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The Meaning of Perfect

"Five more days" video update above....

I just want to emphasize this one quick and deeply important thought:

Maybe "Perfect" has multiple meanings for my Perfect Score Project

(Or perhaps I'm making excuses because it appears that I may be an "SAT underachiever.")

All I know is that if I were the boss of the SAT, I'd add an "Empathy" section. That's all I'm saying.

Yes, I still want my 2400 -- and yes, I'm working my tail off to get it.  But just so you know, "perfect score" can have other, deeper, more nuanced, meanings too.

How about a "Perfect Score" for "Visceral Comprehension?"

 

 

 

 
15 Comments | posted September 25th, 2011
 
 
  • http://www.wegrowmedia.com Dan Blank

    Interesting - as always - to consider the connection between knowledge, and other factors that relate to performance. That is certainly a huge part of learning to take a test like this. As for naps, I am a big believer in them. Personally, I can take a 20 minute nap and wake up feeling energized. Not everyone can easily do that, but I will say it is a great break in the middle of the day, instead of treating the day like one long marathon.

    Good luck on the test!
    -Dan

    • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

       "instead of treating the day like one long marathon" -- I'm a firm believer that it's got to hurt to be worthwhile (kidding).  
      I fear I could never nap for just 20 minutes.  It's like, if I go down, I'm going down. The truth is that you (and all the other nappers in the world) would probably do SAT circles around me.

      I actually think I probably use my allotted "nappy time" from the universe for yoga.  Shivasana (sp?)  9/10 times I leave my body and go to some other realm that exists outside the bounds of "time."  So my 5 minute shivasana is timeless. (now I'm making myself want to go to yoga!)I don't know what I think about all of this SAT stuff at the moment (knowledge and IQ and how it's connected to this test, etc.).  I can say this: it's way way way different than I thought it was when I started, that's for sure.  I just can't articulate how so, at this moment ;)Thanks for your unwavering support Dan!  

  • Guest

    Not to damper your mood; but you should read this it's very interesting.
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/15/education/15sat.hml?ref=opinion

    • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

      Oh, go away with your dampening of my mood ;)

      Yes, I've read that article, and all the others about it too. We're getting dumber by the year, as a country. Depressing.  Not surprising to me.  Or, as the College Board would have you believe, it's all the non-English speaking minorities that are brining the average down.  

      I'm going with less well educated (and probably more distracted) by the year as a major variable as well.

      • Guest

        may be but i also think that the college board exaggerates when it comes to testing. I think that the won't make those go get less than a 2400 feel stupid. It's very depressing, but I don't think that minorities are  really at fault, it not partly; and coming from a non-english family doesn't in my opinion have nothing to do either.

        • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

          So what do you think the cause of the decline is?

          • Guest

            I think it's shame, especially now that children have to  study even more that before, and  also because  this generation isn't getting the correct education they need to succeed and do well at University and in the future.
            I'm still in University, and i can tell you that with Economy and the fact that i'll have to do Master's if i want to have a decent job (Most likely related to my field) doesn't make  being young fun. Everything is too, tedious and demanding now; it almost feels like working for "Wall Street".

        • Guest

          Corrections : may be but i also think that the college board exaggerates when it comes to testing. I think that they want to make those who get less than a 2400 feel stupid. It's very depressing, but I don't think that minorities are  really at fault, if not partly; and coming from a non-english speaking family doesn't in my opinion have anything to do either.  Some children learn  how to Speak their parents language first and then English at school and they either do well or bad at school and/ or  the SAT's.

  • Guest
  • Elise

    I've been thinking about making a comment about some of what you talked about as far as what you've learned about connecting with your kids but I have not time this morning so maybe I will get back to it...I have had hesitations...
    Anyway, I really wanted to quickly say that I am a FIRM believer in sleep helping kids perform better.  I have always felt that all my kids perform as well as they do because they get enough sleep.  As soon as they have a couple of "late" nights they get foggy.  By late I mean 11:00 pm....many kids are staying up into the wee hours of the morning and are falling asleep in class.  I can imagine that some of them are barely thinking when they manage to stay awake.  

    • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

      Well I'm a firm believer in that too -- but how do you make them become firm believers?  My son "gets it" -- and I'd say he's more compliant about the matter than my daughter -- but my daughter -- she will do the opposite of what I suggest. And yes, she will know if I try reverse psychology on her about this matter ;)

      come back and finish your thought about connecting with your kids.  I always love to hear what you have to say.

      • Elise

        Well, my general rule on the bedtime thing until 9th grade was "because I said so".  Then in 9th grade I said that they were in charge of their own bedtime and I just hoped that they had listened all the times that I had pointed out how bad they felt when not getting enough sleep.  However, I think the biggest reason is that I have cursed them all with  the tendency to get migraines (getting them is a genetic tendency) and one of our triggers seems to be being over tired.  That is probably THE most convincing factor for them.  I would rather have them NOT get migraines and stay up late...talk about guilt.  boo hoo.  A person who gets real migraines will do almost anything to avoid them.  I guess though, since they rarely stay up late, they do see how crummy they feel if they don't get enough sleep and that must be a factor as well.

        • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

          Right.  I don't have the migraine thing to fall back on (for good or bad).

          Miraculously, my son does the right thing on his own (for the most part).  And he wakes up at 5 am so that he can have a relaxing morning before school -- study, play piano, etc.  Even on weekends he's up by 8 am.  Latest.  I don't know how I got so lucky.

          My daughter makes up for it on the other end of the spectrum though.  Hopefully she will mature enough to make wise decisions for herself.  I know for sure that any pressure from me backfires.

        • Elise

          As far as connecting with your kids, I do understand that was part of your project right from the get go (that was fun to write, I've said tha phraset but never written it:)).  I also think that you have learned some things about your kids' life that you weren't expecting and that is great.  I do think I have a pretty good idea what my kids go through in their lives but I have to say, one of their complaints is "mom, you just don't understand what I have to go through!!!"  I think they don't understand how I can realize how hard their life is but I still turn around and make them tough it out.  Sometimes I think that THEY don't understand what it's like to be a parent...hee hee.  I find this part of parenting somewhat painful...to make my kids suffer for their own good.  I can't tell you how many times over the years I've said "Oh, I give up, just quit then!"  Then the next day going back and saying "I changed my mind..."  Parental guilt galore!  This kind of waffling back and forth is probably really awful parenting.  Sigh.

          Anyway, I am getting a little sidetracked but I have a second half of my comment and this is why I've hesitated.  It sounds more like advice and I try to avoid advice giving:)  It's sort of coming more from your Deliberate Practice post though.  I think that you were meant to learn something about yourself from running that marathon but you didn't learn it and now you are supposed to learn the same thing from this SAT marathon.  You may have learned something about yourself from running the marathon but not EVERYTHING that you should have learned.  Also, it probably has nothing to do with your kids and your relationship with them - it's probably totally about you.  I am not sure what "it" is but the two "marathons" are just so similar that there must be a reason that you were attracted to them.  It seems as if you ended the running marathon and were surprised by your feelings and a little let down that it didn't feel the way you imagined...maybe I am wrong here but it seems like you never figured that out.  I think if you figure it out this time, you will get a feeling of peace and you will not feel bad about decisions such as postponing Kumon.  So there, I said it....even if I don't know you personally, this is what comes through in your writing here at Perfect Score.  I know it sounds philosophical but it seems as if you have the staying power to work yourself to the bone so it's not a question of will power...If it makes you feel any better, as I sit back and observe you like a guinea pig, I feel like you've ALMOST figured it out...hee hee.  I can't wait to hear what it is!  Okay, now I am going to click post...

          • http://www.perfectscoreproject.com Debbie Stier

            Thank you Elise....you are very very warm....and you're right, I don't "know" yet what it is that I'm seeking, exactly, and I hope I have the time and space to figure it out.  I feel like I run through my life like a chicken with my head cut off -- no time for reflection or figuring out.

            When I finish the last SAT I plan to take a week going through all of my notes and just.....thinking.....and talking to people I hope can help me figure this all out.

            That post about Kumon had a whole other thread of thought that I did not include -- which has to do with my daughter, and when it's "ok" to let something go, and when you need to stick it out. And I'm not sure what the answer is -- but there's more to think about there, and more to say.

            More later.  Have to run now.

 

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