For that amount of money, a skilled consulting firm can turn them around 360 degrees.
What made me happy today?
- Thread starter big soft moose
- Start date
For that amount of money, a skilled consulting firm can turn them around 360 degrees.
Wanted to acknowledge a small personal victory today. It's been a month since I last had a drink. I wasn't planning to quit and I'm not necessarily looking to make it a permanent change, but it felt like the right move at the time. So yeah, sorta mildly happy about that.
Probably a good thing. 'Your child is a blot on the landscape destined to bring destruction and misery to all they touch. If they could briefly look beyond the end of their nose and realise the wider world doesn't require them to shout 'six-seven' to all and sundry, the lives of those around them could be considered greatly enriched. They also need to realise that, as a fifteen-year-old, they do need to write in full sentences and not merely fragments. The examiner is not clairvoyant; although this has been pointed out to your child ad nauseum, they still believe Clair Voyant to be the name of the person marking their work.'I miss the days when teachers could write what they liked about a student. I recall reading that Dame Judi Dench's report from her headmaster (at
The Mount School, York) read: "Judi would be a very good pupil if she lived in this world."
Need I say more?
Congrats! Have a beer to celebrate.
My little joke aside, that's awesome. Well done, Night Herald.
I actually think that would be an awesome report. *nod* I wish some schools and principals would allow teachers to write reports like that! Some parents (not all) need to learn the truth about their crotch-goblins - that they are sticky-handed, fast-running, unable-to-communicate-clearly wastes of space with voices like foghorns.
Of course, not all kids are like that, just not all parents are paranoid obsessive helicopter-parents (or racist ignorant bigots), not all principals are incessantly worried about PR and how to get the budget for next year, and not all school superintendents are pains-in-the-ass. But enough of them are. And they all vote ... and procreate.
And that's such a sad state of affairs, I think I'd rather be dipped in honey and set upon by bears than try to teach the little monsters. Which is a shame, because I've spent 25 years teaching myself history, which is something I'd like to pass on to the next generation. But only if they're willing to learn ... *sigh*
Anyway, sorry for the rant. Back to our previously scheduled programming.
I'm happy to be home and happy to think I don't have to go anywhere tomorrow.
Ten years in to exactly the same (plus law) and I share the sentiments all round. Although the way pressure has shifted from students to teachers is problematic. It's on us to get results, rather than on students to do the sodding work. One conversation with a deputy head recently asked me what I was doing to get a small hardcore of internal truants into history. Seeing as I have no idea why they chose to truant the subject in the first place, having never taught them until September and having not seen them since the last week in the same, having liaised with their head of year, my head of faculty, my head of department, their parents, the pastoral year group managers, the same deputy head and the school chaplaincy (as I felt divine intervention might be the next step needed), I have started to run a bit short of ideas as these students continue to just miss lessons *without any kind of sanction from those higher up the pay scale than I*. Their reports would read: 'Possibly a nice student with capability, not that I would know as I've been in their company slightly less than three ministers of state this year.'I actually think that would be an awesome report. *nod* I wish some schools and principals would allow teachers to write reports like that! Some parents (not all) need to learn the truth about their crotch-goblins - that they are sticky-handed, fast-running, unable-to-communicate-clearly wastes of space with voices like foghorns.
Of course, not all kids are like that, just not all parents are paranoid obsessive helicopter-parents (or racist ignorant bigots), not all principals are incessantly worried about PR and how to get the budget for next year, and not all school superintendents are pains-in-the-ass. But enough of them are. And they all vote ... and procreate.
And that's such a sad state of affairs, I think I'd rather be dipped in honey and set upon by bears than try to teach the little monsters. Which is a shame, because I've spent 25 years teaching myself history, which is something I'd like to pass on to the next generation. But only if they're willing to learn ... *sigh*
Anyway, sorry for the rant. Back to our previously scheduled programming.
Anyway. Happy. The youngest child's bedroom is finally being plastered and decorated, and it's an old school friend doing it. It should be nice to catch up.
I'm confused. Why should it be up to you to get the truants into history anyway?
I understand you're their teacher, but if the kids choose to play truant from your class, there is nothing you or anyone else can do about it, other than discipline them in some way (e.g. you give them a zero, or the school disciplines them in another way).
It's about time that all school staff (teachers, deputy heads -- whatever) AND parents face reality: kids who want to learn will learn. Kids who don't ... won't. It's as simple as that. Forcing kids to go to any class won't make them love the class -- quite the reverse, obviously. Nobody loves doing things that they're forced to do.
There's another slice of reality that nobody seems to understand: everyone is responsible for themselves. A kid who refuses to show up to class or do any work should get a big, juicy goose egg. No excuses, no second chances. The only exceptions are if there's something like a death in the family, or if the kid comes down with a serious illness like cold or flu. Otherwise, plonk your butt in that seat, mister, and learn something.
Playing truant is stupid. Yes, I know being stupid is part of being a kid, but I hope they learn better the minute they get a job. Otherwise, I wouldn't be surprised if they get the boot ... probably after a couple of days.
The same could apply to a school class. Obviously you can't fire the little snits, but could it be possible to take away points if they don't show up to class (the same way that you take away points if they don't do the projects/assignments/whatever)?This isn't about punishing kids, just teaching them responsibility. If they realise that not turning up to class means something, maybe they'll show up.
Think it'll work?Apologies for my rant. Congratulations!
Good luck with the renovation. Here's an extra beer for your friend! 
I've been a regular at my local YMCA for more than four years now. When I began going regularly I noticed a guy in probably his late 40s, who worked out regularly with weights, and who owned a tree service, so he did a lot of climbing. In other words, a very muscular guy. Who also, when I first saw him, wore a bright red politically-oriented hat. A brand of politics that rather stood out in this university city which as a distinct political tilt away from that brand. The muscles rippling underneath that hat struck me as signifying a dangerous character
At first I avoided much contact with him, but as the years went by we began to talk about trees and about other things. And I noticed the hat had disappeared, replaced by neutral hats. And I enjoyed our conversations.
Today I wore t-shirt I had picked up at the local thrift store, a shirt that reads, "Due process means/you don't punish first/you prove it first." When he read the shirt he said, "I agree with that."
Which triggered my curiosity, since that seems to come from the other side of the political spectrum than that generally associated with his original hat.
So I tentatively asked him about that hat and its underlying philosophy. He said that the hat still reflected his political philosophy, but he had stopped wearing it because of member complaints about it.
We didn't go any further into politics, dancing around the risk of provoking any sort of political argument.
We separated for the day shortly afterward, after I thanked him for accepting my queries, and for showing me that even in this hyper-charged environment people can see each other as human beings first.
Even though I have serious misgivings about his political views, and see them as dangerously to one side of the political spectrum, I've seen him in the community with his elderly mother, and seen him as a kind person whom I enjoy talking with on everything other than politics.
And that makes me happy.
At first I avoided much contact with him, but as the years went by we began to talk about trees and about other things. And I noticed the hat had disappeared, replaced by neutral hats. And I enjoyed our conversations.
Today I wore t-shirt I had picked up at the local thrift store, a shirt that reads, "Due process means/you don't punish first/you prove it first." When he read the shirt he said, "I agree with that."
Which triggered my curiosity, since that seems to come from the other side of the political spectrum than that generally associated with his original hat.
So I tentatively asked him about that hat and its underlying philosophy. He said that the hat still reflected his political philosophy, but he had stopped wearing it because of member complaints about it.
We didn't go any further into politics, dancing around the risk of provoking any sort of political argument.
We separated for the day shortly afterward, after I thanked him for accepting my queries, and for showing me that even in this hyper-charged environment people can see each other as human beings first.
Even though I have serious misgivings about his political views, and see them as dangerously to one side of the political spectrum, I've seen him in the community with his elderly mother, and seen him as a kind person whom I enjoy talking with on everything other than politics.
And that makes me happy.
You have nothing to worry about Graham, most conservatives want to be that way because they find the thinking behind far left liberal policies are less tolerable and harder to live with than the thinking behind far right policies. I know politics are off limits here, but that's my observation.
Went to a new preschool for storytime (i have a list of neighborhood preschools that i must visit periodically).
This one went really well. The kids were engaged and talkative.
But one thing that made me happy was that they picked out things they had in common with me:
One little girl had her hair in a half-up/half-down ponytail. Same with my hair.
I had on red pants, a little boy says "i have on red pants, too!" And a little girl says "my dress is red!!!"
I have on a black t-shirt and a little girl comes up and says "i shirt is black like yours!"
(Then they all talked at once).
Dont know why, but it just made me really happy.
This one went really well. The kids were engaged and talkative.
But one thing that made me happy was that they picked out things they had in common with me:
One little girl had her hair in a half-up/half-down ponytail. Same with my hair.
I had on red pants, a little boy says "i have on red pants, too!" And a little girl says "my dress is red!!!"
I have on a black t-shirt and a little girl comes up and says "i shirt is black like yours!"
(Then they all talked at once).
Dont know why, but it just made me really happy.
Makes you want to pop out a few of em, don't it?
Pffft......
No.
Once one has "popped out a couple" and they grow up to be teenagers, one's sentiment turns to wanting to pop 'em a couple.
I'm just busting JT's proverbial balls because the fam keeps telling her she needs to start procreating. Personally, I don't know anyone in my age group with kids who isn't abjectly miserable.
Guitars have volume knobs...
Since I've already raised mine and am well into the grandchildren phase, I can confidently suggest having grandchildren first. They're no more trouble than cats, give better hugs, and when the volume turns up, I can hand 'em back to my children.
When my grandson was small, my son called up one day and said, "Mom, I'm so sorry." I asked for what. He said, "For whatever I did at this age." Now he has a teenager of his own. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
When my grandson was small, my son called up one day and said, "Mom, I'm so sorry." I asked for what. He said, "For whatever I did at this age." Now he has a teenager of his own. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
It's hard. No doubt about it. Personally speaking, though, when holding my daughter for the first time, I won't say everything made sense all of a sudden, but it began to look like it meant something.
I don't remember when exactly my wife first said, "I thought we'd be better at this," but it was early on. Thing is, it's the long game and we've two kids to be proud of, who are kind and thoughtful and all those good things.
Cheaper, yes. More agreeable is conditional on recognising the supremacy of the cat. So about the same measure of agreeability.
I'm so looking forward to April when I can start that ultimate vengeance tour, when I can say to my daughter what her grandparents were forever saying to us. "Ah will ya leave them alone, they're doing no harm."
