fade
Staff member
There's going to be so much semen...
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SeraRelm
You told me it was a ghost...
Cajungal
Staff member
Well, my first year as a full time teacher is officially over. I feel satisfied with the job I did, but thanks to a great circle of supportive colleagues, I also have a great list of ideas to implement in August. OH, and no biggie, but I wrote the whole science curriculum for 3-5 grade all by my lonesome. And when I was sent in as a consultant for Kindergarten, a very experienced teacher argued with my suggestions. Well, guess whose side the principal took? It was a pretty big ego boost considering the other teacher has 20-something years of experience. Gotta keep humble, though. In the end, she took my suggestions, and what matters is that I think it'll be better for the kids. Still... 
God, reading this again, there's so much obnoxious swagger to it, but damnit, I don't care. I feel I have a lot to be proud of right now.
God, reading this again, there's so much obnoxious swagger to it, but damnit, I don't care. I feel I have a lot to be proud of right now.
ElJuski
Staff member
You go, girl. Year one for me ends noontime, tomorrow. Can't believe I made it out alive this year. But seriously, nothing is going to make me feel so bittersweet as seeing those kids off for the summer, where God knows what awaits them. I still can't believe I've earned as much of their respect as I did.
Makes me feel like a badass
EDIT: Goddamnit adam I said you go girl before I saw yours.
Keep in mind, many experienced teachers get into a "rut" on their curriculum. They find a comfortable spot and try to stick with it so that they have less stress and work each year. They are usually the most resistant to change.
My time as a teacher involved me teaching teachers with master's degrees how to use a classroom computer. My first task for them, taught them to play solitaire. I was called into the principal's office the next day (they were after school hour long lessons) and with a couple of these older teachers in the room asked why I was having them playing games instead of teaching them how to use a computer. I explained the the game was the lesson, basic menu operations, mouse function and hand-eye coordination exercises. I also pointed out that I didn't feel that learning something needed to be boring and preferred to have people learn "hands on" for computers since part of many peoples reluctance to using one was "I don't want to break it." I won the point, and added three teachers to the people that understood that I had an idea of what I was doing.
Cajungal
Staff member
That is awesome.
Yep, she is very set in her own ways. She gets all nervous and itchy looking when things change. Also, she was doing exactly what we're not supposed to do with science: make it all about "simply exposing" kids to things without expecting them to retain anything. Of course you don't want a little kid to memorize all this stuff at 5 years old. That makes no sense. But if a kid at the end of kindergarten still can't classify simple objects by color and shape, that's a red flag... and not just for the science teacher. If they look at a flower and say "tree," that's a red flag. That's kind of an extreme example, but she basically said that she did not expect her students to retain anything they learn in science, and that's not acceptable. There are plenty of realistic expectations outlined for children that age, mostly having to do with observation and classification.
Yep, she is very set in her own ways. She gets all nervous and itchy looking when things change. Also, she was doing exactly what we're not supposed to do with science: make it all about "simply exposing" kids to things without expecting them to retain anything. Of course you don't want a little kid to memorize all this stuff at 5 years old. That makes no sense. But if a kid at the end of kindergarten still can't classify simple objects by color and shape, that's a red flag... and not just for the science teacher. If they look at a flower and say "tree," that's a red flag. That's kind of an extreme example, but she basically said that she did not expect her students to retain anything they learn in science, and that's not acceptable. There are plenty of realistic expectations outlined for children that age, mostly having to do with observation and classification.
M
makare
When I taught preschool we did a lot of units on animals. We went through the different types reptiles, amphibians, mammals etc. The kids remembered a lot of it. They were really interested in it. Science is such a perfect opportunity to teach new concepts and then pad it with basic stuff like color, shape, and number.
I remember one of my favorite stories, which I have probably told before, we had been learning about nocturnal mammals. At lunch recess we were outside playing and the kids were being loud. I said we need to be quiet so we don't wake up the babies who are sleeping. One of my students got this really stern look of concentration and then said, "are babies nocturnal!?" I laughed.
I remember one of my favorite stories, which I have probably told before, we had been learning about nocturnal mammals. At lunch recess we were outside playing and the kids were being loud. I said we need to be quiet so we don't wake up the babies who are sleeping. One of my students got this really stern look of concentration and then said, "are babies nocturnal!?" I laughed.
If you get young kids interested in a subject I thnk you'd be amazed at what they retain and the questions they will ask. My son, at 6 years old, has named off the geologic time periods from pre-Cambrian through Quarternary in order all because he learned it in one of his dinosaur books.
People like to say they don't retain anything, but they remember more than they think. For all kinds of ages, too. I remember everybody going on about how useless some of those courses were in primary, and I certainly won't claim I can cite off the world's longest 20 rivers by heart, but at least I know the Ganges isn't a mountain range 
It really depends on interest level. Things I had to learn by and heart and wasn't interested in, I've completely forgotten. Things I had to learn by heart and thought was fun/interesting/useful, I still know; even though it's completely useless. I don't think I've ever had cause to recite the 20 first Roman Emperors in order, but I still know them...
Eh, point being -> make it interesting, they'll learn and remember. Make it dull, they'll forget completely.
It really depends on interest level. Things I had to learn by and heart and wasn't interested in, I've completely forgotten. Things I had to learn by heart and thought was fun/interesting/useful, I still know; even though it's completely useless. I don't think I've ever had cause to recite the 20 first Roman Emperors in order, but I still know them...
Eh, point being -> make it interesting, they'll learn and remember. Make it dull, they'll forget completely.
ElJuski
Staff member
aha, that's how I should be doing it. Duly noted.
No need. Anyting you teach them will probably be sufficiently awesome, coming from you, to become phrases to live by for them all. In 60 years, the'll still be quoting you
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SeraRelm
It's almost as though someone said that bef-People like to say they don't retain anything, but they remember more than they think. For all kinds of ages, too. I remember everybody going on about how useless some of those courses were in primary, and I certainly won't claim I can cite off the world's longest 20 rivers by heart, but at least I know the Ganges isn't a mountain range
It really depends on interest level. Things I had to learn by and heart and wasn't interested in, I've completely forgotten. Things I had to learn by heart and thought was fun/interesting/useful, I still know; even though it's completely useless. I don't think I've ever had cause to recite the 20 first Roman Emperors in order, but I still know them...
Eh, point being -> make it interesting, they'll learn and remember. Make it dull, they'll forget completely.
... oh.
I forgot it was illegal to say the same thing twice, or reinforce a point already made. My sincere apologies. I'll never do it again! NEVER!It's almost as though someone said that bef-
... oh.
..or I will. Whatever.
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SeraRelm
I agree.
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SeraRelm
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SeraRelm
You made me think of a line from Jenna Marbles."Oh, hey vagina! You're looking dapper as always."
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SeraRelm
That's not stylish?
I was thinking of a handlebar moustache. Hang on it's gonna be a bumpy ride! lmao
Oh Gusto!Win:
I've got a coffee date tomorrow afternoon with an OKCupid girl who it turns out lives like a 5 minute drive form me and looks a lot like Kristen Bell.
Don't throw up on her.Win:
I've got a coffee date tomorrow afternoon with an OKCupid girl who it turns out lives like a 5 minute drive form me and looks a lot like Kristen Bell.
Please don't hit me.
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SeraRelm
So, if this is an epic win, not a minor victory, where will you post if you score?
Oh yeah..
Oh yeah..
My mother is home from the nursing home.
Mathias had a thread specifically for that, but it's probably pages away by now.
Because of how little sex everyone else is having!
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SeraRelm
Yeah, I was saying that's where he'd post it...