Monday, March 12, 2012
Georgia free from "No Child Left Behind", so what's next for states, school systems, teachers, and students?
Back in September, President Barack Obama made remarks on the No Child Left Behind Act he labels as a “Bureaucratic mandate from Washington that doesn’t produce results." Which, I’m sure most of us can agree on, especially the teachers. So I certainly do see this move, highly imperative; however, I’m not sure how effective it will be. According to the Center of Education Policy, last year, nearly half of school systems failed to meet requirements with some states tests being too hard and other states having a high number of low income students and minority immigrants, seeking to pass a bar, which is raised every year. The President expressed that “We can’t let another generation of young people fall behind because we didn’t have the …
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I took a poll on thirty students and 60% of them said they do not play outside at all. What's going to happen to them?
I wasn't surprised the results of my survey presented over half of children aren't playing outside. The poll concluded with me evaluting the subject deeper and explaining to my students that one of the most valuable aspects of being a child is expanding your horizons by exploring the outdoors and getting a taste of it, literally and figuratively. Of course, this segued into me telling them the stories of when I was growing up and how all the kids roamed the woods in our entire neighborhood and even others, eating from the honeysuckle and blackberry bushes and tasting things to find out if they were edible or not. We discovered ponds and desert looking areas, dug holes, built dens, made mud pies, and always went home “smelling just like a …
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
As a parent and a teacher, I understand the frustration parents experience trying to get a child, who seems to refuse to do homework, to actually do it.
After children reach a certain age, many of us expect them to be accustomed to the process of coming home and completing their homework assignments, yet we often end up disappointed-- many children just refuse to do homework. Upon trial and error, I’ve learned there are interventions parents can use at home to get their child engaged and motivated about completing homework: 1. Communicate the Importance of Homework This goes a bit further than the infamous quote “Do it because I said so.” Providing conversation that gives insight as to why homework is important often helps children understand the correlation between completing homework and achieving overall success in school. Letting them know that homework achievement reinforces …
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
As a school teacher, I have encountered and taught many students who have been labeled ADD, ADHD and EBD among other diagnosis.
I am not one who believes in medication of behavior, however, I don’t express opposition of any decision decided upon by a parent. My only concerns are accuracy and the children. Children are often diagnosed as a result of their classroom performance academically and behaviorally. Here is a list of suggestions I propose a parent considers before accepting such diagnosis and medicating of a child: 1. Get your child checked for giftedness. Often a child’s mental capacity does not conform to the parameters within certain classrooms and therefore can cause discomfort and irritability in a child, which can lead to classroom disruptions and defiance. 2. Check to see if your child has become rebellious due to family situations or situations that …
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Now you can stay well informed about your children's grades and what's going on in school without even having to leave the house.
Over the last couple of years, Gwinnett County Public Schools has implemented an incredible support system for students, parents and teachers. The GCPS go2 Parent Portal is an access route for parents to view their child’s grades via the internet. By using this system, parents can keep abreast of their child’s school achievement including academics and behavior all online. In the past, it may have been difficult for parents to know the progress of their child on a daily to weekly basis. But, now every day access is available through the GCPS Parent Portal system, which can only be viewed by a parent or guardian of a student. This technique can be highly effective in avoiding “last minute” awareness of students’ grades, and therefore, can …
Gary Fox
7:32 pm on Sunday, September 4, 2011
I can't believe this - in it's most simple form - rewarding disobedience. What a foundational lesson to prepare kids for life. Pure phsyco babble. Sad thing is it's an "accepted practice" these days. Betcha the kids grandparents or possibly great grandparents wouldn't handle it that way. more ›