educators like you will help to reduce anxiety levels for teens.

All the best,
Christine

By: Christine Duvivier

Christine Duvivier — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:50:41 +0000

Margaret, thanks for letting me know — and thanks for sharing it with your daughter. I’m happy that it sparked a good discussion for the teachers.

All the best,
Christine

By: John Yeager

John Yeager — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:44:38 +0000

Christine: I enjoyed reading your article. You hit the nail on the head with Myth #2 when chatting about anxiety issues with teenagers trying to be the best – maximizers who may be bankrupting other aspects of their life.

John

By: Margaret

Margaret — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:27:40 +0000

Great article Christine! I passed it along to my taughter who teaches 5th grade in Houston through Teach for America. She loved it and it along to her colleageus. This mornning she called to tell me your article made for a great topic of conversation in the teachers’ lounge! Thank you!

By: Christine Duvivier

Christine Duvivier — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:38:06 +0000

Dear Dave, What a wonderful role you play for students! Thank you for your feedback– it’s fascinating to hear your perspective. I look forward to meeting you and learning more from you.

I’m delighted to hear that you are bringing positive psychology to the world of college counseling! Enjoy the rest of this very special year,
Christine

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:00:57 +0000

Dear Christine,

As a Director of College Counseling and a current MAPP student, I have to say you nailed it! The balance that really makes us human is being lost by many students as they trudge to please, make the grade, or hit the numbers to gain admission to college x. Furthermore, many lives outside of school are driven by what may look “good” to college x. The students who typically do best, in school, life, and their college search are those who know who they are and have either discovered their passions or discovered what they are not passionate about.

As a current MAPP student, I love what I am learning, our students are benefiting, and I’m positioning to spread the word.

Thank you for adding your voice!

As for Senia’s question about how many applications, I would say it depends upon the student. We emphasize fit and our three-year average is six applications per student. Barry Schwartz also has an opinion, if memory serves me right, he indicated that eight or nine may be the place where the paradox starts to kick in.

Dave

By: Christine Duvivier

Christine Duvivier — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:19:41 +0000

Hi Marie-Jo, thanks for your candid feedback! I agree with you that often the students put pressure on themselves and like you, I hope that the information offers them some relief. It’s also great to know that you thrived and developed into a flourishing adult!
Best,
Christine

By: Christine Duvivier

Christine Duvivier — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:10:24 +0000

Hi Senia, Great question! I don’t know the target number of colleges for a student to apply to but I’d say enough so that he/she has a great set of choices — and many students seem to find 7-14 a comfortable set of choices (given that they probably will not be accepted at all of them and it can seem quite random). Fortunately, there is no shortage of schools where one will get a great education and develop beautifully.
Best,
Christine

By: Marie-Josee Salvas

Marie-Josee Salvas — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:51:16 +0000

Great article, Christine! I’ve always been a big fan of your work, and this article is so concrete, clear and concise, I find it particularly helpful.

Having always been a top student, I can relate to your arguments – unfortunately! What’s interesting in my case is that my parents really weren’t putting pressure for me to be in the top – I did it myself. I was the one thinking that if I didn’t have the best grades, I wouldn’t get to the best colleges and therefore wouldn’t have my best possible life. All that to say your advice doesn’t only reassure parents; it’s also very comforting for the young ones.

MarieJ

By: Senia

Senia — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:41:22 +0000

Hi Christine,

Reading your article makes me feel more relaxed, and I’m not a parent yet, so I think you must help out parents even more. Seriously.

How many colleges (5? 10? 50?) would you recommend for a senior to apply for? I imagine this is personal, still I wonder if there’s a recommended range based on your suggestion for not letting the process go beyond sanity.

Thanks much,
Senia