Author |
Message |
Prisonerno6
Member
08-31-2002
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 8:57 am
Others are right when we agree with them, and wrong when we don't No. Some times there is no wrong or right.
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Mack
Member
07-22-2002
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 9:29 am
Certainly teachers have a huge impact on our children and to that extent I was always watchful. Admittedly I would fall in the strict category as a parent. Using the cell phone example, which wasn't an issue when my child was in school, my standard would be that it would not be used while at school. He could have it with him but it would be off except for on his way to school, at lunch, and then on his way home. Interestingly that's not totally different than the standard in the school district I live in now and I think that they don't even allow cell phone use on the school campus at any time so even stricter than what I would set. I realize that would be hard to control but as least he would have known my standard. I would not want a teacher circumventing that standard as I would not want them to circumvent any of our family guidelines or values. That's not their role in my mind.
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Goddessatlaw
Member
07-19-2002
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 9:42 am
Ummm . . . I was in my Algebra professor's office at least once every couple of weeks in college for reinforcement or help with the work (2 semesters). I got straight A's from my own hard work and with her help. I agree your son's teacher is lazy, Karuuna.
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 10:17 am
GAL, the thing that really burned me is that the kids in her class would repeatedly *ask* for help, and she would refuse. The only way he got thru that class was meeting a *different* teacher of the same subject in the library twice a week, so she could help him. Prisoner, I agree that some parents are more rigorous and some not so much. It troubles me also, just as much as the teachers. But that's my point. It's not that all teachers are good and all parents bad; or vice versa. There are good and bad, and right and wrong among all humans.
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Wavewatcher
Member
09-09-2006
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 12:39 pm
When I was a classroom teacher (middle years) I would reserve special times in the day to put on some of my classical LPs for background music. Nothing loud or raucous, just what I felt would be relaxing for students as they completed various tasks. It was very rewarding to me when a parent, a very surprised parent, reported that her son had asked for some of these pieces of music for a birthday gift...one I can remember was Handel's Water Music. Granted, I was imposing my selections of music and there is no way I would have brought in hit parade stuff. I knew they had plenty of opportunity to hear that kind of music at home or elsewhere. So.....the idea of ipods hanging off everyone's ears in a classroom setting wouldn't go over with me. Call me a tyrant but it is what it is. As for the teacher who doesn't appear to be wishing to 'work' with you and your son, that is very unfortunate. As someone who is absolutely not mathematically inclined I would be suffering in that kind of a situation. Luckily I had math teachers who provided early morning and after school sessions for those of us who were still in a fog about what was happening in the regular math classes. They were also the kind of teachers who didn't allow things like resting your head in your hand, propped up by your elbow. Funny how that memory came to mind. Try that kind of discipline in a classroom today. Oh yeah, one more memory. One of them locked the classroom door the moment the buzzer/bell rang. So if you were even 2 seconds late you had to go to the office for a late slip to present to the teacher. Automatic detention. Ahhhh the good old days. This is supposed to be a 'gripe' I notice! My gripe is that there is not enough good literature introduced to elementary aged children these days. There are so many wonderful authors and illustrators out there and children deserve to be formally introduced to them...schools may purchase them for the library but both teachers & teacher-librarians have to work at making these books come alive for the kids. yeah....I moved from the classroom to a school library/computer lab situation eventually. I love children's literature!!

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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 12:48 pm
Wavewatcher: My ELA teacher played classical music during silent reading time. We all loved it and the room was completely silent. As an experiment, she put on some more mainstream upbeat stuff one day, and wow, the noise, talking level was crazy on those days. I take my girls to the library and expose them to different books and literature. My oldest loves to read and my DD2 at four, is reading 2 and 3 letter words.
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Rissa
Member
03-19-2006
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 12:57 pm
Interesting post Wave, In University pysch class we covered learning strategies. There were studies that showed that students who studied with music in the background did better on tests if the same music was playing. Whether the music was hard rock or classical did not have a significant effect. The point was the connection in the brain btn the specific data and the music. I found it fascinating that the study also showed that teenagers who went to school mildly inebriated on either drugs or alcohol also did better on tests if they were under the same influence. There was also a disadvantage to kids who took exams in a different room then they used for the regular class-time, again the brain had linked the data to the environment at the time. It was interesting to me because I had a high school math teacher who always put on soft classical during exams and I remember thinking I should track him down and smack him for possibly causing me to do worse on his exams than I would have done in silence. LOLOL
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 1:22 pm
Wave, but there is literature being introduced to kids. Our school starts it in first grade.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 1:27 pm
Wave, you brought back memories, lol. Both the kids had teachers in the early years (Dakota's kindergarten teacher did it quite often) who played classical music during quiet reading/working time. I'm hoping there's not too much difference between classical and hard rock, Rissa, lol. Cuz Caleb's in English reading To Kill a Mockingbird or answering questions from his book in biology while listening to Metallica!
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Karuuna
Board Administrator
08-30-2000
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 1:31 pm
heh, DS has teachers who close the door when the bells ring, and others who wait one minute. He has teachers who go out of their way to teach and offer additional help if needed and others who don't even teach during class time. It really runs the gamut these days, but I will say from my memories of high school, I had very few "easy" teachers. I surely don't remember any who were so lax that I was unprepared for the next level of coursework in the same school.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 3:16 pm
It is our school policy to have the door closed and locked when the bell rings. Students who are tardy not only go to the office for a pass, they have a lunch detention that day (or the next, if the class is after lunch). Our top two discipline issues last year were tardies and cell phones - and I would almost bet money tardies will NOT be a problem this year w/the new lunch detention. PS - Irony - no way is this a gripe - our top two issues are CELL PHONES and TARDIES??? Wouldn't everyone like to work in our district! 
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 6:55 pm
Big gripe.....it is the beginning of September and cold here! I took Kota to practice today, thank goodness Darren and Caleb both had left light jackets in my car cuz it's a little early in the season for me to have sweaters, jackets, and blankets in there and we needed them! My car said it was 60 (so 55 outside) and we're under high wind advisories. Thought it was me til I looked around and saw everyone else bundled up in jackets and blankets. The girls were complaining about freezing, at least they were all wearing the long socks and softball pants, but most had on the sleeveless jerseys, if Caleb's light jacket hadn't been in the car Kota would have been really cold! I've never seen a coach call practice short in September cuz it's too cold! Heck just last week they were calling them cuz it was over 100 degrees!
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 8:39 pm
It rained on us at Soccer Practice today. BRING ON THE FALL!!!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 9:04 pm
LOL, that's just not right! Around here it stays in the 80's and 90s through September and a good portion of October! The only time I need to worry about jackets and blankets for softball is when the girls have an early morning game and it starts off a bit cool and even though other people are staring at me cuz I'm cold and no one else is! Spring season is a different matter, I never take the blankets and jackets out of the car and keep a bag with beanies and gloves in it too (we even had a few games in June that were pretty cool once the sun went down. But for fall season, it should be hot!
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Wavewatcher
Member
09-09-2006
| Wednesday, September 08, 2010 - 10:41 pm
Julieboo, that's good to hear about early exposure to literature. I really hope that all children are able to have that experience, over and above the 'readers' they may use for language arts classes. By the way, to all parents & grandparents out there, one of the best things you can do for your kids is to read aloud to them daily. I'm not talking about just Dr. Seuss and the like, but really quality literature. This shouldn't end when your children are in school either...it's wonderful for the whole family to sit and listen to a good book read aloud. All ages. Try it. You'll like it!! You will be surprised at how much the attention level of your young ones improve, not to mention their vocabulary. The more you read to them, the easier it will be for them to express themselves in writing later on.
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, September 09, 2010 - 8:56 am
My DD is 7 and together we are reading The BFG. Next we will be reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great. Hopefully we will move onto the Ramona books and Indian in the Cupboard series.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, September 09, 2010 - 9:19 am
Don't forget Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and SuperFudge! Loved those books, along with Sheila the Great and read them with both kids when they were little.
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, September 09, 2010 - 9:29 am
Oh, those are good. Sideways Stories from Wayside school too. DD2 is a little young to have her attention held by chapter books. However, we've read the 'five little monkey's' series sooo much, last night she read them all to me. Very cute that she remembers them.
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Bookworm
Member
12-18-2001
| Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 5:42 am
Magic Treehouse series is good and explores some history/geography. We are all in love with Junie B Jones as well. Those are kind of fluff books, but we read a lot of Roald Dahl (BFG) too.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 9:15 am
Any suggestions for a first grader who reads at a 5th grade level? (my nephew)
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Taysmomcj
Member
03-24-2008
| Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 9:29 am
Last year when Taylor was in First, she got into reading the Diary of a Whimpy Kid books. My SIL uses them in her 5th and 6th grade English classes.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 10:04 am
Julie - Harry Potter and A Wrinkle in Time and Redwall. (and the other books in those series') There are also lots of interesting science type books. There are some good historical fiction books too like the Dear America series books. (I think some are written from the viewpoint of a boy. I have three girls.)
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Saturday, September 11, 2010 - 11:28 am
Many thanks, Tays and Happy!! ANd now back to your gripin'...
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Naja
Member
06-28-2003
| Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 10:35 am
I wanted to gripe that I can't find a certain 13 year old paperback book online for less than $16 + shipping! Even if it's used! Seems ridiculous to me. It's Sondra Locke's book "The Good, The Bad & The Very Ugly: A Hollywood Journey". Has it turned into some kind of collector's item or something? sheesh. I wanted the audiobook, but she never did any audio for it. That's another gripe...LOL
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Kitt
Member
09-06-2000
| Sunday, September 12, 2010 - 11:06 am
If you don't mind the hardback version or buying for Amazon Marketplace, they have used copies for about $6 when you include shipping: >>>Amazon.com
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