I am number one....right???

I sift through a variety of catalogs each day that are delivered in my mailbox.  In these catalogs, you can purchase a trophy or certificate rewarding students for just about anything you can imagine.  From being the best speller in the class or the best friend, we can present a reward to our students for not only meeting tough goals but for also doing what is just RIGHT.  There is much conversation out there now saying the practice of making everyone a winner is actually setting our children up for failure.

I am not sure when the idea of giving each student a reward came to light...perhaps it was to never make a student feel bad for their performance or perhaps it was easier to reward everyone rather than pick the best soccer player.  The idea of everyone being rewarded and letting students know they were not "special" was pushed into the spotlight this past  spring with teacher David McCullough, Jr.'s commencement speech to the seniors at Wellesley High School.  He told the seniors, "You are not special".  Many people agreed with his statements, while others felt he may have pushed it too far.

Last night, I found an piece on Fox.com stating that we are raising a generation of students who are narcissists.  Are we?  By giving certificates to every student are we sending the wrong message?  Have students gained a false sense of their worth due to social media and the new concept of "friends"?  Whether you agree or disagree, it is an interesting read.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/01/08/are-raising-generation-deluded-narcissists/?test=latestnews&intcmp=features