Old habits die hard…

Posted on Sep 5, 2009 10:40:00 AM

The scene is set early and teachers seem to think it is ok to expect parents to do more and more of their job.  They (the teachers) claim that they can’t simply cover everything that they need to cover.  Then, slow down.  Make it work, but don’t send the crap home for me to teach. 

For all those parents out there with children in grades that really shouldn’t require a parent to babysit the child’s homework or worse yet, teach the child the lesson, let me show you how this habit came about.

In kindergarten?  The child is suppose to read and study site worlds.  At home.  Every night.  And, obviously this requires a parent be sitting with the child.  How is the kid going to know if he/she is identifying the site words correctly if no one is there to help?

Moving into first grade and the homework load grows.  But still, much of it requires that a parent sit with the child, it’s not good enough to let the child read to you now instead of you reading to them.  Now, the parent is expected to continue this site word help and vocabulary words are a premium.  But, does a first grader really know how to go about understanding vocabulary  words alone when they can’t even read the words in the first place, never mind the definitions?

By second grade, the habit is formed.  The child may be able to do much of the work alone, but for 2 years, mom or dad or an older sibling have helped them.  So, not only does the child expect it but the parents feel they have to be there. 

And, before you know it, you have an eighth grader sitting at the table complaining because you, the parent, are sitting with them while they do their homework.  You the parent aren’t teaching the lessons that the teacher didn’t have time to get to that day.  And, just when did that become necessary.

So, before you’ve created a habit for your child, make waves, ask questions and then say to yourself and your child’s teacher, “I am not doing this.  It is not my homework.  I worked all day and I did my job that I get paid to do.  Now do yours.”  The parents that are going to be involved are going to be involved regardless.  And the ones who aren’t, they don’t care if your child has a bad grade because you didn’t sign three or four pages of homework every night. 

When will our professionals (the teachers that is) start to listen to the people who feed them?  In my case, it better be sooner than later…just saying…

Overheard – or actually “took part in”

Posted on Aug 27, 2009 01:36:00 AM

So, the first grader in this house is learning at the speed of light.  He is actually making me nervous with his antics and his uncanny ability to come up with some of the most off the wall questions ever.  This morning, on the way to school, we had this conversation:

What does percent mean?

UH?

Percent, you know percentage, what does it mean?

UH?

You know, like you ask daddy all the time what the percentage is?

UH?

You know like the other day, you was asking him what the percent of a number something was, what does that mean?

UH?

Mom, what does it mean?

Ok, a percent is a part of something.  Like you can have half of something and that would be 50%. 

But, that wasn’t the questions you were asking daddy, what is percentage?

UH?

MOM!

Ok, it’s a math problem and I have to have a calculator or pencil and paper to do it, but your daddy is very smart and he can do the math problem in his head so it is just easier to ask him than to find a calculator or do the math myself.

So, is that what percent means? 

UH?