I was visiting my nephew last week ... he's a well rounded kid who makes Bs and sometimes As -- could probably do better but hey, he's a 16 year old boy! He has an amazing attitude, is so sweet and calm ... he's talkative, funny, smart, sensitive -- anyway, he was telling me in a very off hand way how much pressure there is at school. He said, "You just can't believe how they talk at school. 'If you don't make A's you won't get into college. If you don't take AP classes you won't get into college. If you don't do a ton of community service you won't get into college. It's all about getting into college and it's really stressful." I asked him, "But logically you know you'll get into college, right?" He said Yeah,  but it's still really, really a stressful place to be. I hate this! High school should be about learning, yes -- but surely there's a joyful way to learn, at least some of the stuff! (Okay, calculus may never be joyful, at least to me!) But what are kids doing to themselves and each other? Who is behind this -- parents? Teachers? Kids? What are we going to do with such anxious kids? If the prize is always college, what are we missing in the teaching and learning?

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