Help a High School with a Trading Project

[brownsfan019]

Quote from SWhiting:

I might have overreacted a little and I apoligize if I came off to harsh. I know you mean well and shouldn't have dissed you.

However, as a trader, I have to tell you how worthless this career really is. People can talk all they want about the 'role of futures mitigating risk' and blah, blah, blah but it really is nothing but bullshit. We make (or lose) money. That's it. It actually contributes nothing to the good of society regardless of the lipstick that they apply to the pig (apoligies to McCain & Obama).

I sit in my house five days a week, 8:30 - 3:15 CST watching a chart paint green and red bars. As somebody else stated very clearly on another thread; winning in a trade produces no glory and losing produces no misery. However, I never realized this until recently, all other life events also become 'boring'. The weekends literally suck.

In short, you do NOT want to lead vibrant young people down this path. My nephews and nieces are constantly clamoring for me to teach them the business. I intend to do that but not before they have mastered themselves and found success in something meaningful. That is what I meant about waiting until their 40.

If your life is only about trading, then it might be time to get some professional help.

Trading is not about saving the whales, but is about creating wealth and financial independence for yourself and your family so you can do the other things in life worth doing. It's obvious by your post that your life revolves around trading and trading only. That's really sad to be honest. It's too bad that you don't enjoy the fruits of your labor.

 

[Cutten]

Quote from Joab:

No disrespect but other then the FUN part of this, WHY are you teaching a job skill to students in a field that will no longer exist in a few more years?

Pit trading will be obsolete very soon.

Why not teach them something more useful?

oh wait

I forgot this is high school and relevance to the real world, isn't important.




Best of luck with your project

Your critique could be applied to 98% of what is taught at school beyond basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.

 

[Cutten]

Quote from caroy:

They also spend time learning about the roles of futures markets in risk management. They learn about hedging and in general they learn about the various career paths associated with the trading and futures industry.

The general public often fails to grasp the importance of exchanges and the roles they play. These kids leave understanding futures markets and the mechanics of the exchange and an understanding that the open outcry method in its hey day was the most efficient way to trade commodities and transfer risk.

After the exercise we discuss the transition to electronic markets and the role that has taken.

Learning by doing is a little more exciting than reading about it in a book.

We also find that these activities clarify the misconceptions held by the general public about futures traders and speculators in genera.

Interesting the level of crudeness to the responses on a simple proposal asking for help with an educational endeavor. Too bad some schools
haven't stressed manners.

Don't let the ignorant losers put you off. This sounds like an informative and, more importantly, *fun* project. Better than 99.9% of anything I ever did at school or college. Keep on the same track.

 

[Cutten]

Quote from caroy:

I see your point. I left the floor to go into education because i felt called to do something else. I realize with trading as a profession that in the end it is about money.

Why then would people continue to trade, when they have more money than they can spend in a lifetime? There must be some other motivation, such as love of the game, or the desire to achieve great skill - either as personal challenge, for the glory & recognition, a means of making others richer, or even just the feeling of being the guy who steps up to the plate whilst everyone else is panicking and crapping their pants as the market goes into meltdown. A trader who thinks trading is only about money will never go beyond contender status, just like someone who boxes just to pay the bills won't become a great champion.

Every career is a chore endured to pay the bills, for those who aren't passionate about it. I would hate to have to write symphonies for a living, or be an oncologist, or a priest. If it paid 10 million a year and everything else paid nothing, then I would no doubt sign up and after a few years end up with the attitude that SWhiting has - a mixture of self-loathing mixed with contempt for one's seemingly worthless career.

 

[bunkinc]

Quote from Cutten:

Don't let the ignorant losers put you off. This sounds like an informative and, more importantly, *fun* project. Better than 99.9% of anything I ever did at school or college. Keep on the same track.

Ignorant losers sounds about right.

caroy,

I agree fully with Cutten... and who says this is a dead profession; looks like they still needed a cotton pit a few months back. I somehow have a feeling that the remaining pits in chicago will be around for longer than most ppl think.

Wish I had a school principal like you around in my day... keep it up.

 

[caroy]

Quote from Cutten:

Why then would people continue to trade, when they have more money than they can spend in a lifetime? There must be some other motivation, such as love of the game, or the desire to achieve great skill - either as personal challenge, for the glory & recognition, a means of making others richer, or even just the feeling of being the guy who steps up to the plate whilst everyone else is panicking and crapping their pants as the market goes into meltdown. A trader who thinks trading is only about money will never go beyond contender status, just like someone who boxes just to pay the bills won't become a great champion.

Every career is a chore endured to pay the bills, for those who aren't passionate about it. I would hate to have to write symphonies for a living, or be an oncologist, or a priest. If it paid 10 million a year and everything else paid nothing, then I would no doubt sign up and after a few years end up with the attitude that SWhiting has - a mixture of self-loathing mixed with contempt for one's seemingly worthless career.

Good point. I think it just shows everyone has a passion for something. For me trading is a way to supplement my income. In addition I love the challenge of trading. I also take joy from helping my friends and family members meet their financial goals. Any job or endeavor without passion would become a chore.

 

[youngtrader]

Wish my high school was doing this! Unfortunantly we only learn about things like reading adventures of huck finn and learning about greek history.........you know the stuff that really matters in life lol!


Congrats on actually teaching something worthwhile!


YT

 

[Rtrader2525]

You are the man Caroy, ou are obviously very knowledgable about markets and seem like a good guy. keep up the good work my friend

 

[brownsfan019]

Quote from youngtrader:

Wish my high school was doing this! Unfortunantly we only learn about things like reading adventures of huck finn and learning about greek history.........you know the stuff that really matters in life lol!


Congrats on actually teaching something worthwhile!


YT

That's exactly my point here - how much WORTHLESS info is taught in schools and here is a decent idea to at least get the kids some knowledge on the markets.

But then the know it all's chime in and say what a bad idea it is b/c the pits won't be there in a few years or some other comment... Yes, reading huck finn is much better than this exercise.

 

[caroy]

Thanks for all the comments. To defend "Huck Finn" it does have some great life lessons about courage and tolerance. Worth a read even if it has no practical job skills imbedded in it unless you want to captain a raft.