Bring Your Girlfriend To Class Day? Oh Teacher!

Today, our 15-year old kid’s school called to let us know that he had missed 12 classes in the last month.  These classes just happen to be at the same time his girlfriend had her spares.  Coincidence?  Of course!  The teacher didn’t see it that way and concluded that he missed his classes to hang with her.  Good on you, teach!

Now if the teacher had ended the conversation there, I would have been fine with having nothing to blog about today but no, she had such a lame suggestion it just begged to be blogged.  She said she was offering to let his girlfriend sit with him during his classes!  This way he wouldn’t have to leave his class to hang with her.   Raise your hand if you agree that this is the dumbest idea you’ve heard today.  He is 15.  And needs a babysitter!  At least according to the teacher.  (Now I can stop wondering where some teens get their laziness and apathy from).

I thought it was outrageous but it could very well be that I’m just not with the times.  If the boy’s girlfriend was distracting him and keeping him away from class, how would letting her sit with him help?  Wouldn’t he be more distracted?  It’s not rocket science.  What lesson would he learn from this?  Is there a law that I didn’t know of that prevents teachers from being a little tougher on students?

What’s going to happen when he grows up and has a job?  He’s not going to show up for work unless it’s a ‘take your girlfriend to work’ day?  Thanks a lot, teacher!  Don’t worry though, it’s just my take.

 

Living in a bubble

Do you want to know how much our kids are pampered and coddled these days?  Well never mind, I am sure you do know.  It’s clearly visible every single day.  As a daddy, I am scared of what they are going to be like when it’s their turn to run this world.

Just a few weeks ago, I was at a bbq and happened to notice that one of the kids had a weird contraption that looked like a hand-held fan.  On the table was a shallow container with soapy water.  It didn’t take my rusty brain long to figure out what it was.  It was a bubbles maker!  You dip the fan-like thing into the soapy water, turn it on and voila! you’ve got bubbles without wasting a breath.  Heck, one could still keep up with their texts while blowing bubbles now.  Are you kidding me?

Our kids are missing the point on life.  It’s not about the bubbles, it’s the effort it takes to let out just the right amount of air to give you that perfect bubble.  Can’t our kids get a chance to break a sweat over anything anymore?  The schools work around them and allow them to be tardy and underachieving.  For example, at a meeting with one of our foster son’s teachers, he was told by the teacher not to worry too much about the work that he did not hand in during the term as he could always drop them off after exams and get his mark changed.  Now what is that doing to us who are trying to instill in him, the value of getting his work done and handed in on time?  What is this kid learning here?  That the world waits on him and he could get away with anything?

In sports, our poor over-worked children are taught not to compete.  Don’t keep scores and leave the nets empty. (no goaltenders).  It’s all about the fun of the game.  Who cares about developing the kids early? Thank goodness Wayne Gretzky and Tiger Woods didn’t grow up in this.   Coincidentally, recent studies are showing that obesity is a growing concern among kids.  They are not active enough.  Duh.

Back in the islands, we made our own toy cars and trucks.  We blew bubbles using our breaths, even though I was asthmatic, I was right in there with the best of them.  We played sports and yelled and celebrated when we scored or won a game.  No kid was traumatized by losing.  We knew our limitations so it didn’t bother us  that we weren’t the best player.   We kept playing.  Our teachers marked us ‘fail’ or ‘pass’ and nothing we did after the fact could change that mark.  Now look at me now.  Ok, maybe I’m not exactly a good example so don’t look but yeah, you get my drift.

(Do you know that they now have an app that blows bubbles for you?).

Our kids today are pampered, spoiled, coddled and over-protected.  I fear that they are ill-prepared to deal with the real world that awaits them when the bubble bursts.  But what do I know? It’s just my take.

Related articles

• Really Big Bubbles – I Mean Really Big! (francineclouden.typepad.com)
• Why innovation flourishes in a bubble (cbsnews.com)
• Our Schools

Schools can make our kids more stupider

I have been on a rant about school in the last year or so.  It all started when I took in my teen-aged high school cousin to live with us, thus experiencing first hand and for the first time, how the school system works. I don’t like it one bit and I am surprised that no one thinks to complain. Maybe I’m jumping the gun here and the issues are just isolated to this school. If so,  I apologize for generalizing.

The issues that irk me are based on the way teachers seem to trivialize students’ accountability.  For example, my cousin got 13% on one of his subjects. (He is in Grade 9).  We called the teacher to find out where he went wrong and the teacher assured us that we had nothing to worry about.  He even ventured to say that had he gotten 40% he would have been more concerned as that would mean he knew the stuff but could’t apply it.  Or some hogwash to that nature.  Stomp on my foot and call me stupid but I fail to see the logic in this.

Another thing is that even though we made it plain to the school that we want any changes in my kid’s schedule, behavior etc to be reported to us immediately, we still never know anything until weeks or months after the fact when it slips out in conversation.  My cousin is something of a problem teen with issues and needs structure.  The school knows this but fails or refuse to give any help in terms of feedbacks.

Last year, he failed Grade nine English.  We weren’t happy as we knew the major reason was his lack of effort. No homework, no using free period wisely.  We withdrew his cell phone privileges until this is improved.  To our dismay, the school insisted on providing ‘outs’ and excuses for his failure.  I understand the sensitivity associated with children and their growth but I also understand the seriousness of promoting children without merit. He fails, he stays is my philosophy.   I want nothing from him but to try his best. I don’t want A’s I want E’s. E for Effort that is.   I also want his teachers to hold him accountable for slacking off.  He is a big boy, he could and should handle it.

Related articles (Check out these links. They are really good read on this subject)

• Letter: To get their attention, failure would do some students well (tcpalm.com)
• Teachers and report cards

Teachers and Grading

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting my cousin’s Science and English teachers at his school’s ‘Meet the Teachers’ Event.  I was less than impressed with the meeting.  First, I went to see the English teacher.  She looked at me as though I had interrupted her family supper and asked ME what would I like to know.  She then promptly summarized some points and ushered me away.  I went in search of the Science teacher, hoping for a better experience.  I found him standing around in the gym chatting it up with some fellow teachers.  I approached him and introduced myself.  (I had my cousin with me by then).  He was even more aloof and brusque.  (I could use more colorful adjectives here).  He made me feel like a paparazzi seeking unauthorized photos.  ‘What would you like to know about him?’ was his opening.   He then casually mentioned that my cousin was good at basketball,  too ‘in’ with the girls, and if he can apply himself a bit more, he would be alright.  he shied away from anything specific.

Now, I don’t want to be too judgmental or harsh on these fine teachers.  Maybe it is just me.  I went expecting a bit more formality. I expected to be sitting across from the teacher’s desk, while they explain to me in no uncertain terms, how my boy was doing.  Giving that I had never met any of them, this would have been the proper way.

Yesterday, my cousin brought home his first report card.  That was a joke!  In my day,   My report card did not need a glossary to translate the terms that explained how I was doing. I was either PASSING, LAZY, NEEDED TO WORK MORE, FAILED, OR EVEN N/A (for when words could not describe how badly I was performing), or worst, REPEAT GRADE.  His report card eloquently stated that for Science, he OCCASIONALLY DEMONSTRATES EXPECTATIONS EMERGING. (I used the Academic Indicator for that one).  Now what exactly am I to glean from this??  Is he doing good? Is he an average student? Dear Teacher, Say It Like It Is!  His English was graded as DE, which means FREQUENTLY DEMONSTRATES EXPECTATIONS DEVELOPING. Well  there it is again!!  What EXACTLY is developing and emerging at this school?? The kid is reading below his age group. His writing needs a lot of work, he is lazy, does not turn in homework, etc. but would anyone get that from his report card?   Well at least in Phys Ed. He got an ES which means he CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES EXPECTATIONS ESTABLISHED.  (by then my consternation had turned to laughter). Putting it all together,  I am gathering he is Frequently Consistent Occasionally.  Seriously now, let’s break this last one down.  So there are expectations in Phys Ed. that were Established. (I got this part).  and he is Demonstrating  these expectations consistently?  Sorry, lost me there, still makes no sense. Maybe it’s just me.

I would schedule another meeting to get his report card translated but I could be interrupting something.  Maybe a lap dance.

Just my take…

Footnote:  On May 16th, 2012, almost 7 months to the day, the following article was in the local newspaper.  Click here to read.