Effem all in Central Falls

[bloocrab]

As I often get first-hand exposure to classroom activities,...I sometimes ask myself, .....how does one maintain the drive to teach disrespectful students?

It is NOT the teacher's job to teach the kids respect. That SHOULD be taught at home. If 30% of the class does not have respect for the teacher, the teacher will lose the battle in teaching the class as a whole. In most cases, they spend more time disciplining the children than they do teaching them.

I TRULY believe that schools with such high failure rates are the product of poor parenting. YES, IT BEGINS AT HOME!!!!! I imagine that as a teacher, when you continue to get disrespected day in - day out, you lose your "drive"....you feel like a baby-sitter as opposed to an educator. Trying to get parents to come to school to discuss their child's education is pointless. Most parents living in places like Central Falls suffered the same upbringing,....for the most part, you teach what you learned. They're not learning respect at home....so WHY should they act respectful?

A respectful child will learn faster and quicker. They go hand in hand. Parents like to blame the educators....., too bad, because it's the kids that will suffer the most.

Are there bad teachers out there? Absolutely, do a few bad apples ruin the basket? I dunno, this is a tough subject. When the PRINCIPALS' office area is full of delinquent kids, the word goes out to the teachers to try and keep the kids in the classroom...the kids aren't stupid, they know how far they can push....and they know when to use that tool.

OK....somebody help me off the soapbox...

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

OK....somebody help me off the soapbox...

You stay up there....you're doing fine.

that is probably the best summation to the problem.

[Sea Dangles]

IMO education is much improved vs. when I was younger. I know my wife and I play a huge role in making sure things are done the right way in order to keep the kids in the game. We monitor the homework,tests, and quizzes and try to instill the work ethic that it will take to be successful.When I was younger my parents barely acknowledged the fact we were in school and never had questions regarding homework and school activities.The teachers in CF had their chance to play ball, but they were greedy.At 50% graduation they should get canned.What type of opportunities can a child in that environment have?

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

When I was younger my parents barely acknowledged the fact we were in school and never had questions regarding homework and school activities.

But what happened if the school sent home a letter saying you were disrespecting the teachers.......thats the difference. Back then my dad never went to a single parent teacher conference.....but If I screwed up at school I sure as hell dreaded what was coming when I got home.

Nowadays if the kid screws up at school.....its the teachers fault....not the kids.

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

But what happened if the school sent home a letter saying you were disrespecting the teachers.......thats the difference. Back then my dad never went to a single parent teacher conference.....but If I screwed up at school I sure as hell dreaded what was coming when I got home.

Nowadays if the kid screws up at school.....its the teachers fault....not the kids.

This falls into something I've sure you've seen me mention before... a significant decrease in the sense of responsibility in parents. It is always someone else's fault that their child is a screw up - video games made my kid shoot up that school (Columbine), violent movies, South Park, Family Guy, Jackass... hell, even "Dr." Phil is reported to partially blame video games for the VTech shootings.

Many parents tend not to discipline their kids any more, they just make excuses for them. I taught in an after school program and saw it every day.

But the parents can't be the only ones to blame.

One of the other issues I think exists in all schools school systems (along with just about all union jobs) is the seniority based pay system and a lack of merit-based pay. Once you are hired, where's the incentive to perform well? If you don't have enough years under your belt and budget cuts come up, you get fired regardless of how well you perform your job. If you're tenured, you can go along for 20 years performing the minimum necessary requirements then retire at 55 with a pension.

It's a joke.

If it wasn't for the union, this wouldn't have happened. The under-performing and over-paid teachers could be fired to make room for better teachers.

The entire system from top to bottom, Superintendent to parents are to blame for a 50% graduation rates. Parents want the village to raise their children, the teachers don't give a damn because the kids are disrespectful. It's a shame really. Too bad there isn't a test you have to take before you can have kids.

[Sea Dangles]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

Nowadays if the kid screws up at school.....its the teachers fault....not the kids.

Well, no disrespect intended if it works for you. I realize kids,especially teens are going to screw up. But if were a case of disrupting the class or being disrespectful to any adult,it would not fly in my world.Some things can be overlooked, but you have got to stick to your principles.
IMO MCAS is the best thing to ever happen to our schools,in that it provides accountability from teachers as well as pupils.Teaching most subjects is incredibly easy, considering it is generally the same curriculum being recycled every year.Unfortunately I have been shocked at some teachers I have met with through the years. Some really go through the motions.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Well, no disrespect intended if it works for you. I realize kids,especially teens are going to screw up. But if were a case of disrupting the class or being disrespectful to any adult,it would not fly in my world.

Er Umm....I agree with you....that doesn't fly with me either. I was saying that it flies with too many other people today. That seems to be what a lot of people these days think.

Trust me....My kids Effs up...... he Owns up. And feel free to ask him he'll tell you such.

[justplugit]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

As I often get first-hand exposure to classroom activities,...I sometimes ask myself, .....how does one maintain the drive to teach disrespectful students?

It is NOT the teacher's job to teach the kids respect. That SHOULD be taught at home. If 30% of the class does not have respect for the teacher, the teacher will lose the battle in teaching the class as a whole. In most cases, they spend more time disciplining the children than they do teaching them.

I TRULY believe that schools with such high failure rates are the product of poor parenting. YES, IT BEGINS AT HOME!!!!! I imagine that as a teacher, when you continue to get disrespected day in - day out, you lose your "drive"....you feel like a baby-sitter as opposed to an educator. Trying to get parents to come to school to discuss their child's education is pointless. Most parents living in places like Central Falls suffered the same upbringing,....for the most part, you teach what you learned. They're not learning respect at home....so WHY should they act respectful?

Then throw in drugs, bullying and the way kids treat each other.

My suggestion for parents wanting to understand what goes on in school,
spend a full day sitting in classes and changing classes with the kids.
Eye opener.

[RIJIMMY]

Originally Posted by bloocrab

As I often get first-hand exposure to classroom activities,...I sometimes ask myself, .....how does one maintain the drive to teach disrespectful students?

It is NOT the teacher's job to teach the kids respect. That SHOULD be taught at home. If 30% of the class does not have respect for the teacher, the teacher will lose the battle in teaching the class as a whole. In most cases, they spend more time disciplining the children than they do teaching them.

I TRULY believe that schools with such high failure rates are the product of poor parenting. YES, IT BEGINS AT HOME!!!!! I imagine that as a teacher, when you continue to get disrespected day in - day out, you lose your "drive"....you feel like a baby-sitter as opposed to an educator. Trying to get parents to come to school to discuss their child's education is pointless. Most parents living in places like Central Falls suffered the same upbringing,....for the most part, you teach what you learned. They're not learning respect at home....so WHY should they act respectful?

A respectful child will learn faster and quicker. They go hand in hand. Parents like to blame the educators....., too bad, because it's the kids that will suffer the most.

Are there bad teachers out there? Absolutely, do a few bad apples ruin the basket? I dunno, this is a tough subject. When the PRINCIPALS' office area is full of delinquent kids, the word goes out to the teachers to try and keep the kids in the classroom...the kids aren't stupid, they know how far they can push....and they know when to use that tool.

OK....somebody help me off the soapbox...

Your missing a HUGE fact in the Centrals Falls case - the majority of the parents do not speak English. I have a 2nd grader, every night I sit and do homework with her. She needs me to and she is a bright kid. What would happen if I didnt speak English? My kid would be falling behind as early as kindergarten! The problem with Central Falls isnt teacher respect, its more complicated than that. If children are progressing through grades without being able to read, its the schools fault. Otherwise the kids should be held back, no?

[Sea Dangles]

A viable solution may just be to blow the town up and use it for a landfill.Otherwise RI can look forward to widespread crime and stupid people who get caught and cost the taxpayers mucho dollars.I'm sure it would be cheaper in the long run and a better use of the land.

[WoodyCT]

________________________________________
* Some teachers do nothing but show up to collect a check. Some go into it just for the work schedule and benies. Kids deserve better.

* Teachers hands are becoming ever more tied by Federal and State mandates, and correspondingly overstuffed curricula, that force a high teaching pace just to expose kids to the material before they take the standardized achievement tests. It would be far better to teach less content but to a greater depth than to turn kids into memorizing machines that can't solve basic problems. Less is more.

* Administration no longer works to protect the learning environment from disruptive students who deter the others from learning. Parents, and kids, have learned how to bully administrators, thus, the admin is lax and lets kids get away with too much. This in turn sets the example for other kids who quickly realize there are no/minor consequences for acting out. Administration won't stand behind their teachers anymore, and they often toss them under the bus when contentious issues arise. They have spared the rod and spoiled the children, just as parents have.

* Administrators are often upwardly mobile and intent on becoming superintendents. As such, their focus is on running a smooth operation for a few years to bide their time to get the experience needed to move up to the top paying education jobs. It used to be that administration worked for the teachers to provide the kids with a good education. Now they work for themselves first, their superiors second, parents third and the teachers last.

* Towns like Central Falls are destined for educational disaster solely due to their socioeconomic composition. Poverty brings drugs, alcohol, broken homes, homelessness and crime. KIDS GROWING UP IN THESE CONDITIONS VALUE A SCHOOL MOSTLY AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR 8 HOURS A DAY. Effective parenting is nonexistent, thus the kids are unruly in school and disrupt teaching and learning to entertain themselves. Sadly, many of these kids don't see education as a way out of their troubles, nor do they respect the institution for their classmates who do. Teachers are powerless to make kids behave, much less learn in this situation.

* Teachers unions, like any other, can bring out the worst while trying to protect their members. The CF union over played their hand, but not all do this- my union took a 0% increase for next year, and we agreed to freeze our steps for at least 2 years to help our community.

The issues at hand here were created by society, not a profession. Fix our society and the teachers will happily make the children achieve.

[american spirit]

nice woody. couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by WoodyCT

________________________________________
* Some teachers do nothing but show up to collect a check. Some go into it just for the work schedule and benies. Kids deserve better.

* Teachers hands are becoming ever more tied by Federal and State mandates, and correspondingly overstuffed curricula, that force a high teaching pace just to expose kids to the material before they take the standardized achievement tests. It would be far better to teach less content but to a greater depth than to turn kids into memorizing machines that can't solve basic problems. Less is more.

* Administration no longer works to protect the learning environment from disruptive students who deter the others from learning. Parents, and kids, have learned how to bully administrators, thus, the admin is lax and lets kids get away with too much. This in turn sets the example for other kids who quickly realize there are no/minor consequences for acting out. Administration won't stand behind their teachers anymore, and they often toss them under the bus when contentious issues arise. They have spared the rod and spoiled the children, just as parents have.

* Administrators are often upwardly mobile and intent on becoming superintendents. As such, their focus is on running a smooth operation for a few years to bide their time to get the experience needed to move up to the top paying education jobs. It used to be that administration worked for the teachers to provide the kids with a good education. Now they work for themselves first, their superiors second, parents third and the teachers last.

* Towns like Central Falls are destined for educational disaster solely due to their socioeconomic composition. Poverty brings drugs, alcohol, broken homes, homelessness and crime. KIDS GROWING UP IN THESE CONDITIONS VALUE A SCHOOL MOSTLY AS A SAFE HAVEN FOR 8 HOURS A DAY. Effective parenting is nonexistent, thus the kids are unruly in school and disrupt teaching and learning to entertain themselves. Sadly, many of these kids don't see education as a way out of their troubles, nor do they respect the institution for their classmates who do. Teachers are powerless to make kids behave, much less learn in this situation.

* Teachers unions, like any other, can bring out the worst while trying to protect their members. The CF union over played their hand, but not all do this- my union took a 0% increase for next year, and we agreed to freeze our steps for at least 2 years to help our community.

The issues at hand here were created by society, not a profession. Fix our society and the teachers will happily make the children achieve.