Search Results for: blog opinions about other teachers

Allow Students to Have Opinions

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Among the reasons that students gave that they do not enjoy reading was that they feared that they would not have the right interpretation of the text. In some cases students get very intimidated during group book discusses with the teacher. A typical middle school or high school literature class is carried out by the students reading a select passage of a book and then openly discussing it in class with the teacher. The teacher often asks the students to give an interpretation and meaning of the text that was read. They are also often asked to analyze the characters … Continue reading →

Opinions About Other Teachers

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As human nature, we all form opinions and make judgments of others. While some of us are more vocal and more judgmental, we all have thoughts about how others look, act, and treat us. The same goes for teachers. Involuntarily teachers make judgments about other teachers. They form opinions about which teachers in the school are doing their part of the work and which teachers are less active in education. Opinions are formed about which teachers are “good” and which ones are “not so good”. In some cases these opinions are very similar across the faculty and in some cases … Continue reading →

Don’t Let Teachers and Administrators Intimidate You

My experiences as a single parent negotiating through school institutions have taught me that I have to be the number one and only advocate for not just my children, but myself and my single parent family as well. Sure, I have met some great people and my kids have had some wonderful teachers—but I have also had to stand up to all sorts of judgment and preconceived stereotypes about what teachers and administrators thought of single parent families, kids from single parent families, and I have had to learn how to NOT get intimidated… I think that what can happen … Continue reading →

Why Not Let Teachers Design Schools?

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How much does the learning environment affect the learning? Personally I feel that it affects it a lot. It just so happens that quite a few teachers in England agree with me also. Recently an online survey was given to teachers in England to examine their teaching environments. One third of the surveyed teachers revealed that the environment they were teaching in prevented them from doing their job efficiently. One of the complaints included narrow hallways, which lead to crowding, punching, and fighting. Others commented on inadequate desks, tables, and chairs. My favorite comment came from one teacher who stated, … Continue reading →

Supporting New Teachers

I love teaching. Besides being financially stable enough to stay home and be with my children, there is no other reason that I would quit the profession. However at times, I find my job stressful, time consuming, and heart breaking. Teachers deal with all types of stress. There are mandated programs that I do not believe in that I have to teach. There are parents that will complain no matter what I do. There are children that I may never be able to reach. There are tasks that have to be completed after work hours. There are some decisions that … Continue reading →

Teachers

A while back, Kay Siders wrote an article entitled, Can You Describe the Perfect Teacher? I wanted to respond then but never found the time. As a part-time substitute teacher and a mother of four school-aged children, I wanted to add my two cents, so here goes: There are no perfect teachers, and I don’t think parents expect perfection. Personally, I expect teachers to stick to academics and leave social issues to parents (unless those issues are an integral part of the curriculum, which would then allow the parent the opportunity to opt out). I don’t think a teacher has … Continue reading →

Teachers as Mandatory Reporters

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Many of you know that a teacher is a mandatory reporter, but perhaps many of you don’t know exactly what this entails. I have run into numerous people who have quite a few bits of misinformation about what a mandatory reporter is and what it requires of the person. So, I thought, why not just blog this topic and get the information out there? A mandatory reporter is a person required by law to report any suspected abuse of a child. It just so happens, and it makes sense as to why, that teachers are just one of several professions … Continue reading →

Reward for Good Grades?

Ahhh…it’s that time of the year. Homework. Class work. Grades. What is your family’s philosophy on making good grades? Should a child be rewarded for this? I can’t help but feel a little sorry for my daughter who is in 10th grade this year. She is following in the footsteps of her older brother who had a well-known reputation for his schoolwork…he never turned it in. Or if he did, it was very last minute. Smart as a whip, he never once studied for a test or exam but always got A’s and B’s. However his grades would reflect his … Continue reading →

Back to School Anxiety & Emotions

Do a Google search on this topic and you’re likely to come across a ton of news stories, blogs, opinions, etc. I thought I better throw my hat into the ring, so my readers would not be left out. The person quoted the most on these various sites is Samuel Gladding, who is a professor at Wake Forest University. He offers 6 tips for helping with back to school anxiety and is summarized by Bradenton.com. The fact that these articles keep popping up on my alerts daily was funny to me, as I think I have more anxiety than my … Continue reading →

Curriculum Favorites and Disappointments: History

As the school year comes to a close it is time to reassess what is working and what needs to be expelled from my homeschool. I will be taking the time to list curriculum that I loved and curriculum which led to disappointment. Some of the curriculum was sent to me for review and some I purchased. Nothing I reviewed has been given favor nor was I required to review it for this site. I will start off by giving you my assessments of History programs I have become familiar with over the past few years. I apologize if anything … Continue reading →