I am going to do my best to write this calmly. However, I don’t see that happening. Because I can’t wrap my head around how outdated, embarrassing, and impractical the public school education system is currently. Calling it a joke is honestly an understatement. We have a serious fucking problem and it BOGGLES my mind that it’s not concerning to more people.
DISCLAIMER: My writings are a reflection of what has helped me overcome MY personal hardships. I do not expect anyone to use my practices, I cannot guarantee what works for me will work for you. With that being said, I hope my writings can bring a sliver of value to your life. My ultimate goal is to help, and that is always in the back of my mind when I write.
Before I get extremely heated and passionate in my writing, I would like to preface that this is not directed at the teachers or staff of public schools. This is directed at the State controlling fucks who choose the outdated and embarrassingly impractical curriculum of public schools.
*I won’t even begin to express my frustration with college and universities in the United States, that’s a topic for another day. Another complete fucking joke of a system.*
I would also like to add that I’m aware I’m generalizing to the extreme, my viewpoints are based on my experience. I’m sure they aren’t far off from a lot of people's experiences in school. I am just prefacing that for the Karen’s out there who are foaming at the mouth to start an argument.
Relax, Karen. Take a seat and grab some popcorn. Enjoy the show and try not to freak out. HERE WE GO -
Health class is only taught for 1 quarter of the school year… That alone should scare the living shit out of you.
Let me say that again. HEALTH class is only taught for 1 quarter of the school year. 1 FUCKING QUARTER.
Karen will say “it's not the responsibility of the schools to teach kids about health, it's the responsibility of the parents”
Well listen here Karen, if you can confidently tell me that 99% of parents are living a healthy, balanced lifestyle and inflicting the same values and health practices onto their kids, then sure, I would agree with you.
The reality is, I would generalize and say 10% of parents are educated and PUT INTO PRACTICE (that is important, education means nothing if it is not put into practice) the basic health principles all human beings NEED to live.
SIDE NOTE - *those percentages are based on absolutely no fact based evidence. I am giving it my best guest on what I would think the numbers are*
Now what are those basic health principles? To me, there are 4 things I believe every human SHOULD accomplish on a daily basis in order to confidently say they are living a healthy lifestyle. Obviously there are so many other positive practices one can do to improve their health, but I believe at the very, very basic level, these are 4 that are easily controllable (with practice) and anyone can do and should do.
- Hydration - SURPRISE! Your body needs water more than anything else in the world. Did I learn about the true importance of hydration in school? Maybe for 3 days??? Oh but I did learn about the Roman Empire for 2 months.
- Sleep - SURPRISE AGAIN! In high school I think I averaged 5-6 hours of sleep a night. Did I learn about the true importance of sleep and how much it affects brain function in school? MAYBE for 3 days. Oh but I did learn about the quadratic formula for 2 months, and I surely use that everyday of my life. SMH…
- Physical Activity - S U R P R I S E ! ! ! The obesity in America is absolutely absurd. Coincidence??? Sure there is gym class in school, but did I learn about how important physical activity on a daily basis is and how much of an impact it has on my physical health? Once again, maybe for a week (I’ll be generous with that one). Oh but I did learn about rocks (yes you read that right, rocks) for 2 months straight. Seems practical for my career in media production and carpentry.
- Diet - S to the U to the R P R I S E ! ! ! WOO HOO another one bites the dust LETS GO… so great of our education system to teach me about how my diet will directly affect my mood and energy levels and brain function daily. Oh wait, they didn’t teach me that daily. They taught me about it for maybe a week… But hey, I am so happy I spent 3 months learning about shakespeare.
Now all of what I just said is not to knock the education on the Roman Empire, the quadratic formula, rocks and shakespeare. In fact, I am aware that each one of those topics does hold value in our lives. But do I believe it holds more value than educating on hydration, sleep, physical activity, and diet? Absolutely fucking not, and it is an absolute joke that kids don’t even get the opportunity to learn about how important those things truly are.
Give these kids in schools a fucking chance to learn some real life, practical shit. GIVE THEM A CHANCE to learn, digest, and then put into practice the BASICS of health and how important they are to their future as human beings.
The education system right now is not giving any kid a fighting chance. They are not learning how to take care of themselves. They are learning how to be a rat in the rat race. I apologize if that sounds harsh, but that's the reality and shit needs to change.
That was a lot, I could go on for hours about this so I am going to wrap it up here, I have to get to work.
As always, thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this. I appreciate you and love you.
If your life has kids in it, be a positive influence for them. Practice what you preach. At the end of the day, we are all humans, and we need to be taking care of the basic needs of human health. There are really no excuses to not. The future generations depend on us to take care of ourselves.
Lastly, I would like to add that I am by no means perfect. I fuck up EVERYDAY. Perfection is impossible. BUT I do hold myself accountable and I do consciously keep those 4 basic principles in the back of my mind constantly.
SIDE NOTE: I have struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life. I can confidently say that firing on all cylinders consistently regarding hydration, sleep, exercise, and diet is THE MOST effective way to control my mental battles. If you also struggle with depression and anxiety but aren’t consistent with those 4 things, I challenge you to stay disciplined with them all for just 30 days straight. I believe in you. I promise you will feel physically and mentally significantly better. It by no means will cure depression and anxiety (that's damn near impossible) but it will give you more control over it.
Much love
KEEGS
1 comment
As a teacher in the public school system I agree with you. To give you a small glimpse into our lives, our profession has become one filled with data evaluation and mandates from government officials. Teaching is not a black and white profession. My colleagues and I (primary teachers) work really hard each day to educate humans and not teach to numbers. My fear is less and less people will choose education as a profession and then where will we be? Change is needed!