What is your favorite memory from elementary school? What is your biggest stress about sending your kids back to school (or are you simply overjoyed about them leaving that the "stress" hasn't hit yet?). How do you feel about public school these days, and better yet, how do you find the time to get into their classrooms when you have younger kids?
Pick a question, any one. I'll save my answer for later, Jason is already in bed and waiting for me (which means my free time is now over and every minute I spend from here on out is laced with guilt or sheer-determination to finish a task in the peace and quiet of bed-time. Oh, and just so you know, this has little to do with Jason, and more to do with me--I think it's a girl thing.).
8 comments:
My biggest stress really had nothing to do with those lunches, but it was the trigger. My daughter has been assigned THE teacher, you know the one, she should have retired several yrs ago, she is mean and makes kids cry. My daughter cried when she found out who she got. This alone is troubling, but it is made worse by wishing my daughter could be guaranteed the best class every year like my son is. I am NOT bragging here. My son tested into a unique program that is only at two schools in the district and it happens to be at our school, all of his classmates come from all over the valley. He will always have the BEST teacher. Why can't all of my kids get the best teacher offered? It breaks my heart. It makes me ache that one child would be blessed more than another. My daughter is bright, she is the top reader in her class every year, won the Science Fair trophy, but because math isn't as easy for her she isn't the top 5 students who are guaranteed the better teacher. WHY??? Why aren't all teachers as good as they should be? Why can't ALL kids be given the best education possible? I have a request in for a transfer, but the principal made it seem like it was unlikely. I am thinking about home schooling her or sending her to a new school over sending her to a teacher that will break her self esteem. She had a teacher two yrs ago, that several other Moms told me picked on her. We began having problems. But this summer she has become the Young Woman I have always dreamed she would be. Why would I let someone break her down? I feel such heart ache waiting to know what will happen to my little girl. I am praying because I know he loves her even more than I do. I pray the thing that will be in her best interest will happen. But until I get the call I hope for, you may find a friend a little emotional.
My oldest should go to preschool this year. We never planned to be in Prince George's County when she got to school, and here we are.
Generally I believe in public schools, but this is a corrupt and poorly-performing district. There are race issues, ethics issues, poor teachers, lots of ESL and immigrants, lots of low-income, and very young kids are quickly exposed to very adult topics by their peers.
I didn't sign her up for the good schools 3 1/2 years ago, and the waiting lists are LOOOONG.
I'm uncertain what I'm going to do. I think she'd enjoy preschool. She'd enjoy some interactions.
We moved into one of the better public schools in the district, so I'm tentatively O.K. with Kindergarten, but I don't have a preschool... except one option is wide open:
I have a few friends who homeschool. Yes, homeschool. I always thought homeschooled kids were WIERD. (to my friends who have done this, I mean no offense)
I can get into the homeschooler preschool coop, which will be tons of work.
It means I take my turn teaching.
Yikes. Have you ever seen me with a pack of 4-5 year olds?
I know I need to do something, pursue something, pick something. I haven't taken a single step, and school would start in about a month.
Luckily it's preschool and not technically required; but I think it would be a good idea for lots of obvious reasons.
And I already posted quite a bit of my own school experience in response to Question #5, so I think I've double answered. Do I get extra points?
(re-posted due to typos - my fingernails need a trim)
A favorite elementary school memory ... I loved elementary school (well, not 6th grade when all my closest friends had to go to West Clinton, but that's not a favorite memory). I had good teachers, I learned how to work the system and become teacher's pet in most every grade, and I generally had good friends.
One of those totally random memories from 5th grade is spending several recesses digging in the sand west of the school. Amy Sharpe and Wayne Hansen (I think it was Wayne) and I found a huge glob of cement there and dug until we'd exposed the whole thing. I now understand that it was from the jungle gym that used to live there, but at the time we thought it was the coolest thing ever! I hate how changed the old school is now. There is hardly anything left from my days there. Ahh, progress.
Okay.
Favorite elementary school memory: none. I had a friend who I went to Mardi Gras (during the day at the tame parades)with a couple times. She was a good friend. But I went to 8 elementary schools and some of them were horrid. I think this is the reason my feelings of public schools are so negative. I did love high school, but mostly for social reasons.
How I feel about public school: very judgemental. We sent Emma to public school for Kindergarten in one of the poorest areas in the country. So the next year I homeschooled. During that year we moved to MT with excellent public schools. We were all very happy. Then we moved here. The girls were so far ahead of their AZ classes that it took about 6 weeks for AZ to catch up to where they were in MT. Not cool. I homeschooled again when we moved out of that school district and couldn't handle all three kids at once. This year the kids are going to a Traditional Academy that the school district offers. It's kind of like a charter school. It's a back to basics program with the ability for students to advance at their own pace. I'm happy so far.
I don't know how to get into the classroom with Millie. Josh works nights, so I can use him during some days. It was much easier when she was still in my belly.
I know this may be a little old, but I thought I'd add my 2 cents (or perhaps 25 cents) anyway.
I'll be starting my 9th year as a public elementary school teacher in about a week and while I know I can teach the curriculum, it is always the other parts of teaching that make me stay awake at night. I teach here in Utah and even someone from our district office joked at a workshop last week that they keep expecting us to do more with less.
In the spring we (5th & 6th teachers) were told we had some unusual numbers and we could figure out what we wanted to do. So the 6th grade classes will be starting with between 32-35 students. Not good for anyone involved. We know that but there is little we can do. We also know that as a group, we are getting a group of students in which half got below 50% on the end of year tests. Eek! I'm freaking out and have already been laying out a plan with our principal and math coach to help these kids get on grade level.
May I offer some advice from a teacher who is also a mother? Be a polite advocate for your children. I have parents come in every year that are upset (I won't go in to detail but you can imagine how much learning goes in to some of the 5th grade classes) because they think my standards are too strict. The ones that come in already in a bad mood, expect to drop everything, and immediately start blaming me for everything truly do not get anywhere with me. As in I walk out of the room and tell them to talk to the principal. However, if they set up a conference, come in a calmly discuss what is going on, I'm am MORE than willing to help. I think overall teachers and parents want what is best.
I don't know what the procedures are in all schools but in our school spring is the time for requests and just about every parent letter that is sent in request a certain teacher (or requesting to not have a certain teacher) is honored. However, if parents ask after the deadline, almost NO ONE is transferred.
And lastly, volunterring. Some of the moms bring their little ones. I understand they want to help but sometimes it's just too much to handle at one time--tutoring kids plus watching your own. I've had moms volunteer to cut laminating or pull apart workbooks at home so they can do it on their own time. I've also had mom swap kids--they volunteer on say a Mon & Tues, one day one mom watches both sets of kids while the other comes in and then they switch. You could also volunteer with the PTA. Many times there are tons of kids at meetings.
All this being said, I'm sure you will each do what is best for your own kids and I wish you luck on successful school years.
(GeriDawn, if you're wondering who this is--ask Jason, I went to school with him.)
I like public school, but ours is pretty good. I think most public school teachers do the best they can with the funds they have, the amount of students they have, and the varying degrees of abilities of all the students.
I don't think I would homeschool because I am not a certified teacher and I don't see how my lack of skills and knowledge would benefit them at all. I also think my children would miss out on the social aspects of school. Not all of the social aspects are good - but its part of life, it helps them to be prepared for life after school.
With public school sometimes a lot is required at home. You can't count on your children to learn everything in school. But I think that's okay. Jasper, for example was very behind when he first came to live with us. He was in the third grade and a slooow reader. We had to do a lot at home - school work during the summer, a lot of reading out loud at home, etc. He hated it but now he is excelling. He loves loves to read.
Who knows what my opinion would be if I was stuck in a failing school district - I might change my tune!
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