David Palmer5 said:People bring up that Finnish model all the time (and I know I've mentioned it myself before), but I decided to dig a little deeper recently. I went looking through the results from math and informatics Olympiads, and—get this—😁it was actually quite eye-opening. Unlike the top competitors here in the States, the Finnish students aren't ranking very high at all. So, what does that tell us?
Are Finnish students doing great on PISA assessments but failing when it comes to these competitions? Is there a disconnect between how PISA is designed and how certain school systems actually function? And what are the actual long-term outcomes of this supposedly "successful" Finnish approach? Does it really produce more world-class scientists compared to other nations?
Maybe they just don't push kids to be overly competitive. To me, it seems more important that they don't have a massive group of students who can't handle basic math or struggle to read a simple paragraph. Education should really cater to the average student and prepare them to function in the real world; the high achievers will find their way regardless, likely somewhere where being exceptional is actually valued.
rowdypanther12 said:Americans haven't quite developed the mindset necessary to make the Nordic model work here
What’s your specific take? You can implement certain things, provided you have the budget.
Take Finland, for example. They often have two or three teachers in a single classroom at once. It sounds great—you get better lesson flow, better student management, and more hands-on support for kids with learning disabilities. At the end of the day, implementing that just requires funding.
It lasts about a week. My take? This virus seems to target kids, while adults only catch it if their immune system is already compromised—so maybe look into beefing that up. I gave my kid some honey and propolis, and they bounced back pretty quick.
I dealt with chronic rhinitis for a long time, and it just kept getting worse. I had several bouts of bronchitis, and my doctor warned me it might eventually turn into Asthma. Every single morning, I was coughing so hard it felt like I had tuberculosis. An ENT specialist prescribed Tafen nasal spray and Telfast, but I never actually used them. Eventually, I started applying a tiny amount of lactobacilli—specifically from Lactogyn and Linex baby—to my nose and throat every morning and night. That’s what finally cleared it up.🙏My takeaway? My nasal mucosa's natural microflora had simply been thrown out of balance.
I can’t even remember how much sleep I got before having my kid... it feels like my entire life was just a cycle of sleeping and working. Even during the pregnancy, I spent most of my time catching up on rest. For those first three months, I barely stepped foot outside the house, except for doctor appointments. 🙄
Then, for the first three months after he was born, I basically slept whenever the baby did. He was a total sleeper, just like his mom. 😁 😁
Eventually, the little guy finally dragged me out into the real world. 😁
Arthur Scott5 said:It is easy for you to say, I suppose. You don't truly grasp how exhausting it is to try and ignore him. If I don't listen, he just keeps reaching out, more and more frequently, whispering that if I don't comply, he will force me into something far worse. I won't go into those specific details here on the forum—that kind of thing isn't for everyone, after all—but the reality is that he is simply stronger than my physical self. I feel as though I lack the strength to fight back, and I am plagued by this growing certainty that he will eventually take complete control over my body. Perhaps, if I am being honest, he already has.🤷
😕 That sounds pretty heavy. I honestly thought you were talking about a hallucination, like some random passenger in your head. But if it's actually taking over your body, you need to kick it out. Go see Dr. Smith.
Arthur Scott5 said:I really shouldn't, because then I'd find myself in a situation where I have to get physical and start throwing punches all over the place, and honestly, that's just not something I want to deal with.
The thing is, you aren't accepting the fact that you're free. A hallucination can't actually touch you. It only has as much power over you as you decide to give it. ☕
I don't get why you feel the need to listen to someone who isn't even real. Why not just tell them to back off and go about your business like a normal person? Could you not just pick a fight with this guy and say, "Go eat your own food and microchip animals or whatever; just leave me alone."
A bout a month ago, bronchitis knocked me sideways. While digging through some sites online, I stumbled upon this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A
Lung diseases
Skin health isn't the only benefit of Vitamin A; it plays a huge role in epithelial tissue. Think of epithelium as the cellular layer making up the outer surface of our bodies. Since the digestive and respiratory systems are constantly exposed to the outside world, Vitamin A can be part of a protocol for managing emphysema, a type of chronic lung disease. Studies suggest that patients dealing with severe lung issues often have low Vitamin A levels, and those who supplement tend to see improved lung function[8].
On a global scale, ensuring proper Vitamin A intake could save 2.5 million children every year. It could slash deaths from respiratory illnesses by 70% and reduce deaths related to diarrhea by 39% [2]. Kids are especially vulnerable to Vitamin A deficiency, likely because their small reserves of retinol get burned through quickly during an infection.
Even a single dose of 20,000 IU can speed up recovery from chickenpox and head off potential complications[3]. Consistent Vitamin A supplementation could also lower the frequency of respiratory infections in children[4].
Here are a few more links linking Vitamin A deficiency to respiratory infections. Honestly, ever since I started taking multivitamins, I've been doing just fine. 🤷
I’ve got this bump on my index finger. I'm a bit hesitant to head over to my doctor because I'm worried it might be a cyst, but honestly, maybe it isn't. 🤷
jadetinker85 said:I deal with dust and mite allergies, maybe a few other things too. My main issue is this constant runny nose; it settled down a bit over the summer, but now that we're heading into fall, it's back. Basically, my nose was partially clear—air could get through, and I could breathe okay—but I just had this feeling like there was junk stuck inside that I couldn't clear out by blowing my nose. Even inhaling chamomile steam didn't do much. Then I picked up some Afrin, which completely cleared the blockage. About 15 minutes later, I tried the chamomile steam again, and a literal flood of mucus came out. I did the same thing the next day, and this time, besides the massive amount of drainage, a slimy plug about the size of a small button popped right out. It was lodged somewhere deep in my respiratory system, probably acting as a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. I feel significantly better now, but we'll see how it holds up over the next few days.
Just wanted to add that this eventually turned into bronchitis, so I ended up on Augmentin 500. It works on the mucosal inflammation, so things improved after a few days, though not entirely. My sinuses were still overproducing mucus. And honestly, I don't think I'm allergic to dust; obsessively dusting and airing out my mattress on the balcony didn't change anything. Turns out I'm allergic to the little bit of mold that was in my bathroom. I read that even barely visible mold releases millions of spores into the air, so I scrubbed it all away with bleach. But generally speaking, the nasal drainage finally stopped once I started taking some herbal tea that had steeped in honey for a day—advice from a friend. Within two days, I felt like a new person.
I deal with dust and mite allergies, maybe a few other things too. My main issue is this constant runny nose; it settled down a bit over the summer, but now that we're heading into fall, it's back. Basically, my nose was partially clear—air could get through, and I could breathe okay—but I just had this feeling like there was junk stuck inside that I couldn't clear out by blowing my nose. Even inhaling chamomile steam didn't do much. Then I picked up some Afrin, which completely cleared the blockage. About 15 minutes later, I tried the chamomile steam again, and a literal flood of mucus came out. I did the same thing the next day, and this time, besides the massive amount of drainage, a slimy plug about the size of a small button popped right out. It was lodged somewhere deep in my respiratory system, probably acting as a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. I feel significantly better now, but we'll see how it holds up over the next few days.
wearybear10 said:None of us are anything like him; if anything, we’re all pretty reserved and sensitive to what people say about us, which is saying something considering my kid is only three. He doesn't recognize any form of authority, constantly pushes buttons, acts like a complete goofball just to be difficult, and possesses this fearless, stubborn streak where he knows exactly what he wants. Even his preschool teachers mentioned they’ve never encountered a toddler with this level of sheer self-assurance. We actually went to see a specialist, and the psychologist basically gave us a grim forecast that we're in for a rough ride ahead—so much for helpful advice. Does anyone out there have it even more intense than this?
Psychologists are real geniuses, aren't they? Instead of actually designing useful workshops or giving parents practical tools, they just drop a heavy comment like that and call it a day. Unbelievable.
Richard Bailey21 said:Thank you for being here so I don't have to face this by myself. Tell me, do you ever find yourself wondering if your past actions are so unique that you won't ever meet anyone else who has behaved the way you have? I experience this regularly too, both in solitude and when I'm in a group. My own mistakes are quite minor, yet they persist.🙂
It happens to me all the time. I don't really mind, though. I'm pretty sure I made the right call.😁
Amanda Hughes37 said:Either you went to some weird private academy or you have selective memory. Based on what kids tell me, people were starting to smoke even earlier than they do now... boys in my class used to set fire to their journals after breaking into the school building and peeing on them (I'm 39)... the stories I hear from others aren't much different, and everyone agrees physical fights were actually more common back then since they weren't treated as something unusual. The only thing is, professors used to drill us—now they aren't allowed to. And don't even get me started on how my parents' generation lived—both here and in the US—having sex with whoever they wanted, hitting the bars, and doing drugs off spoons... they could show that crowd at Quincy what a real party looks like.☕ Besides, even Aristotle expressed disgust over the youth of his day and worried about where the world was heading...
😲 Maybe Seattle was that wild, but Washington, D.C. certainly wasn't. Plus, drug use didn't really become a massive issue here until the war years. Other than that, I'm not sure what your point is. Are you saying the behavior you described was actually normal or common? I don't remember people getting killed in fights back then.
Sam Murphy said:There really is some truth to that, though; for instance, I have one student who enters my classroom and happens to be in the best-behaved class in the entire school, while the teacher for another class is living in absolute misery, even though that other group isn't exactly a model of good behavior because they have quite a few problematic kids, and it's just a simple reality that if you have five or six troublemakers, they can easily drag the whole class down with them...
If you aren't planning on sending students to specialized schools or alternative institutions, then those troublemakers need assigned aides. There should be someone dedicated to them from the moment they walk through the school doors until the final bell rings.
Maybe somewhere like the Florida Keys. I saw a report saying mosquitoes have been carrying some Asian disease over there recently, but the mayor refused to fund the mosquito control efforts because he wanted to cut a check to the local pro soccer team instead.
Jessica Howard5 said:Look, I’ve seen an example of this before—I won't name the school or the town, but here's the deal. One principal decided to turn a single room on campus into a sort of "school jail." Here’s how it worked: if a kid was disrupting class or causing chaos during recess, they’d get hauled into that room. Then, the parents would be called in immediately to pick up their child and hear exactly what went down. This wasn't some rogue move, either; it was announced at a PTA meeting, and every parent there agreed it was fine. It actually happened three times. Once those kids went through it, things settled down. I'm not saying I'm totally okay with it, but I am saying it works. When you have to show up at the principal's office three times because of your kid's behavior, you start making sure they behave better at home just to avoid the hassle.
Yeah, I know a similar situation. I won't name the school, but when a kid disrupts class, they get packed up immediately. The principal calls the parents and sends the kid home. That works too.
Jason Ortiz5 said:So you're telling me everyone else was just perfect little angels?
I don't know, man. Why does that sound so hard to believe? 🤷
Fair point. Somehow, I always seemed to end up in the "good" classes—at least behaviorally. Back in middle school, our class was actually voted the best and won a free day off as a reward. We ended up complaining about it because we were already such a mismatched group anyway. 😁