vocabulary list manifesto

A few months ago, I found a list of SAT prep words on the internet. I've been picking the ten each week that I think are the most important for an adult to know, whether or not s/he goes to college. The stock "use these words in a sentence" has become most students' favorite assignment, and mine. It's easy, may teach them some new words, gives them practice writing, and is a predictable task whose expectations they know well.

Lately, I've started to examine the thought process behind my choices. I realized that I have sentences in mind as I choose the words. While this allows me to pat myself on the back for keeping it relevant to their lives, I've sensed a pattern, and am wondering if I'm foisting an agenda on my hapless studes.

I mean, the sentences write themselves. And often do. But is my subconscious word choice unethical? Am I pushing a leftist agenda when I give them smiley faces for turning a clever phrase that happens to be Bush-bashing or anti-development? See if you can tell what I mean:

1. amass: After they have amassed wealth through generations of privilege, retired haoles from the mainland enjoy moving to Hawaii and exploiting our island while contributing little to the community.

2. animosity: There is a great deal of animosity between locals and tourists.

3. bolster: While tourism does bolster the local economy, one could argue that it leads to a colonialist mindset and strip-mines the island for dubious profit.

4. deter: Most adolescent discipline plans rest on the hope that strong consequences will deter behavior that cannot be legitimately prohibited by any other means.

5. disparity: The disparity between rich (white) schools and poor (brown) schools does not escape students, who recognize that the acceptable standard for their school is not quite as high as some others. [Today when we discussed possible topics for letters to the editor, school lunches aroused the most passion. Seems like a typical, frivolous issue...until you hear one of the free/reduced-lunch kids say, "Our lunches are like prison food, but on the mainland, I hear they get to choose their lunches!" Granted, those mainland kids are eating french fries and drinking Coke, but teri beef patties with white rice aren't much better. And the heartbreaking thing about it was to hear a fifteen-year-old voice the truth--that in some parts of the public sector, fourth-best is good enough--while not being quite able to frame it in relation to larger ideas of how the world works. To him, our lunches are unfair, and McDonald's is the answer. It's also unfair, as the same boy brought up, that he signed up for Auto Shop expecting to learn how engines work, but instead has hammered out dents and done free paint jobs all year.]

Hmm. I think I've built up a sufficient soapbox with five words instead of the intended ten.

What are the chances that a challenging course on engines would have inspired this guy to push himself in science, math, and eventually become an engineer? Probably not high. If he does end up running a body shop, he'll probably make more money than I ever will. But isn't this attitude defeatist, and defeating, at heart?

I know that I am guilty of the very same thing. Teach them how to fill out a job application after the first quarter was filled with failed essay and literature assignments.

I guess what I'm thinking about, as I decide whether or not to even try to do this again next year, is am I doing any good? Should you teach them to make do with what they have? Or try to incite a riot for what they deserve?