Tooooo funny! And a little scary.....

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Well, in 10 years of school (preK-7th) he's only had two bad teachers. Ironically, both were computer teachers! The weird thing about this school is that they make a very big deal out of being a NASA explorer school. They have a computer lab that looks like Mission Control. There is tons and tons of potential in that room and it's wasted.

I'd complain but I have three strikes against me: I'm a Yankee, I'm a newcomer, and I'm moving soon. They'll smile at me, nod their heads and then just wait me out for the next month and a half. If I thought it would make a difference for all of the students, you bet I'd be in there. I'm not one of those parents who would only fight for their own kid's needs. But I know the culture. If I were going to be around longer I could make a difference. But right now, I'd fall on deaf ears. Perhaps I'll wait until after I move to write a letter to the principal so he doesn't think my motives are selfish.

About the grading question. Shorty had the typical Unsatisfactory, Satisfacory, and Outstanding grades in kindergarten. From 1st on it's been the A, B, C route. But starting in 5th grade, they began listing the percent for each class with the range for each grade on the bottom of the page so you could more clearly see if it was a high B, a low A, a middle C, etc. I like that so you can show a student, "Look, if you just push a little harder you can raise that grade one point and raise the B to an A. It makes it a lot more clear when you try to explain it to them.

Informal survey--anyone out there whose school uses a different form of grading other than the traditional A, B, C, D, F style? I know a lot of schools use a checklist method for K and 1? Any that differ from that in K and 1?
And what are your thoughts on it? Do you feel it is a true representation of what your child is learning? What type of grading would you like if you had a choice?

Thanks for being guinea pigs for me!

Good for him for being so motivated to read and earn that trip! He sounds like a very special child. I wondered about the whole shorty thing. I call one of mine pee wee when he is acting whiny and he hates it. isn't it funny the little terms we come up with to call them!

I'm having a hard time with lazy teachers lately. Like the post on math night, with teachers saying since they won't get paid to be there, they won't be there. I understand that we all have lives outside of the school. However, if you are a doctor, you don't just drive by an accident becuase you are off the clock. If you are a police officer, you don't just keep going when you see a robbery taking place. There are things that happen outside our jobs, when we are off the clock, that we do for the over all good. This parent is asking for one night, that could be a very education or interest sparking night for a child and these teachers are saying, if i ain't gettin paid, I aint coming. ARGH!

This teacher of Shorty's could really make a difference, if he would just get off his bottom. Luckily Shorty has you to fill in the gaps, but what about those who have no one? And what about those who dont' even have a computer at home to learn from? They spend 45 minutes with a man who could care less. I'm just frustrated with some of the people in education. Here I am working my tail off in school, to try to be a good teacher, and there are some out there who just see it as a pay check. Drives be batty. I need to get off the badwagon.

I need a drink.

He goes every day for 45 minutes. He's an avid reader so he plans to use the time to make his way through the seven Pass It On books on the library list. There's a reward field trip for making it through the list. Seven books in 18 weeks. Not much of a challenge but it gives him an appropriate activity to fill the time. Shorty is an advanced learner and his dad and I try to fill the gaps at home. We're both huge advocates of public education because of the valuable experiences we feel it provides. So, I try to have a broader perspective when forming an opinion about a school, class or teacher. If the majority of students seem to benefit but it just doesn't challenge Shorty then I stay quiet and fill the gap at home. But this guy seems to be failing all of his students. Shorty says he just sits at his desk the whole time. Students hunt and peck for keys, type with two or three fingers, can't accurately identify components thanks to the misinformation they're given. It's a joke, really. If the kids are in this bad of shape in 7th grade, I can't imagine the complete lack of computer experience in the lower grades.

BTW - he hates being called Shorty because he's actually finally taller than me. It's been a life long goal of his and he finally made it. Now he's working on being taller than his 6'2" dad. His feet are already a size bigger than his dad's so he'll probably be taller too. Anyway, his real name is Nigel, which he thinks makes him cool. So, I still call him Shorty to keep him humble.

CC--how often does shorty go to this class? The teacher told him the next couple of weeks were just "free time"??? Hellooooo, the kids are there to learn Mr. Teacher, not just hang out. That is really crappy because obviously shorty is talented int he computer area, so why won't he (teacher) find things to challenge shorty? Geez, no wonder education is in the shape that it is in, with this kind of teacher.