Winter Break is for the Teachers

[Dr_Funkenstein]

Holy Christ in a paddle boat...these kids are evil! There is a serious lack of parenting made obvious through the actions of their demonic little children.

What the hell is wrong with parents these days? Cna they not figure out that (generally) their child's behavior is a function of their own?

[ChoralScholar]

1. A line I like to use in the teachers' lounge is

"The kids don't make this stuff up themselves! They learned it somewhere!"

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. I had a principal who used to say

Momma is sending you her best. If she had better, she would send that too.

[hellbound-liberal]

2. My fellow teachers and I can't wait for break to get here! We all agree that

our current population of students is one of the most uninspired and unmotivated groups we have seen on years. We are hoping that their Interim grades will spur them to change when they return. One of my favorite pieces written on child-rearing is something that I saw when I was in high school. I think it still rings true today:

Children Learn What They Live (1998)
by Dorothy Law Nolte (1924 - 2005)

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Excerpted from the book CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
©1998 by Dorothy Law Nolte and Rachel Harris

[lightningandsnow]

3. :-(

I'm a high school student... I really hope I'm not one of those people.

I work hard in school.
I'm involved in a lot of activist causes.
I try to be nice to my teachers.
I really hate it when people stereotype teenagers, or students as a whole.

Sure, some people are rude, or unmotivated, but there are plenty of people who aren't. Children, teenagers, AND adults.

Just thought I'd give my two cents.

[hellbound-liberal]

11. I am sure that your parents and teachers appreciate all that you do!

My point is that many students do not demonstrate a motivation to learn and it shows. I have many students who do care about their grades and come to me before and after school to try to improve them. Unfortunately, the students who demonstrate the worst behavior usually stick out. I hope you continue to make the most of your high school years and inspire others through your actions.

[Lex]

12. Students like you make it all worthwhile for the teachers.

That's what I feel about it anyway.

:hi:

[femmocrat]

16. Applause! And congratulations, AspieGrrl!

In my experience, most teenagers ARE wonderful and I have always enjoyed teaching at the high school level. Even most middle-schoolers are sweet, eager to please, and productive students.

It is unfortunate though, that the students who are the most challenging often have the most un-involved parents. I think that is the main point here. Maybe those parents are just sick of hearing about how their children misbehave, are unmotivated and disrespectful. It would be so much better for the child if they would just work with the schools instead of arguing and blaming us for their child's short-comings.

[zanne]

4. Alot of parents don't know what their kids are like at school.

Sometimes, there are what I used to call "home kids" and "school kids". These are two different animals. The "school kid" would be unrecognizable to a parent if seen by parents on camera! This is why so many parents get upset when their child is disciplined at school. "I know my son and he wouldn't do/say that". The fact is they know their "home" son, not their "school" son.

[dropkickpa]

9. Mine's the opposite!

She's fantastic at school, I always get great comments about her from teachers. At home, though, she is often a holy terror. I wouldn't mind having "school dropkid" for a while.

[Tektonik]

5. Uhh

'What the hell is wrong with parents these days? Cna they not figure out that (generally) their child's behavior is a function of their own?'

I hope you do not have a single learning disabled child or a kid with a behavioral disorder in your class.

[Lex]

10. The word "generally" was inserted by the OP

for a reason, I bet.

[ChoralScholar]

13. mm..

I'm sure the OP is talking about the kid in the third row who has trouble reading, or the kid in the back who can't pay attention because the noise of the air conditioner is distracting him.

By and large, students who have social issues are products of their rearing. However they observed interaction at home is how they learned to interact - for example, I have a girl that is neurotic to the point of physical discomfort about being perfect. This is because her mother is psychotically authoritarian with her.

By the same token - the student who wants to get up and kick someones ass because "they've been saying stuff about me" has probably observed that kind of thing at home too.

[gmoney]

6. And Hell, Hell is for children...

"Miss Benatar to the principal's office please..."

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. You're just now figuring this out?

Three reasons to become a teacher: June, July and August.

I guess we should add two weeks at Christmas to that list.

[femmocrat]

15. You get TWO WEEKS? Wow....

We actually only get 3 days, if you exclude the holidays of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

We go until 4:00 on Dec. 21 and return at 8:00 on Jan. 2. :grr:

[BlueIris]

14. Yeah, no shit. Enjoy it, teachers!!!

[Dr_Funkenstein]

17. I finally return...

Sorry, DU Loungers...it's the last week before the break, and to top that off, I have a 10 week old at the house. *Probably the most mature male there...

Anyway, I do have LD children in my class, and I have found that the ones who truely are LD are the ones who try. The ones who have MPAISIBDLD are just lazy because their parents raise them that way.

Sorry, I realize that all viewers of this scorcher topic may not be up on teacher acronyms...MPAISIBDLD is, in medical terms, "My Parents Are Idiots I've Been Declared Learning Disabled".

OK, seriously though, it does get frustrating to bust your ass trying to create fun and exciting ways to learn, and then some of the kids don't bother to do the assignment. They bitch about book work, so they get worksheets. The bitch about worksheets, so they get hands on labs. They bitch about labs, so they get projects...etc, etc. We had a really cool balloon car project and got to race them, and show them off, and have a blast...and 3 or 4 kids per class don't even bother to do it! Then, the parents get pissed because you as the teacher, aren't calling them every time little Billy doesn't turn something in....but when you do, they make an excuse for the kid! No wonder little Billy doesn't do anything, when his own parents don't hold him accountable!

Overall, I'm very concerned about the state of education...and the first change needs to be NCLB...left behind.

PS: I'm not a seasoned veteran at the message board thing...is "OP" short for original post?

[femmocrat]

18. Enjoy your break, Dr_Funkenstein!

It is here at last... forget about the classroom for a week or so, and when we go back it will be almost second semester!

:woohoo:

P.S. I think so! :hi:

[Dr_Funkenstein]

19. CORGI POWER!!!

I love that little Corgi as your avatar.

We have a Corgi as well...but the pic won't seem to load correctly. :(