Blogboard

After being "ambushed" by the parents of a child she doesn't teach, simply because they wanted to talk to a teacher, Fred the Fish at Are We Doing Anything Today? considers the "official spokesperson" duty that seems to come with the profession:

...teachers are ambushed into being the sounding board for the teaching profession. (Regardless of your profession, once you are it, you are the voice for all. My brother speaks for the police, my friend the architect is the voice of building designers.) ... It's such an awkward position to be put in particularly because teachers are often under fire.

And some parents assume teachers to be interchangeable entities, rather than individuals with specific theories and goals about education. Fred the Fish mentions a relative who told her that "teachers weren't really professionals and that 'anybody could be a teacher.'" It's the type of comment that makes her want to say "Ok, so come teach my class."

Posted by at 10:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ms. Cornelius responds to the news that education officials in New Zealand have decided to allow students to use text-message-speak on national exams this year. It's a shameful concession, she says:

Are we merely being elitist to expect an academic paper to adhere to certain standards? I hardly think anyone would claim that the expectation to communicate clearly is too rigorous. ...

I've told my students that text-speak is unacceptable in written work. I will also correct the first misspellings of unusual words, such as "laissez-faire," but I take points off for misspelling common words such as cities, because, or soldier. Attention to detail is a discipline which I believe is sadly lacking in American society, and I believe that students can meet this expectation. I refuse to give up on kids and believe that they can't learn to write and think clearly. A compromise on standards nearly always results in a further slide down the slope of unacceptable behavior.

Posted by at 5:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Denver teacher Groovygrrl has started a new blog called Caught in Class in which she plans to record the things kids say in school. The reason behind this grand venture? "Most people who don't work in schools have NO IDEA how funny it is," she says.

Here's a sample entry:

Kid: Like, who thought of pot?
Teacher: What do you mean? It's a plant.
Kid: Yes, but who thought of it?
Teacher: You mean, who thought of smoking it?
Kid: Yeah.
Teacher: I don't know. But I think it's a weirder thing to drink milk. I mean, who was the first person to look at a cow's udder and think, "I'm going to drink whatever comes out of those?"
Other kid: Martha Stewart.

Think you've got something better? Well, she's accepting submissions.

Posted by at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a list of things that made her laugh recently, New York teacher writingsam of clean up on aisle life includes some timely (school) election news:

In a campaign speech for President of the Student Government, one boy stated, "I promise to do something about that smell in the boys' bathroom, because it's just -- I mean -- you know -- it's just disgusting. I'll get air fresheners, maybe a ceiling fan, but I promise you, I'll do something!" (Followed by wild cheers.)

Now there's an area where we can probably all agree that you don't want to "stay the course."

Posted by at 5:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

NYC Educator recounts a day spent trying to convince administrators that he is, indeed, himself.

I was in my trailer, teaching something, when the phone rang. I picked it up.
"This is Miss Grundy from the switchboard. Is this NYC Educator?"
"Yes it is."
"Well I just sent a kid to your trailer with a coverage, and he says you told him you weren't you."
"Well, that can't be," I assured her. "I am most certainly me."
"AREN'T I ME?" I asked my beginning ESL class.
"Yes, teacher, you are you." they called out, with varying levels of enthusiasm.

A few minutes later, the phone rings again. It was the APO.

"This is Seymour Blatz. I understand you refused a coverage."

The conversation continues:

"Miss Grundy says you've been telling her monitors you aren't you."
"Well, Mr. Blatz, I am most certainly me. AREN'T I ME, CLASS?"
Screams and catcalls and "YES TEACHER YOU ARE YOU!"
"Okay, Mr. Educator. We'll try and find out who that person is."
"Thank you Mr. Blatz. Frankly, I'm a little upset about this character walking around claiming not to be me."
"I'll call security," he assured me.
"Thank you Mr. Blatz."
The bell rang.

We believe you, Mr. Educator.

Posted by Jeanne McCann at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mr. Lawrence of Get Lost, Mr. Chips, succinctly explains his frustration with Sen. John Kerry's recent comments about education and Iraq. Kerry's remark:

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

And Mr. Lawrence's thoughts:

Can this guy do anything right? I'm glad I voted for him - 'lesser evilism' and all that business - but one thing the Democrats never seem to realize is that they're not very good at fighting the War of Words. The Republicans are masterful at phrasing and accusations and ad hominem attacks. I agree - to a degree - with Mr. Kerry's statement above, but there were 99 other ways of saying it and explaining it further (Kerry treats it like it's a black and white issue ... like only 'dumb kids' are in Iraq, which is lunacy).

Posted by at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)