The views expressed on this site are those of the author, Silvana A. Arnold, and do not reflect those of the school district, the school, or any of its other representatives.
I know you've heard it before, but part of being a teacher is saying it again and again. So, here are a couple of points I feel I must stress for the "umpteenth" time.
1. The net like television, can be a wonderful learning tool, but it can also become a mindless toy. Please, limit your child's use and monitor his/her viewing. Inappropriate sites abound and, while many good monitoring programs are available, nobody's perfect. Even if your child manages to avoid the hate sites and the porn, there are better ways to spend time than on games with no educational value.
2. There IS something more important than education...health. If your child is really sick (not just sick of school) please keep him/her home. Children who are ill can't do their best in class and may expose others to whatever they have. We want your children here, but we want them healthy even more.
First Report
It was such a treat to meet so many of the parents at our open house. Several folks commented on the snapshots of the kids. And that's my sneaky way of reminding you of another snapshot that is coming up, the end of the first 6 weeks.
I want to remind everyone that that is just what the first six weeks report is...a snapshot. Nothing more. Just as a snapshot of you may reflect a bad hair day or a night when you were in a particularly stunning outfit, so too can a report card reflect a time when Sam or Sally got lucky on every question or a point where they were upset with you, me, or their best friend. Over time, the reports will generally produce a pretty accurate picture, but any one, especially a first one, can be highly inaccurate.
One of the hardest jobs a parent has is to evaluate a child honestly against the expectations we should have for them.
Do we make excuses for why our child doesn't make all A's? Do we celebrate when they do well? What if their grades slide later? Why does my child make A's in math but only C's in English (or visa versa)?
First, not every student is interested in every subject. They may need the information, but needing and wanting are two different things. (Just ask your dentist.) Second, even if they're interested, they may not have the talent for it. If we were all good at what we're interested in, I'd be a much better singer. Finally, we don't have to be good at everything. Who cares if Muhammed Ali is good at math or if Albert Einstein has a good jump shot?
Our job, and it's a big one, is to make sure they always do their best. And just how do we do that? If there was an easy answer it wouldn't be the most challenging job in the world.
Genetics is the study of who to blame for our children's behavior.
Those who cannot laugh at themselves leave the job to others. - Bierce
The city of Bury in England is now issuing,with the approval of the National Union of Teachers (N.U.T.) a certificate of accomplishment to students for "knowing how to catch a bus". Why? "For some, it may be the only qualifications they get."
