Adventures of Miss S.
A particularly frustrated student blurted out, “I’m a starfish!” during math today. Confused, I asked him explain. A starfish lacks a brain. My friend doesn’t understand math.
My friend, today you’ve proved you are definitely not a starfish. Miss S didn’t know that fun fact!
And yes, I told him that. He finished the math problem on his own. Perfectly. No starfish in my room.
March 2012
13 posts
February 2012
14 posts
Reid Janssens: High Expectations, "not teaching to the test" improve learning →
reidjanssens.tumblr.com
“Natalie Guandique, 27, the special-education teacher in the Bronx, has also left the classroom and is now finishing a master’s program at Teachers College at Columbia University. She attributed much of her success to having high expectations for her special-education students at P.S. 49.
“I…
This is on my mind tonight:
- I believe in education.
- I believe in teachers.
- I believe in teachers who are passionate and loving.
- I believe in teachers who do their best every day.
- I believe in a staff that supports their teachers.
- I believe in a community that supports their teachers.
- I believe in parents who support their children and teachers.
- I do NOT believe in individuals who try and stand in the way of education.
"As someone who likes to play poker 'with the boys' and work his magic around the grill, Doug Sayles is a typical man. What makes him atypical is that he teaches kindergarten." →
startribune.com
Oh, we definitely need more male teachers especially in elementary schools,
but actually, Star Tribune, what is a typical man, and could you write a worse caption if you tried?
Which District Do I Choose?
I have been hired to sub for a 32 day maternity leave starting in late March (or when the baby comes).This position is within my favorite school, in my favorite district. I will not get benefits, but I will get a $10 pay raise after ten days. I may stay longer or I may only be needed for my 32 days. Depending on the baby.
I have also been invited to become a long term sub for a first grade classroom in another district in which I am subbing on a day-to-day basis. This position will carry through to the end of the year. They asked me first. They will not increase my pay or give me benefits for my stay. This district has also taken away two long terms from me this year for personal favors to friends of the principal. NOT because I wasn’t fufilling my duties, but because a a close friend “really needed a job”.
I am choosing district one. But, put in my shoes, which would you choose? I am curious.
Vacation Time: Who are you?
During this vacation, I will be reverting back to my old fashion girl self and absorbing as much of fashion week as possible.
Who will you be?
“GWALP adds: Warning for harsh language.
On a somewhat serious note today because of a conversation the other day:
I am sure every girl can recall, at least once as a child, coming home and telling their parents, uncle, aunt or grandparent about a boy who had pulled her hair, hit her, teased her, pushed her or committed some other playground crime. I will bet money that most of those, if not all, will tell you that they were told “Oh, that just means he likes you”. I never really thought much about it before having a daughter of my own. I find it appalling that this line of bullshit is still being fed to young children. Look, if you want to tell your child that being verbally and/or physically abused is an acceptable sign of affection, i urge you to rethink your parenting strategy. If you try and feed MY daughter that crap, you better bring protective gear because I am going to shower you with the brand of “affection” you are endorsing.
When the fuck was it decided that we should start teaching our daughters to accept being belittled, disrespected and abused as endearing treatment? And we have the audacity to wonder why women stay in abusive relationships? How did society become so oblivious to the fact that we were conditioning our daughters to endure abusive treatment, much less view it as romantic overtures? Is this where the phrase “hitting on girls” comes from? Well, here is a tip: Save the “it’s so cute when he gets hateful/physical with her because it means he loves her” asshattery for your own kids, not mine. While you’re at it, keep them away from my kids until you decide to teach them respect and boundaries.
My daughter is `10 years old and has come home on more than one occasion recounting an incident at school in which she was teased or harassed by a male classmate. There has been several times when someone that she was retelling the story to responded with the old, “that just means he likes you” line. Wrong. I want my daughter to know that being disrespected is NEVER acceptable. I want my daughter to know that if someone likes her and respects her, much less LOVES her, they don’t hurt her and they don’t put her down. I want my daughter to know that the boy called her ugly or pushed her or pulled her hair didn’t do it because he admires her, it is because he is a little asshole and assholes are an occurrence of society that will have to be dealt with for the rest of her life. I want my daughter to know how to deal with assholes she will encounter throughout her life. For now, I want my daughter to know that if someone is verbally harassing her, she should tell the teacher and if the teacher does nothing, she should tell me. If someone physically touches her, tell the teacher then, if it continues, to yell, “STOP TOUCHING/PUNCHING/PUSHING ME” in the middle of class or the hallway, then tell me. Last year, one little boy stole her silly bandz from her. He just grabbed her and yanked a handful of them off of her wrist. When I went to the school to address the incident, the teacher smiled and explained it away to her, in front of me, “he probably has a crush on you”. Okay, the boy walked up to my daughter, grabbed and held her by the arm and forcibly removed her bracelets from her as she struggled and you want to convince her that she should be flattered? Fuck off. I am going to punch you in the face but I hope you realize it is just my way of thanking you for the great advice you gave my daughter. If these same advice givers’ sons came home crying because another male classmate was pushing them, pulling their hair, hitting them or calling them names, I would bet dollars to donuts they would tell him to defend themselves and kick the kid’s ass, if necessary. They sure as shit wouldn’t say, “he probably just wants a play date”.
I will teach my daughter to accept nothing less than respect. Anyone who hurts her physically or emotionally doesn’t deserve her respect, friendship or love. I will teach my boys the same thing as well as the fact that hitting on girls doesn’t involve hitting girls. I can’t teach my daughter to respect herself if I am teaching her that no one else has to respect her. I can’t raise sons that respect women, if I teach them that bullying is a valid expression of affection.
The next time that someone offers up that little “secret” to my daughter, I am going to slap the person across the face and yell, “I LOVE YOU”.
” —You Didn’t Thank Me For Punching You in the Face « Views from the Couch (via unbornghost)
GWALP asks: How do you elementary teachers did with this?
(via girlwithalessonplan)I read this. I love this. I reblog this. Bullying comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and no one should ever have to accept it as the norm.
Kinder Write: When I am 100 years old...
*…I will have gray hair and glasses.
*…I will be bald.
*…I will have a brown mustache that I shave everyday.
*…I will have a beard down to my toes.
*…I will soon be 101!
*…I will be an angry old man!
*…I will be dead.
Some ponderings of my kindergarten friends.
Mobbed!
Mobbed by a huddle of first graders, enclosing me in a group hug. I was immobilized from all of the little arms and smiley faces. Right up there with seven kindergarteners telling me that I am beautiful. Good day.
Despite
Despite all of the bullshit going on at my school, one of the things that makes my day better is teaching my kids.
This Is A Tough Group
Every class that I’ve subbed in during January has been a “tough class”. I have not given these kids that stigma. Instead, as soon as I enter a room, one or two teachers have run in behind me. What do they want? To tell me, the sub, what a tough group this is, they talk/move/are loud (oh, like kids usually are?).
Someone liners:
*this is the toughest class in the school/grade (but, the “troublemakers” are still on green?)
*you have a lot of crazies in here!
*watch out for E, he lit his house on fire this year (was it super important for me to know and thus become freaked out about? Does he bring matches to school??)
Are all classes “tough” these days or are we just burnt out?
