The Daily Grind featured It's Not All Flowers... yesterday, so I had to check it out. (see how linky I am?) Apparently, I just missed a big blog scandal because Miss Mimi had described a classroom meeting wherein a single student was told by the other classmates how said student's behavior made them feel. In response, an anonymous poster claiming to be an administrator wrote how Miss Mimi was all kinds of wrong and bound for some sort of reprimand or firing. And then everyone jumped on anonymous and another post was written... Lord-love-a-duck! I do enjoy a good comment fight. You should check it out, it's high entertainment for us teacher types.
Anonymous did have a point when he/she wrote that the parents would surly complain to the administration. I think, however, he/she missed the reason for that... it's readily apparent that students who have problems with behavior are generally being raised by parental units who do not subscribe to the "responsible citizen" theory of socialization. Their child is almost never held responsible for their behavior at home and any parental unit they have is determined that no one else is allowed to hold the child responsible for any wrong-doing, be it murder or shouting out in class.
Personally, I wish more lower elementary teachers would do things like this, parental units be damned. There are just too many parents who aren't parenting. And the kids have no sense of reality when they get to high school. Like the kid who hasn't passed a class since third grade, does no work, is rude to everyone, won't graduate ("doesn't care"), but still claims that he will join the Navy at 18 and become a Navy Seal. Don't mention that a diploma is required to join the military, because he can do anything he wants to. Also, don't say that hard work is required... because this kid doesn't know what that means and will just cuss you out for "crushing his dream." It's a kid who has is always be a classroom disruptor.
Who's going to be blamed when Miss Mimi's student is sitting in a chair wondering where all his dreams went? Will he think that dreams are just for lucky people, as many of my students do? Are we so afraid of crushing their spirits that we never give any of them the rules of the road of life? Because many aren't learning them at home.
Anonymous did have a point when he/she wrote that the parents would surly complain to the administration. I think, however, he/she missed the reason for that... it's readily apparent that students who have problems with behavior are generally being raised by parental units who do not subscribe to the "responsible citizen" theory of socialization. Their child is almost never held responsible for their behavior at home and any parental unit they have is determined that no one else is allowed to hold the child responsible for any wrong-doing, be it murder or shouting out in class.
Personally, I wish more lower elementary teachers would do things like this, parental units be damned. There are just too many parents who aren't parenting. And the kids have no sense of reality when they get to high school. Like the kid who hasn't passed a class since third grade, does no work, is rude to everyone, won't graduate ("doesn't care"), but still claims that he will join the Navy at 18 and become a Navy Seal. Don't mention that a diploma is required to join the military, because he can do anything he wants to. Also, don't say that hard work is required... because this kid doesn't know what that means and will just cuss you out for "crushing his dream." It's a kid who has is always be a classroom disruptor.
Who's going to be blamed when Miss Mimi's student is sitting in a chair wondering where all his dreams went? Will he think that dreams are just for lucky people, as many of my students do? Are we so afraid of crushing their spirits that we never give any of them the rules of the road of life? Because many aren't learning them at home.
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