Scary Teacher Postings

Illinois Loop ^

[Mensch]

Real teachers (and some ed school students), who want to teach real students ... Here are some real postings on online education discussion groups, newsgroups and teacher forums (with some comments added).

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Don't you just bet that both the F.B.I. and the C.I.A. are giving thanks to the "almighty" that they are not on any kind of system that is linked in anyway shape or form to Merit Pay. Especially after the World Trade Towers, the Pentagon, and the Anthrax debacle. Cheap shot i know, but doe's prove a point in so much that Merit Pay doe's not stand the close inspection of cold hard logic.

I'll bet you're outraged at the idea that a teacher who uses good grammar, sentence structure, capitalization and punctuation should get paid more!!!

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I'm still a college student, working on a B.S. in Elementary Education ... I want to teach middle school mathematics. ... Why do I have to take chemistry, biology, music, art, english, spanish, geography, history, political science, etc. when I want to be a middle school math teacher?

A teacher posted a great reply:

Gee, it would really be terrible to be a highly intelligent, well-educated teacher, wouldn't it? I'm not sure if I have the patience to address this here. It's bad enough when we have to convince our young, unenlightened students that education is important for education's sake. But for a potential teacher? ...

You remind me of the English student-teachers I recently encountered - one of whom hates to read, and the other who has the worst grammar imaginable in his conversations with other teachers and parents. I consider each of them an embarrassment to the profession.

I guess my point is that we have enough teachers who really don't like 'education', who don't see any value in being 'well-educated'. Maybe you should consider another career.

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Achieving technology infusion can be a real challenge for teachers today, but ... help is here! The Technology Infusion ToolKit 2000 ... offers teachers a wealth of resources for achieving technology infusion. A set of 6 steps takes you through a process of thinking about your teaching style and, based on your input, offers you ideas for achieving technology infusion. Online resources are provided to keep your ToolKit updated. The ToolKit comes with CD and a reflective journal.

... If you hold it right, the CD is reflective, too! And good luck with that infusion!

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I have a few "fun type" resources [for my math classes]. I have found students quite enjoy these activities ... Numerology is one topic ... I am looking for further resources and ideas for furthering this theme... I also want the students to prepare a poster on a number that has special significance to them. Ideas that have come to mind so far are ~ the number of their favourite sports star, ~ the historical significance of a number in a particular culture, ~ a more indepth look at numerology, ~ numbers of special mathematical significance (happy numbers, prime numbers etc.), I welcome your comments, advice, input and ideas.

... Here's some ideas in the same vein: solving word problems with a Ouija board, doing historical research with a seance, and mastering map skills by plotting a course back to your home star in the Pleiades.

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For a unit I am creating I want to have my students make their own landfill. I've heard of it being done before, but I can't find any details. If anyone can direct me to lesson plans or has any suggestions let me know!

This lesson plan could be self-referential, as well: Just add it to the landfill!

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I am a new teacher and have just been given the keys to my room. I'll be teaching ... kindergarten ... and have absolutely no idea where to begin going through the materials in my room and organizing everything! The previous teacher has everything sorted fairly well and organized into boxes and plastic tubs, but I'm not sure what I should start looking at or organizing. Does anyone have any suggestions? I have approximately 10 days before school begins and I'm panicing [sic]. Also, what supplies (if any) should I be purchasing for myself or the classroom before school starts?

... Just wondering ... what exactly did they do in ed school?

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hi!!

i have just recently finished my degree in teaching and was wondering if any one has any tips on effective classroom management skills and discipline? hope to hear from you soon!

OK, there's yet another good entry for the "Just what DO they do in ed school" folder.

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I am trying to come up with a catchy theme for my teaching portfolio. I'd like it to be different from the others, with some "out of the box" thinking. Any ideas? I was thinking something about building community, student-centered, and life-long learning. My creative juices just aren't flowing! Thanks.

... Out of the box? Different from the others? How about this: "Lively, engaged, content-rich teaching, celebrating factual knowledge and research-based methods"

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I am putting the finishing touches on my portfolio this evening as I have my first job interview tomorrow. I feel that I have nice balance of "blurbs," lesson plans, student work, example assessments, and photos. My portfolio is categorized into four areas: Building Community, Self-Directed Learning, Collaboration and Research Using Technology, and Working with Diverse Learners. To introduce each area I included a quote that was relevant and wrote a small blurb explaining what was included in that section. All in all, I feel good about it. And yes, I am secondary English, and yes, themes are very important. We just finished human rights .

... Hmmm .. is pursuit of knowledge a human right?

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I have a lesson plan on snow crystals that I need to elaborate on with the help from professional educators. I am a student at PSU majoring in Elementary Education. This is a requirement for a college course that I am taking. My lesson currently consists of a Power Point presentation that I designed, reading the book Snowflake Bentley and having the children make 6 sided snow crystals out of paper coffee filters. The lesson is aimed at 3-5 grade. Can any teachers out there help me? Anyone with knowledge of any good interactive web sites pertaining to this topic?

... Darn, I just can't think of any good interactive websites to teach 11-year-olds how to do day care projects.

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I teach grade 11 and 12 level algebra and trig to adults at a small college. ... I started putting rules and formulas to song. For example on the first day or so of class I usually serenade those who tell me that they are afraid of math with a rendition of: Hey You don't be afraid / Math can't hurt you / It's really not that bad. / The minute you let it into your heart / Then you can start to learn it better / Learning Math can be fun / Math is fun, hey you.... (to the tune of Hey Jude, in case you didn't guess)

... Do wah ditty, ditty's dumb, doo-wah do.

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I'm working on my final portfolio for graduation. When I get burned out on the writing piece, I've been doing the divider pages for different sections. One of the things I've been working on when the writing gets to be overwhelming. [sic] So far, the Understanding Children page is decorated with pictures of Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes) making all sorts of faces; the Arts and Humanities page has Calvin and Hobbes dancing on one side to a record player and Calvin coloring in another corner; I have several cartoons for the Math section, but I have to decide which one(s) to use. ... Here's the request. Does anyone have pictures or cartoons that you might send to me? ...

Here's one of Charlie Brown saying, "Sigh"

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I am about to study the movie "The Truman Show" with a small group of 15-16yr old students who are doing a course in practical English.

Another teacher thought that sounded just great, and added... If you are looking to discuss *the nature of reality* you might try "The Matrix." Bright 16 year olds will love the movie and you can really get into a lively discussion of *what is real?* using this movie.

Refreshingly, a third teacher said... Yes. Children need to see more movies.

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I am currently a first year education major. I am taking educ2000. I have to do a project on authentic assessment. I was wondering if any of you have any ideas on any type of project i can do with the classroom. I am looking for something interactive that i can use to get my lesson across. So that the class can learn about the subject of authentic assessment.

How's this for authentic assessment: You get a "D" in writing and grammar.

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Does anyone have any idea of what social and emotional learning means. I am taking an excellerated [sic] 5 day course regarding classroom management behaviors. The instructor assigned our group the topic of defining and exploring social and emotional learning. I am going to do much online researching but I wanted to get some opinions from anyone on here....as soon as possible.

Uh, sounds like social learning is when you or whoever you work for pays good money to send you to a seminar. But instead of a solid, fact-filled week of sessions, you get placed in a "group" and are supposed to make up answers by yourself out of thin air.

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I need some help with surveys. I'm taking my final graduate class and my project needs to have surveys dealing with attitude about science and different topics in physics. Where do I start. I want to start writing them up and get them ready for the spring. thanks

Survey Question 1)   Isn't your final graduate class a little late to ask "Where do I start?"

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When teaching the basic units to primary students what is a method that is suggested to use?

You mean, basic units such as grammar?

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Only if our society realize that there are so many factors contributing to a student's test score, then teachers will be willing to take the blam game. Who is to blam when students don't do homeworks? who is to blam when pareants don't care to come to the teacher pareant conference?

(This is from a letter sent to the New York Post by a certified high school social studies teacher in New York.)

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We have just been given the fund approval for an elementary math lab - all the students will visit the lab each week grades k-5. We have lots of manipulatives, but we do not have a program to follow other than our state standards. The lab is to focus on hands-on, problem solving. The classroom teacher will still have the math lesson each day that follows the text. The thought for the lab is to supplement that program - but there has to be a program, not a hodge-podge of "one shot" lessons.

Now here's someone who knows the system: get the money first, then make up something to do with it.

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Can any one [sic] suggest book titles for 8th grade physical science students. I need to get more titles that they can read and it should relate to science. It can be environmental or science fiction. Is any one doing this?

I hoped not. But then it got worse with this follow-up posting...

I am currently a masters student. My thesis topic is the use of science fiction as a tool in science education.

And then still worse...

I used to do this with my senior physics students. I now do a sci fi movie report with my grade 12 physics.

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I am looking for ideas for a lesson to present in one of my classes. The lesson is for early grades, and needs to have something to do with "individual development and identity" - one of the strands of social studies according to a book I'm reading. Please help me out, I'd like either ideas or sites to find ideas.

Find a different book. Look under "H" for history, or "G" for geography.

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In a discussion on books with gritty themes, one teacher wrote,

I didn't "teach" such books to children (9th grade, 14-15 years old), but I have recommended, purchased, and allowed students to read the books for the Independent Reading program that I implement. I refer mostly to books with lots of violence, including many horror books and lots of "true crime" (esp. murder/sex crimes) books that some kids, especially those with troubled pasts, really eat up. I don't worry about it, because all of these books are in public libraries, and their parents know what they are reading.  

The only book that I've asked parent permission for is "Push" by Sapphire. It's a true story written in her semi-literate tongue and (Harlem) dialect, and deals with her educational "experience", her physical and sexual abuse by her mother and father (graphically depicted), and her generally dreadful childhood which ultimately led to coming around to being an educated author. It's ultimately positive, but is very ugly most of the time.

It's a fascinating story -- most kids read it in 2-3 days, and for many, it's the first book that they've read.

Gasp.

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I am a secondary school teacher ... and I'm currently running a debating club for students. ... Does anyone know of any good Internet sites for students that give good "for and against" outlines on current debatable topics?

Wouldn't the ability to be able to construct lists of pro and con points be one of the basic skills to be mastered in the art of debate?

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Hello..I have been working on lessons on earthquakes. I need some new ideas on how to do some activities with faults, types of stress, and or folding.

Here's one of the helpful replies that teacher received:

Tie it in with a Home Economics class: gravy that is just below the simmering point. (Particularly for a thick gravy, the layer on top will be inconsistent, and will have fault lines and other structures as parts cool and others heat.)

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I am looking for a recipe on how to mummify a chicken. I came across this at one time and now I can't find it. Please help. I need this ASAP.

WIll numbing a student do?

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I want to know where I can learn how to flash-freeze a swimming-pool-sized amount of ice. Where should I go?

Uh, Batman comics?

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An ed school student posts ... Hello, I am starting tutoring this Wednesday in Maryland. I will be tutoring 6th or 7th graders in math, things like fractions and decimals. I wanted to open my first tutoring session with something creative and fun that has to do with math. Considering that math is my worst subject, and I don't favor it at all, Im short on ideas. Could anyone please send me some suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it!

Here's a creative and fun idea: Find literary works on the theme, "the blind leading the blind."

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One of the most popular units of the year is the interdisciplinary, two month unit on King Arthur.

One can only wish this post was fictional, too.

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What are you reading in your 8th grade class? This is my first year at this level and I'm interested in what others are doing. Thanks. Right now I am doing a read aloud of Paulsen's Harris and Me. We will also do The Giver, Streams to the River River to the Sea (civics connection), The Weirdo (civics and science connection), The Outsiders, plus the kids have self-choice books they read.

This is a joke, right?

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I would like to inform you about a recently published book, Radical Change, by Eliza T. Dresang. ... In the book, Dresang describes "Radical Change" as a break from society's traditional way of looking at literature and young adults. ... According to Dresang, this change from traditional literature includes characteristics [such as] interactivity, connectivity, and the access of the digital world.

So, why did she write it as a book?

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A post on a math teachers' message board...

Subject: Veteran's Day lesson plans Does anyone know where I can get interdisciplinary lesson plans for Veterans' Day? A posted reply...

How about something about how we saved France twice in world wars, after which they went on to teach their children math while we do interdisciplinary lesson plans?

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Finally, a biology teacher gets a reply he almost certainly didn't expect...

What teaching or other methods have you found to be successful in motivating and stimulating students to learn, especially college or HS biology/science? Active learning ideas? Group activity ideas? Lab based instruction methods? Problem sets / case studies? ANY ideas welcome... please brainstorm and share! ... [I am a community college biology teacher and am seeking research on this issue ... to help students learn in the classroom.]

A student sets him straight ...

I am a college junior currently taking a Physical Science course ... I think that it is probably the worst class that I have ever taken, the instuctor doesn't teach. She basically stands in front of the room, mentions something and then has the class discuss it in small groups. ... she offers no guidance or instruction. Also, almost all of the class activities are done in groups. Even part of each exam is a group problem. I think that some group work is okay, but not all the time. I like to do projects on my own because I can get them done and not have to wait for the rest of my group.

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Measuring Success?

Here's a thread that will be of interest...

I am not teacher but I could really use some help from some teachers I am the foreman at a company that is running out of good employees. The problem is that 90% of the guys we bring in can't find an 1/8" on a tape measure . Their job depends on them being able to locate 1/64". This is a fairly good job and most of these guys will do whatever is necessary to keep it. But we are having a very hard time teaching them how to read a ruler and understanding fractions .

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Does anyone wonder how one can graduate from high school and not know how to read a tape measure?

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I was talking to the manager of an auto repair shop -- he's had high school seniors working in his shop that had not a clue if asked for the next size up from a 1/2" crescent wrench. I have tutored seniors who couldn't get through the big bad TAAS/math test so that they could graduate .. yes, they could find the 1" mark .. the 2" mark and knew what they were, but, anything between, forget it. We have teachers today who (actually) believe that there is no reason to teach fractions.

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My daughter is in technical theater and is a master carpenter. But when she was in high school, she, as a sophomore, had seniors who could not measure working with her. Often, she simply got tired of trying to teach them and just told them to go away when she needed accuracy of measurement.

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When we had the construction company we often found that the first thing we had to do with a new employee was teach them how to read a ruler. One time the school system sent out a questionnaire as to what they could do to better prepare students for the working sector. We explained the need for a return to the basics...

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Scary Student Postings

Here are some student postings that will fill you with emotions about our educational system...

we are learning about the human genome in my human heredity and development class, and i was wondering if people were for or against it? what do you think about it? let me know! thanks :)

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IM DOING A REPORT ON JAIME ESCALANTE NEED INFORMATION ON HIM B4 MONDAY HIS LIFESTYLE WHEN WAS HE BORN AND WHERE AND WAT DID HE ACCOMPLISHED SEND ME INFORMATION ...

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I would be very grateful if you could reply to the following question, as part of a survey I am undertaking for a college course; Question - Do you think that there is an actual hole in the Ozone Layer? What reason is behind your answer of Yes or No? Thank you very much

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Me and my group have to design a presentation entitled "Geometry, Our Key to Progress." Our presentation should contain tessellation's, and I was wandering if you had any ideas. We have to construct them ourselves, so if you have any ideas that may help us we would appreciate it. Thanks

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Yo ya all, i need to no what a frequency chart is. I looked it up in 3 dictionarys, and they didnt have it. I sorta foregot it. Its the only chart that i foregot in 6th grade. darn. Well, §ee ya

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Hey what's up? my name is [deleted] i'm a garde 10 student i live in halifax nova scotia in canada and i would like to get some help for one of my math calsses i would like to get help on timetables in any way or from we are doind difrent serches to see what can be helpful in our math calss so if there is any one out there with any ideas sties or want to help plese get back and email me on this thanks alot

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Does anyone have anything on the civil war if you do please such a address Thank you

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Last week, I made an inquiry post on soc.culture.asian.american asking if anyone knew of any books about Asian Americans in World War One. Someone actually asked if the U.S. was in World War One.

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Please tell me how I can find the diameter of a circle if I know the radius. Thanks!

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[laurav]

The problems in education are not nearly as simplistic as many here think.

I agree with you, and since I gather you are a teacher, you probably have more expertise on this than most of us here. Though one of the posting teachers couldn't spell, her point was valid: who is to "blam" when the parents don't show up for a parent-teacher conference? Or the home environment consists of sticking the kids in front of the tube and trusting they'll learn something from Jackass?

At least the teachers posting to the forum have enough interest in their jobs to ask questions and share ideas. I had a teacher in middle school who sat there and cried while kids jumped out the window (it was the first floor). I had another teacher who used to massage my shoulders in class (he was a creepy old man). I had a long-term substitute teacher who mocked me for being a "rocket scientist" since I was the class math wiz. Compared to those folks, any of these posters would have been A-OK, even if I did have to sing Hey Jude while learning about trigonometry.

I also had some wonderful teachers. The problem with today's schools is that you have to look very hard, cross your fingers and have concerned parents to get a good education. Becoming educated shouldn't depend on luck and the education of one's parents. That's the whole point of universal education.

[Sonny M]

From my experience, I wouldn't say they were the dumbest kids in school, but they were usually the most naive. A few of my close friends have gone onto become teachers. I'm sure they would have been fine in any profession, however, in the education major, its a lot of sound and fury signifiying nothing. Mostly socialist, or commie, overly sensitive politically correct crap, and the schools and unions make sure its indoctrinated. It also does help that the best and brightest students don't want to go into teaching, unless its home schooling there own kids down the road. If teaching could get the best people, things would be a lot better, then again, we have kids who can't work a ruler becoming teachers, so who knows.

[Swordmaker]

Billy,
As an ex-debate team captain (for a highschool debate team that went to the state finals some 30 odd years ago), I can tell you that the process of preparing for a debate REQUIRES that the students do their OWN RESEARCH, prepare their OWN ARGUMENTS, and learn their subject matter well enough they can formulate rebuttals on the fly. Using someone else's canned pro and con arguments would teach them very little.

You must be teacher... right?

[Swordmaker]

I think of my son as being a normal 7-year-old boy. Other adults think he is some kind of genius.

Much of the problem comes from teachers teaching to the lowest IQ in the classroom... unfortunately, that lowest IQ is often the teacher's!

[Neanderthal]

"I have a son who is 9 5/7ths weeks old. I hope things get better before he gets to school."

You're dreaming.

[Neanderthal]

"Schools seem to focus on metric measurements at the lack of SAE. SAE just refuses to die, and should not die because in many instances (carpentry, and mechanics) it is plain superior."

They couldn't measure 1 cm either if their life depended on it.

[Aquinasfan]

... Here's some ideas in the same vein: solving word problems with a Ouija board, doing historical research with a seance, and mastering map skills by plotting a course back to your home star in the Pleiades.

Part of the reason I don't want Harry Potter read in schools.

[billybudd]

No, but I was on my high school debate team for 4 years. From the quote, it sounded like the instructor just wanted a comprehensive list of aff and neg positions for that year. It didn't seem like he intended to spoonfeed his students research, just to give them an overview of the possible positions on that resolution. Yes, it's always better if students do their own research and develop their own arguments. However, it may be useful to provide novice debaters, who don't have the benefit of tournament or institute experience, with such an "outline".
Also, I disagree that giving novices some pre-packaged arguments is not instructive. They should be given a starter pack of some sort (as we did on our team), so they have an idea of the scope of the resolution and concrete examples of argumentation and evidence that they can emulate in the future. After that, yes, it's best to leave debaters to their own devices.

[RWG]

Is this one of the posts that the author forgot to include?

[Adder]

How sad. How sad. What WILL happen to our children? They are being stupified before our very eyes and we can do but little. Much as I hate to say it, my children know way less than I do and I am sure many of you can say the same. I was blind-sided by the changes and the idiocy of the systems as they were developing during the 80's and truly failed to realize that my children were being indoctrinated and not taught. I, in effect, failed them. Please do NOT let the same happen to your children!! TEACH them yourself,in addition to "regular school" if you cannot homeschool. It needn't be anything more than discussion of history or current events or teaching them to read a measuring cup. But as parents, sadly, we must do what the schools will not and cannot. It is becoming more apparent that we have the blinded leading the blind.

[George Frm Br00klyn Park]

"So when I asked for the metric crescent wrench (working on Toyota) they shoulda handed me the 20cm instead of the 8"?"

PC, I would suggest the 36". It makes for a better beater {hammer}. Peace and love, George.

[TotusTuus]

Hey, it went away!

My post was the Calvin and Hobbes strip where Calvin, who's report has one fact that he made up, is "professionally" done with a college Master's degree quality, because he's used the clear see-through binder. It would fool any teacher!

[TotusTuus]

I thought he was tryin' to get one of them there left-handed calibrated metric un-screwin' cresent wrenches.

Being a leftie myself, I'm salivating to get one of those.
They're so darned expensive though!

[Swordmaker]

Ok, you're off the hook... (grin)

[supercat]

Only if our society realize that there are so many factors contributing to a student's test score, then teachers will be willing to take the blam game. Who is to blam when students don't do homeworks? who is to blam when pareants don't care to come to the teacher pareant conference?

I'm unfamiliar with the intransitive verb "to blam". Perhaps the "blam game" is a form of Russian Roulette, and "to blam" is to take part in it?