the mousetraps were flanking the tray
What's on your mind?
So my sister's car was broken into a few days ago. There was blood smeared on the door handle and the only thing they took was her license that she left in the console. According to the cops they had some sort of universal key which is pretty strange because there was a 90 grand Merc AMG that was left untouched right beside her car.
The more deep I get into my major the more I "hate" it. I don't know if that's normal. :(
A lot of my courses this semester has just showed me the shit-fest that I'm going to endure as a teacher in Texas. I was legitimately interested in teaching at a Title 1 school after graduation then found out that Texas approved a measure to fire teachers based off of test scores. Not hey, let's look into this-- lets change some things-- we need to try something new. NO, you're fired! I'm tutoring kids that go to these schools and they can't read English in the 3rd and 4th grade (they've been here their entire life and can't even identify sight words that you learn in prek/k) and then these same kids have to take the tests in English. They perform low, the school's get less funding, and nothing gets fixed and teachers just get fired for taking on the job that no one else wants.
ugh. :( I'm also working on a teacher project and getting labeled a "radical teacher" for thinking differently on how I want to manage my classroom. I feel like a lone wolf.
@mstk just started an Education program here
they openly discuss and encourage taking different approaches. may i ask, whats this project youve been written off as radical for thus far?
In my individual differences class (spec.ed), the professor is making us put together a digital packet where we have to do a lot of this stuff (so far mine is up to 20pgs and I'm only half way through it). Anyway, one of the sections if on classroom procedures/management and it has you list out, quite literally EVERYTHING that could occur in a classroom. One of the things was "teacher desk"-- well I don't want a teacher desk in my classroom because it takes up space and it can be intimidating to students, "student desks"... I don't want traditional student desks either. I like the idea of getting some round tables with chairs, use bean bags/cushions and children can sit wherever they want to and decide on their own groups. I've read that it clears up space in the room and fosters productivity and creativity because the children are comfortable and it's easier for them to work in groups and they can decide what's best with their learning style. Bathroom-- I'm thinking of an open policy, go as many times as you need to if it's not during instruction. Water fountain-- keep a water bottle in the cubby so they can use it if absolutely necessary. Cubbies/storage areas-- always accessible to the student if they need to get something that's pertinent to what they're working on. Discipline-- I don't believe in taking away things (ie recess) and added in that they would be reminded of the classroom rules in private and if it's repeated that a parent-teacher conference would happen to figure out what's going on/what changes need to be made, next step detention.
Those are a few of the things in where I'm different with people and being considered crazy. I think it's cruel to limit a child how many times they can drink water and use the restroom, taking away recess makes behavioral issues worse, and I want to treat them like little adults or give them the chance to learn to be independent and not little babies.
**I also don't believe in a rewards system where they take away if you're "bad". Connor's classroom this year doesn't have one and he went from being a hell spawn to a perfect child. I like the idea of classroom rewards where everyone gets rewarded or a private rewards system where the child knows in their folder, not plastered on a wall to separate children. :/ I've condensed my ideas and my back-up plans if kids were to abuse my ideas but that's the gist of me being different.
If I could make it to where children could play/have recess every 15 minutes of 45 minutes instruction time I'd do it (looking at Finland with their awesome classrooms). :(
I'm wondering about how what we're being taught is what you're being called crazy for
I mean, half we've actually seen (the student desks, discipline/group rewards) and the other half not so much, but it seems very well on the right track. The break vs instruction intervals might vary depending on the age, i would assume, but it does help with attention/engagement
Really nothing outlandish to see here
@mstk just started an Education program here
they openly discuss and encourage taking different approaches. may i ask, whats this project youve been written off as radical for thus far?
In my individual differences class (spec.ed), the professor is making us put together a digital packet where we have to do a lot of this stuff (so far mine is up to 20pgs and I'm only half way through it). Anyway, one of the sections if on classroom procedures/management and it has you list out, quite literally EVERYTHING that could occur in a classroom. One of the things was "teacher desk"-- well I don't want a teacher desk in my classroom because it takes up space and it can be intimidating to students, "student desks"... I don't want traditional student desks either. I like the idea of getting some round tables with chairs, use bean bags/cushions and children can sit wherever they want to and decide on their own groups. I've read that it clears up space in the room and fosters productivity and creativity because the children are comfortable and it's easier for them to work in groups and they can decide what's best with their learning style. Bathroom-- I'm thinking of an open policy, go as many times as you need to if it's not during instruction. Water fountain-- keep a water bottle in the cubby so they can use it if absolutely necessary. Cubbies/storage areas-- always accessible to the student if they need to get something that's pertinent to what they're working on. Discipline-- I don't believe in taking away things (ie recess) and added in that they would be reminded of the classroom rules in private and if it's repeated that a parent-teacher conference would happen to figure out what's going on/what changes need to be made, next step detention.
I had very authoritative style teachers. I guess my classmates did too lol. My professor is awesome though, he would probably read this and high five and give me kudos. He's made me consider switching my major to spec. ed, I've never had a teacher/professor so awesome before that I don't want to leave their class and it's a 3hr lecture. :o
I've had a lot of trouble disciplining Marshall over the summer and into this school year because there was basically no discipline ever before. I'm super attachment parenting oriented (as you know, Allison) so I used to just try talking it out, putting positive spins on things, etc, but it got way out of control so I started "grounding him". Losing the xbox and computer for x amount of time, no snacks that were unhealthy, that kind of thing. When he misbehaved at school I'd not let him play after school for a few days and when he'd act out at lunch time I took him home for two days and now he's gone back to being my good kid. He's stoked about halo 5 so he makes sure not to fuck up lol.
I've had a lot of trouble disciplining Marshall over the summer and into this school year because there was basically no discipline ever before. I'm super attachment parenting oriented (as you know, Allison) so I used to just try talking it out, putting positive spins on things, etc, but it got way out of control so I started "grounding him". Losing the xbox and computer for x amount of time, no snacks that were unhealthy, that kind of thing. When he misbehaved at school I'd not let him play after school for a few days and when he'd act out at lunch time I took him home for two days and now he's gone back to being my good kid. He's stoked about halo 5 so he makes sure not to fuck up lol.
That's usually a good way to handle things. But If you do have to ground him, make sure you do it right. If he fully understands why he's being grounded and he is allowed to sit alone and reflect on it for a little while, It can work wonders. Having a proper talk after the grounding is also important. Ask open questions, it really forces kids to think more and not just zone out and go on auto pilot when having a conversation. This shit obviously only work if he has calmed down.
I've had a lot of trouble disciplining Marshall over the summer and into this school year because there was basically no discipline ever before. I'm super attachment parenting oriented (as you know, Allison) so I used to just try talking it out, putting positive spins on things, etc, but it got way out of control so I started "grounding him". Losing the xbox and computer for x amount of time, no snacks that were unhealthy, that kind of thing. When he misbehaved at school I'd not let him play after school for a few days and when he'd act out at lunch time I took him home for two days and now he's gone back to being my good kid. He's stoked about halo 5 so he makes sure not to fuck up lol.That's usually a good way to handle things. But If you do have to ground him, make sure you do it right. If he fully understands why he's being grounded and he is allowed to sit alone and reflect on it for a little while, It can work wonders. Having a proper talk after the grounding is also important. Ask open questions, it really forces kids to think more and not just zone out and go on auto pilot when having a conversation. This shit obviously only work if he has calmed down.
Yeah I talk to him a lot when he's upset or does something wrong. The funny thing is, he's actually very "reasonable" / logical for why he does things, it's his approach that'd inappropriate ie: "Marshall, why did you hit that kid?" "Well, he said something that bothered me and I asked him to leave me alone but he wouldn't and so I kept telling him to leave me alone but he wouldn't so I hit him". So yeah, a part of me is thinking that I would be pretty mad too if someone wouldn't get out of my face and another part wonders why the school doesn't step in when they see that Marshall is getting so frustrated. I have to teach him consequence for hitting but mostly I just speak to him about what he can do differently next time. It's been about a month now without an incident. It's weird that when people have babies they just think about the care that it takes, how to provide, etc. That part is easy. Teaching morality is really difficult.I've had a lot of trouble disciplining Marshall over the summer and into this school year because there was basically no discipline ever before. I'm super attachment parenting oriented (as you know, Allison) so I used to just try talking it out, putting positive spins on things, etc, but it got way out of control so I started "grounding him". Losing the xbox and computer for x amount of time, no snacks that were unhealthy, that kind of thing. When he misbehaved at school I'd not let him play after school for a few days and when he'd act out at lunch time I took him home for two days and now he's gone back to being my good kid. He's stoked about halo 5 so he makes sure not to fuck up lol.That's usually a good way to handle things. But If you do have to ground him, make sure you do it right. If he fully understands why he's being grounded and he is allowed to sit alone and reflect on it for a little while, It can work wonders. Having a proper talk after the grounding is also important. Ask open questions, it really forces kids to think more and not just zone out and go on auto pilot when having a conversation. This shit obviously only work if he has calmed down.
It really is, but it sounds like you're doing just fine.
>Teaching morality is really difficult.
yeah about as "difficult" as it is to teach kids when and what to desire sexually, how to be such and such a subject, how to use the body and how to desire in the appropriate ways for such and such a subject, which is basic to human social life and has been for thousands of years. maybe difficult isn't the right word as it's just a matter of time before the Oedipally-yoked human organism acquires habit-memory/social memory and pulls the cart of history
