It’s that time of year again when the newspapers roll out all the back-to-school fluff pieces. None of them mention the cost and hassle of providing special notebooks, binders, dividers, etc. for persnickety teachers who think their mission is to organize children rather than teach them.
I think they should pay a bit more attention to the content of all those papers they are binding and a lot less about sorting old homework pages in chronological order under the proper binder tab.
The odd thing is that for all this brainpower, none of them seem to notice the chaos they have created by requiring students to relearn their special order of sorting things every year. From index cards to post-it notes, they provide so many various “right” ways to organize —— the kids end up caring less because they come to the conclusion all teachers are too disorganized to get their act together.
And those kids who take it all to heart grow old saving old phone bills and check registers in filing cabinets all over their homes —— because they were taught “good record keeping” is essential.
I ask you —— when was the last time you needed an old homework paper? An old phone bill? Anything more than a couple months old?
MjL 24 Aug 2006, 5:59 a.m.
Even though I am a teacher, I AGREE with you! How about less organizational skills, responsibility lectures, and less worksheets & “packets”! Ashley has one now in 8th grade that I think she’d qualify for the title “Queen of Worksheet Packets”. And then there’s my favorite line....“I’m getting you ready for next year.” (I think that same teacher could win this title too) Maybe if some of those teachers would teach for THIS YEAR, the students WOULD be ready for next year!
It’s no wonder the kids are unorganized and irresponsible -- they have to relearn how to be organized and responsible every year with a new teacher(s) and their way to accomplish this best. How many different ways can we expect them to learn those “good” habits! Just think, if the same amount of time was spent on creating interesting lessons vs. organization, responsibility, and the next year, the kids just might actually enjoy school and learning! Now wouldn’t that make for happy kids, parents, and really the teachers too!
Well, it’s time to organize my kids and all of their special school supplies --school is now in session!
Have a good one Michael and change those “laws of the world” during dinner tomorrow night!
Tammy 24 Aug 2006, 6:25 a.m.
Wow! I was thinking I was about to get lambasted by every teacher I knew and instead —— well I almost fell down thinking I was pushing on a locked door! I would really like to be able to fix the laws of the world, but my magic wand is busted or something. Besides, I would probably upset more people by changing their world than by “fixing” it to by specifications. One thing is for sure and that is people are different. Even teachers!
MjL 24 Aug 2006, 6:35 a.m.
I have the perfect example.
Ben had already considered all of his classes and how he wanted to organize himself. He wanted two really big three-ring binders. One for all of his “A” day stuff and one for all of his “B”day stuff.
He picked out dividers and folders so that he would be able to keep everything for those classes together. On the 1st day of school everything changed. His teachers want him to have separate three-ring binders for their classes and they told him what divider tabs must be in each one.
Ben now has to carry around eight binders (four for “A” day and four for “B” day). He is an organized person anyway, but now he has to change his whole plan.
So what I want to know is why couldn’t they tell us BEFORE school started what they wanted him to do? The grade school does not have any problem telling you how many folders, markers, glue sticks or colored pencils they require. And just when will Ben get to learn for himself how to organize?
And just who will “organize” him when he is out of school, when he has never had the chance to try to organize things HIS way?
Tracey 24 Aug 2006, 6:43 a.m.
Well, obviously Ben will have to marry a teacher after he gets out of school so he can be organized —— or he must simply stay in school. It is clear from all his teaching he will never be smart enough to organize himself. And yes —— I will have an order of “snide” to go with my main entrée of “attitude”!
MjL 24 Aug 2006, 7:02 a.m.
All I have to say is....
HATS OFF TO BOTH OF YOU MICHAEL AND TRACEY!
If there were more parents like us that use their brains AND mouths, maybe the learning environment would be a better place. Unfortunately, parents don’t have time to worry about their children -- they’re too busy talking on cell phones and doing “their own thing”!
Tammy 24 Aug 2006, 7:57 a.m.
Unfortunately, we have learned the hard way that sometimes when you speak out about your wishes to school “authorities” —— they take it out on the hostages they hold —— your children. It is amazing how a parent’s attitude can translate into poor grades and detentions for the student. That’s one of the reasons Tracey usually ends up going to the school stuff because I can’t be trusted to keep my mouth shut!
MjL 24 Aug 2006, 8:08 a.m.
The property across the road from us was recently set afire to burn off all the weeds, etc. I think they got just a bit carried away when they burned it. There are some beautiful old oak and sycamore trees along Dillon Creek. Some of them are in excess of a hundred years old I am sure. I am worried that the burning may have severely damaged or even killed some of these trees. At the very least we are left with a not-so-pretty view from our sunroom and it smells like burned grass all the time. Ben took some pictures and a video while it was burning. I took some after pictures. You can see the bottom two pictures show the tree leaves all brown and the one oak tree is completely black. I really hope these old ones survive the callousness of the landowner.
MjL 24 Aug 2006, 8:14 a.m.
When did they burn the weeds? Monday? Andy and I saw huge puffs of smoke coming from somewhere on our way home from Peoria Monday.
Well, Andy came home today and told me -- MORE SCHOOL SUPPLIES! I guess the binder with a folder for each class just won’t keep work and keep him organized. He has to have a separate binder for at least 4 out of the 7 classes that he has this semester. Imagine that.....all of his notes, handouts, and important papers for each class in 1 place with him from 8-3 everyday isn’t “good enough” to keep him organized! Sure hope we don’t get the “oops, wrong binder, wrong class and/or no homework” happen too much this year!
I’ve found too that a parent’s mouth and opinions
Tammy 24 Aug 2006, 5:51 p.m.
It might have been Monday —— I’m not sure. I know it was a day that Aaron had football practice because they set it ablaze while I was going to Tremont and it was a smoldering mess when I got home. Ben said they sprayed gas or something all over the field before they lit it. I know it burned fast and furious for about ten minutes and then was done.
Aaron came home with instructions for yet another folder for his biology class. I fussed and fumed about it but I won’t say anything to the teacher because I’m sure the teacher really wouldn’t understand. Teachers that pride themselves on organization never understand that most of us in the REAL world could care less about last week’s homework assignments and how neatly we keep them in our binders. Oh Well.
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