Education

Defining Family in Public Schools Tuesday, 17 November 2009 20:49 Written by Joeprah

This week is National Education Week in our school district and that means parents, grandparents and anyone close to the family can come visit schools and observe the classrooms. Usually, this week is a source of great pride for me as a parent. First, the elementary school that my daughters attend is outstanding. The PTA is extremely active and faculty and staff is top notch. Second, our daughters truly make us proud. They are attentive and participant.

This week though was a source of controversy—at least for one of our family members. As an observer in our daughter's pre-k class, this family member saw the teacher toss out a harmless question, “What is a family?” The aftermath has resulted in a furious debate. The term homosexual agenda was tossed around and some heated emails. The root of all the debate is how the teacher defined what a family is. The teacher said a family was, "Two adults and their children."

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My Students Amaze Me Daily (TAKE ONE) Thursday, 22 October 2009 00:00 Written by Spiny Norman

I have been bad. Neglectful, selfish, and irresponsible. If there existed a DFS for blog writers,  you would have my blessing to report me at once.

I have ignored my BLOG almost everyday since the start of the new school year. That period of time covers well over a month.

If you have a wet noodle, I present my head for whacking. Just try not to mess up my shirt.

It has been a crazy start to my twelfth year in this occupation called teaching. Getting to know the kids, getting to know their families, establishing the routines and expectations of my classroom, assessing strengths and weaknesses, deciphering the best way each individual child learns, watching my Philadelphia Phillies work their way through the playoffs, watching the Red Sox get tossed...you know...busy and important stuff.

I intend to be neglectful to my blog no longer. May the blogging gods strike me prematurely bald should I again stray.

Today I start what I hope will be a weekly feature called My Students Amaze Me Daily.

Because, let's be honest...they do.

Daily. (Hence the clever name.)

I would like to kick this small weekly feature off with a comment two students made today.

First, some context.

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Obama to address America's students - Encouraging Message for Children or Left-Wing Mind Control Experiment? Friday, 04 September 2009 23:22 Written by Spiny Norman

Just popping in for a quickie (How inappropriate does that sound?) on a current hot button issue.

 We were driving home from school on Thursday afternoon (yesterday) when I first heard about President Obama's intent to  address students across the country. As I suspected, some rabid conservatives in America are having a cow about it...several cows actually...what a cowboy would probably call a herd...well, you get the point.

 I  don't get it.

 Someone please explain what the big deal is.

What is the problem with a sitting president addressing school children to encourage them to stay in school, set goals for themselves, and work hard? I have been trying to wrap my head around this for 24 hours now.

In the interest of full disclosure, I am a political moderate who, in many areas, is not an Obama supporter. I did not vote for President Obama in last November's election. Many things about his politics and policies trouble me but that does not mean I am  incapable of speaking up when he does or says something I can agree with and encouraging children to stay in school and value their education is most definetly something I can agree with.

 Chime in...get the conversation rolling.

Are you OK with the president's intended message or not? Why? 

Image: ex_magician via Flickr. 

Prayer of a Teacher Sunday, 30 August 2009 18:42 Written by Spiny Norman

Today is an anxious day in the life of a teacher.

The room is set up, copies are made, planning has been done. Tomorrow is zero hour.

Tomorrow, the kids come.

Many teachers I know spend this day wandering around in a kind of trance, hoping the year they are about to embark on is a good one. Good students who come to class bright eyed, bushy tailed, and eager to learn. Excellent parents who share your educational philosophy to the letter, who show up, ON TIME, to every conference and dance through the halls, singing your praises so loud the principal cannot help but join in the joyous refrain. Test scores so high Oprah herself will take notice and have you as a guest on her show to share your wisdom with the masses. And who wouldn't want a few days worth of heavy snow sprinkled in just for fun.

These lofty aspirations aside, we all hope for a good, positive year.

In fact teachers so fervently hope for a successful year that they engage in many activities the day before the year begins to give themselves a leg up, an edge to push them past everyone else.

These have been theorized by some, guessed at by others, and were even predicted by the great prophet Nostradamus.

They have never been revealed outside of the hallowed halls of academia.

Until now.

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