tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post3142932945325835974..comments2024-03-19T02:22:46.855-07:00Comments on Teacher Tom: The Only Way To Learn About Each OtherTeacher Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-51353454308253174662011-06-13T18:23:57.203-07:002011-06-13T18:23:57.203-07:00"These little brains crackle with the mathema..."These little brains crackle with the mathematical foundations of patterns and sequencing, but they often struggle with the parts of life that involve comprehending the unpredictable complexities of the other human beings, especially their preschool-aged peers. Traditional schools with one teacher and 20+ students have a hard time serving these kids, so they are often ghetto-ized in “gifted” programs full of other children who are equally confused by human behavior or, worse yet, promoted to higher grades where their peers are on an entirely different social plane."<br /><br />I like your blog very much, but this is not an accurate representation of what we know about gifted kids. It's not true that gifted kids are more likely to be socially backwards--actually, within a certain range, it's a social advantage. It's also not true that skipping grades is bad for kids, generally speaking. In an ideal world, all kids should mix and mingle and receive differentiated instruction at their level...which would likely involve spending time with kids not their age. As a preschool teacher, I wouldn't think you'd be wedded to the idea that kids can't handle being with other kids of other ages--don't you have a 3-5 classroom? The single-grade structure where you only hang out with kids your age is pretty artificial, IMO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-58761424577580099702011-04-16T17:27:01.712-07:002011-04-16T17:27:01.712-07:00I find this so interesting. I worked in the northe...I find this so interesting. I worked in the northeast for years, teaching in Montessori schools. Small class size, where the kids could choose what they wanted to do. I never had one child that had a diagnosis. I then moved to another part of the country and I worked in a traditional preschool. There I had large class sizes....and I came in contact with my first student w/ a diagnosis, then my second, third. Hmmmm something to think about.Randihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17441047159974009014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-59276291553969061242010-08-22T11:46:32.598-07:002010-08-22T11:46:32.598-07:00I love both your post AND pumpkin delight's co...I love both your post AND pumpkin delight's comment.<br />Both are so true...<br />My son, who is the biggest reason why I do what I do, and have heart for "maladaptive behavior". He was labeled so many times by so many people ( and I must admit, I did, too), because he is full of energy but didn't know how to control it. Never had to medicate him or deal with someone suggesting it, though.<br /><br />I know some teachers that just don't want to deal with them, because it's easier for them... but not majority. I think that some people, not just teachers, pick and choose their profession for wrong reasons.<br /><br />I also know that a lot of parents want to put their children on meds because they worry about their kids not adapting to school environment, tired of hearing everyone say their child is "bad", probably feel helpless.<br /><br />But... when did schools become "god" on what's normal and what's not? When did they become authorities to pick and choose the children? We are supposed to work around them, work with them, not all the way around. <br /><br />the schools my kids go to, they have this book about rules of conduct in school, they are so ridiculous. A child can get out-of-school suspension for using a word "whore". Yeah name calling isn't cool, but suspension? Come on.<br /><br />Sorry about the long ramble.Sayahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07696043555939052042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-26935187593496174002009-08-23T14:36:33.275-07:002009-08-23T14:36:33.275-07:00I think this post is awesome and want some of my c...I think this post is awesome and want some of my colleagues to read it. It is so true about how all children are a perfect example of the human specimen. As adult we place labels on everybody. It's how we categorize our world, but at the same time it can be very damaging to our relationships and ability to build them. Thanks for such a well thought out post. -JasonThe Devoted Dadhttp://thedevoteddad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-25659654482585938522009-08-23T14:14:43.813-07:002009-08-23T14:14:43.813-07:00Thanks for writing this PD!
This definitely is n...Thanks for writing this PD! <br /><br />This definitely is not the fault of teachers. It is largely the fault of an underfunded educational system that too often turns good teachers into classroom managers.<br /><br />People often say that teachers should make more money, and that's true, but most of the teachers I know would rather have smaller classes. That's because no one goes into teaching for the money -- we're all in this because we genuinely want to teach kids. Huge classes make it almost impossible to provide much by way of individualized instruction, so instead we're forced to try to make the kids fit the curriculum rather than the other way around. <br /><br />My daughter goes to a private school where the teachers make less than the public school teachers, but the classes are limited to 16 students. And in the lower grades the kids spend most of their day in groups no larger than 8. This really gives teachers a chance to <i>teach</i> rather than just manage a classroom. It's not surprising that the school is flooded with resumes every time there's an opening.<br /><br />I'm blessed to be teaching in the sort of environment where I can concentrate on one child at a time if I have to. I wish other teachers had the same opportunity. There are so many dedicated, hard working teachers out there, and most of them do an incredible job in spite of underfunding and large classes.<br /><br />I can tell by your thoughtfulness and concern that you're one of them. =)Teacher Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14606781724784785338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-2776733577261711322009-08-23T13:44:23.319-07:002009-08-23T13:44:23.319-07:00I have meant to leave a comment on this post a few...I have meant to leave a comment on this post a few times now, but couldn't wrap my mind around what I wanted to say. I wanted to be short and sweet, but probably not.<br /><br />I think it is a shame that these kids are labeled and are on medication. I also think it's a shame that our educational system is so rigid and not developmental in the least that many of these kids need to be medicated in order to be successful in the classroom. As a public school teacher, I fully admit that in order to do my job with 20+ students in the classroom, having a child who yells out and disrupts others (keeping them from learning) medicated can be very helpful. I have a had a few students in my classroom where medication has made them successful in school where as when they were not on it, they weren't. I have also had one or two students who have turned into complete zombies on medication. I have heard a lot of people state that it's because "we", the teachers in the classroom, don't want to deal with these children and that medication just makes our lives easier. That is not the case. It's that we are not given the option of dealing with these children in a way that would be most beneficial to them. We are also not allowed to sacrafice the 19+ other students' education in the process. It's a slippery slope for sure. I wish there was something I could do about it, right now. But until our country's educational system gets over soley emphasizing test scores as a means for measuring our kids' (and teachers') successes, I don't know what the answer is.<br /><br />I must also add (not towards anything you wrote, but just to put it out there)that many parents also medicate their children in order to deal with them in the home. In my experiences, more often than not it's the parents who bring up the prospect of medication to the schools rather than the other way around.Pumpkin Delight (Kimberly)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15754292671421221960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-23602322011420431432009-08-21T18:35:45.798-07:002009-08-21T18:35:45.798-07:00Very well said, that is a very interesting dynamic...Very well said, that is a very interesting dynamic you have at your school. My son is too young for me to have started any substantive research on schooling options, but I like the way your school works. I agree that these labels are applied to easily/liberally and I think that this name calling can surely impact that students development. Thanks for this post, very thought provoking.PJ Mullenhttp://www.realmendriveminivans.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-25695478029915873642009-08-21T10:33:49.576-07:002009-08-21T10:33:49.576-07:00I completely agree with EVERYTHING you have writte...I completely agree with EVERYTHING you have written here...we feel exactly the same,, and hope our child will learn from teachers like you.BellaDaddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12469029319230742802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-5673564880893887092009-08-21T10:13:34.503-07:002009-08-21T10:13:34.503-07:00Tom, this is an excellent post. Thanks so much for...Tom, this is an excellent post. Thanks so much for writing it- and thank you for being a teacher.Cherylnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15932919.post-51113505774604609942009-08-21T09:55:30.610-07:002009-08-21T09:55:30.610-07:00Yesterday I had lunch with an ex student, now 23. ...Yesterday I had lunch with an ex student, now 23. She is at Drama School and tells me she just spent the last year actively unlearning all the stuff her expensive private education taught her.Liz Gallagherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00626569355675767815noreply@blogger.com