It's been awhile folks and today's entry is not going to be very long. See, I'm drowning in paperwork and have about ten things to do and enough time to do five. Somehow writing a daily blog suddenly goes down to the bottom. Since education is on the mind I will talk about one simple thing we have talked about before, but I will say it in simpler terms and dispense with the flowery language.
Parents, we need you. When you look at the difference between schools you see that parents are the key difference. Kids are kids for the most part. They are empty vessels until we come along to fill them up. What's filling them up? Are they getting filled with rap music, violence, and bad Fox reality television, or are they being filled with literature (you know, reading to them), knowledge, and the most important thing: manners. I know it's hard, I got a little one myself. We fight with her (not literally) constantly to be polite. She is almost three after all.
What saddens me is when I see kids that are twice her age at school that cannot do the things she can do. Every parent brags on their child, so I figured it was natural for a child of two to know her alphabet, colors, and be able to count to ten or twenty. My daughter is even beginning to read/memorize her books. Some of our kindergartners can't count, don't know their colors, and can't write their name. I find it very hard to believe that my daughter is that advanced and that is especially when you consider that many of her friends at daycare do the same things.
Let's forget about reading, writing, and arithmetic for the moment. What angers me more is when kids just don't know how to act. You remove privaledges from them and take things away from them, but it just doesn't seem to phase them. Many of them run around like crazed lunatics, scream and yell at the top of their lungs, and have no problem hitting one of their classmates. A couple of teachers in particular got a classroom full of these children. It's just no fair to them.
It's at this point when I consider whether I want to keep doing this. I've explored other careers before, but nothing has ever been too serious. Now, I'm considering those things stronger. We need the help of the parents. We have been doing this alone for too long. As one of our adult leaders at church said, "most of these parents just drop off these kids like their cruising around for hookers." That was a bit vulgar, but it appears to be true. Please help us.
Nice posts ladies. Thanks.
It's been a while, but back in the '50's there was no a/c in the schools either. I remember Coach Lawrence in the halls in junior high, walking the halls, with a wooden paddle in his back pocket.
I remember being in the high school drill team, where the "sponsor" Mrs. McGregor used to take a tape measure, and measure the hems (from ground up) the skirts of our uniforms -- to make sure they complied with drill team rules, and were not "too" short.
At the time, I'm sure I hated it all. Looking back, maybe the teachers were trying to "save" us from ourselves.
I found this link on the website www.commondreams.org.
May be some worthwhile (i.e. educational) teevee watching:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/12/09-4
Dave Zirin commenting on Howard Zinn's (American History) program Sunday night, (December 13th) on the History Channel.
If you get the History channel -- check it out. (Football will be there on Monday.)
What I do remember about school -- long ago--- is that we had better have respect for the teachers. My parents instilled that in us. We instilled that philosophy in our kids. I remember an elementary school teacher my son had. She told us at a parent's conference -- that she had a hard time -- punishing my son (when he acted up in class) because he otherwise was such a sweet, cute, and precious child.
Our advice to her was this: "If you can't bring yourself to punish him, when he needs to be punished, for acting up in class --- send him home. We'll take care of it."
And, she did. And, we did. Words to live by.
My favorite teachers, in high school -- were Mr. McWhirter -- who taught journalism -- and Mr. Seastrand - who taught music. Mrs. Tebow gave me the only "F" I ever got -- in algebra. (Never forgave her for that.) And I learned algebra -- with all "A's" from Mr. Dee.
Y'all made me get out my high school "Annual" and research all this -- and re-live some memories. Good and bad. All learning situations.
Which, in retrospect, is what it's all supposed to be about.
ROFL!
My favorite teacher would have to be Miss Lacy; I had her in 5th and 6th grades. Reading/ELA? Something like that. She was awesome. During those 2 years, we had the same 4 teachers (it was departmentalized).
Or Mrs. McHenry who was my Spanish teacher for 5 out of 6 years in junior high and high school.
And our schools weren't air conditioned either, but in central Indiana, we didn't need it.
I do remember sitting on the wide windowsills (schools built long ago) watching the first snowflakes fall every year. And trudging to school in that mess. Or waiting outside for the school bus in -10 weather.
Thank you for your comments. But some of you are not participating...... One more post and I'm done.
I had a 7th grade Texas history teacher. MISS Alsobrook. She was rumored to be 106 years old. And, frankly, I wouldn't dispute that. She TAUGHT Texas history like she WAS THERE, for ALL of it. I am pretty sure she was a nurse during the Civil War.
Being that old, she was cold all the time. Please remember that HISD schools were NOT AIR CONDITIONED in the 60's. I had her for 5th period, 1-2pm. She would keep all the wimdows closed and in the months bordering summer, you're talking 110 plus degrees in that classroom.
Steve Long would two things to get back at her for that. Whenever she would leave the classroom for whatever, he would go and open up one window. Of course, in those days, noone would rat on him.
ON days it would rain or even drizzle, he would open his mouth in an "O" and plop his finger against his cheek making a sound EXACTLY like a water drip...bloop, bloop, bloop. She would go all over the classroom looking for the "leak". It was hilarious. Mean, but hilarious.
There were numerous awesome teachers that I had the pleasure of knowing as I was growing up. I can remember each of their names - Mrs. Cooksey, Mrs. Miller, and Mrs. Dirugerus from elementary school; Ms. Miller, Coach Freeman from junior high; Mr. Thomas, Mr. Hourani, Mr. Stockton and Mrs. Shiflett from high school. Fantastic college professors as well.
My boys have had many amazing teachers, and have experienced some teachers who just don't like kids or teaching.
No matter what, it's a group effort! It's also one of the most under-rated (and under-paid) professions in the world.
Thanks to those great teachers out there, especially the ones who have to put up with the awful parents.
"You Need Us!" The other day that song from one of the old Gilligan's Island shows kept running through my head. You must have read my mind.
Here's my thought for the day:
I think you should take heart in your work and effort. Despite being a total waste of a student back in the day I left the halls of unlearning with a nagging feeling that I was doing a disservice to the dedicated teachers that I had encountered through the years. Probably all of us can recall those few teachers that really impacted us in a positive way and I can easily after many many years remember mine by name. Sister Roseann (mean as hell), Mr. Lumley (intelligent and caring), Earl the Squirrel McMunn (just out there, but obviously a good human being and probably quite brilliant). The curious thing is that the teachers I most remember were all teaching in the same field of subjects, government, civics, history. I don't know if that's coincidence or what, but anyway, it was those nagging inner voices that eventually compelled me to correct my evil ways and fulfill my academic destiny...such as it is.
Carguy,
When I was in high school I had a biology teacher that had been a backup football player to Gale Sayers. (with respect...a white guy named Wolfe). Due to unfortunate circumstances I was forced to sit right in front of his desk, but anyway, one day the whole class was going nuts and he lost it. He announced to the class that everyone was then and there scheduled for "swats". Luckily, at that moment I was actually engaged in a conversation with him so I wasn't on the list but I still missed a week of school. The man put the fear of God in me, I'll tell you that.
Carguy, mine was Mr. Hemmenway at Arnold Jr. High. SereneOrange may have had him, too. He was a jolly red head - but when he got mad, his head turned purple and steam blew out of his ears like in the cartoons. If he was mad at you he'd kick you out of class and yell at you until you cried. He was one very good music teacher, very effective, legendary SOB. Heck, there's even an elementary school named after him in Cy Fair ISD Now! Hemmenway Elementary. Who'da thunk!
"While most of the parents treated me as a professional, there were some who treated me as a servant"
That's got my ex written all over it...I hope she doesn't read here because I'm sure she'll recognize me and herself (well, maybe not)
Children need love...period. If they don't get respect, love, concern, time, discipline (not to be confused with punishment) the game is already over.
just a quick comment:
Did you know that the most agressive children during the daycare/preschool years are the ones most likely to be picked on in later school years?!?
An innate social 'stupidity'? That's what I think.
C'mon Hurricaners.......I'll bet YOU had a teacher you'd like to mention here........
Carol wrote: I remember the same type of teachers in school - scared the crap out of me!
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Ohhhh, the good ol' days. I didn't even mention MISS Rodeck. Geometry teacher. Those teachers (not young) named MISS always dangerous. Now don't get me wrong...one of the BEST math teachers I ever had. She KNEW how to teach. She MADE you learn. She was kinda shaped like a pear.
She didn't have a ruler. She had a STARE that would make a freight train take dirt road.
Or.....in my best Strother Martin impression......
"What we have here, children, is a FAILURE to communicate."
or
"Students, we have a "demerrit" system here at our school. You step outta line, and Mr. Demerrit here, will kick your ass."
Hey, you know I am ALWAYS on your side.
As I said, the system is B-R-O-K-N.
I know we won't EVER return to what worked. In "my day" it was "hit my kid?...what'd he do?....OK, hit him twice." Oh, if only I was KING.
Alot of it is parents reaction to things. A kid has to fear his parents finding out. I'm not necessarily big on corporal punishment but something needs to happen to the kid. These days a suspension is a free vacation.
Scott, excellent post again!
I totally agree with all of the posters - many - not all - but many parents today don't take the time, or make the effort, to help their children succeed in school and then wonder why in the hell they have such "bad" teachers who can't seem to teach the little angels.
And carguy, I remember the same type of teachers in school - scared the crap out of me!
Carguy, in today's world, if a teacher looks crossways at a child, the parent threatens to sue.
I worked in public education (not as a teacher; I was administrative) for nearly two decades. While most of the parents treated me as a professional, there were some who treated me as a servant and of course there were children who treated me like dirt. I had one fourth grader tell me, "I don't have to listen to you! You're not my teacher and you're not the principal."
No, but I WAS the principal's secretary and I WAS put in charge of that little shit while he was sitting in the principal's office.
My message to both of my boys when they were in school was pretty blunt: you act up at school and you'll be in trouble twice. (Underlying theme was always: Do.Not.Embarrass.Your.Mother.In.Public!)
I am always appalled by the parents who don't pay attention to their kids, who don't read to them, who don't spend time with them. My ex-MIL was like that. She figured it was the teachers' job to teach them so her kids started kindergarten knowing nothing about their colors or numbers. (I think she was barely literate herself. And she was amazed that BOTH of my boys were reading BEFORE they started kindergarten.)
It's hard work being a parent. Giving birth is the easy part.
This is ALL due to the removal of corporal punishment at school. Plain and simple.
I have two names for you......Mr. Duff and Mrs. Wagner.
Mr. Duff was my junion high AP. He was 6ft 5in and a very lean and mean 250 lbs. On a good day, he smiled at you with that Dick Cheney smirk. The absolute LAST thing anyone wanted to face was going to Mr. Duff's office.
In high school, Mrs. Wagner taught algebra. She was maybe 5 ft 2 in and not thin but not fat. She carried what every teacher should be equipped with, a 12 inch metal-reinforced wooden ruler. Get outta line, WHACK on the forearm. I saw defensive lineman on the footbal team break out in tears after tangling with Mrs. Wagner. Oh, students acted up...but only ONCE.
Ohhhh, the good ol' days. EBC, Education by "coercion". It worked.
Hear, hear! I think you touched on this topic in "Combating Ignorance."
While not a parent myself, I do find it disengenuous when those with school age children make excuses for their child's behavior or lack of preparation.