Mar 22 2012: Hi Kieran,
Did you know that in Bhutan they measure 'success' not by Gross Domestic Product but by Gross National Happiness? It might be the case that GPA, just another success benchmark, is simply over-emphasized at the expense of a broader outlook. I would never tell my own kids or my students to ignore GPA, but I would tell them that GPA will take care of itself if you have worked at cultivating your own happiness - if you have been true to yourself. Have you identified what produces happiness in you? What is your passion?
Mar 22 2012: My experience as a high school teacher at an independent school is that students are quite apprehensive about taking risks. They are terrified of being wrong and failing in life. Somehow the words 'success' and 'happiness' are never used in the same sentence. I know there is a hunger for an exploration of real happiness given the overwhelming response to a course offered on that topic at Harvard. If I see one more kid sign up for AP Calculus in lieu of a course in creative writing, ceramics, or psychology, courses they are passionate about, I am going to either scream or cry.
Mar 22 2012: Hi Zared,
I think a course entitled 'Happiness' might be an easier sell to middle school and high school kids. I would like to collaborate with psychologists, other educators, and perhaps people like Buddhist monks in the design of a meaningful course.
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A comment on Conversation: A course for middle school and high school students on Happiness.
Did you know that in Bhutan they measure 'success' not by Gross Domestic Product but by Gross National Happiness? It might be the case that GPA, just another success benchmark, is simply over-emphasized at the expense of a broader outlook. I would never tell my own kids or my students to ignore GPA, but I would tell them that GPA will take care of itself if you have worked at cultivating your own happiness - if you have been true to yourself. Have you identified what produces happiness in you? What is your passion?
A reply on Conversation: A course for middle school and high school students on Happiness.
A reply on Conversation: A course for middle school and high school students on Happiness.
I think a course entitled 'Happiness' might be an easier sell to middle school and high school kids. I would like to collaborate with psychologists, other educators, and perhaps people like Buddhist monks in the design of a meaningful course.