Ok. Here is my way belated TFT. Yeah I'm a big slacker...so what?
Peyton did a 2 year stint in preschool with an amazing, open, warm and loving teacher. He LOVED school and was sooo excited to start the big K this year.
Shortly before school started he did a week of migraines. I believe r/t anxiety mostly. The day of his orientation he was so nervous he was ill. His teacher was welcoming enough, pretty and young. I found her to be rather flat and patronizing but I chalked it up to a bad first impression. Peyton seemed to relax.
He came home the first day and cried. He begged me to never make him go back. For the first month he cried nightly. He never once mentioned his teacher. It was at least 3 weeks before he could even recall her name.
In his folder: worksheet after worksheet after worksheet.
Thursday was his parent teacher conference. I wasn't sure what to expect. She greet Mark and I and I could tell she had no clue who we were. Again...flat. She opened up Peyton's folder and the first thing she showed us: Mark and I looked at each other like WTF???? Peyton is a meticulous colorer. He HATES to go outside the lines. He will rip up his paper if he does. Here was a picture he had literally SCRIBBLED!!!!!
Then she pulls out his*are you ready for this* JOURNAL! Yeah a freaking journal. "He should be writing sentences that are meaningful, not just words." I was too stunned to say a word.
I offered to volunteer in the classroom. She politely declined.
I left the office thinking : She thinks my kid is a dumb ass. My smart, precocius little boy.
My friend Andrea and I were trading shifts watching the kids during the conference. She went next to hear Hannah's progress. When she walked out:
Me- Hate her?
Andrea-Oh yeah.
Later that night I mentioned to a friend about the journal...Peyton heard a bit and said "so I don't care".
At bedtime though he dissolved into a pool of tears. This FUCKING JOURNAL IS GIVING MY KID AN ULCER!!!
My question/thought is: when did K become so academic? Why are we putting such stress on 5 year olds? Is this normal? Or is she just clueless? Am I clueless?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Immunizations, proof of residency and ACT results please.
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i think it is very unfair. it's almost as if children aren't able to be little for long, at all. i think it's gone a bit too far. i think education should tighten up a bit for older kids to make them smarter and more able to compete in the global work force. more homework and more academic challenges are good. for them, school should not be a walk in the park.
ReplyDeletebe glad you don't live in massachusetts. our governor wants to lenghthen the school day and school year. he thinks this is neccessary to provide more enrichment and exercise opportunities. well as far as that goes, let me be in charge of my childrens' enrichment, play, and exercise. i do just fine at it. kindergarten is full day here, and i think before you know it they'll expect preschoolers to be reading too.
sorry for my tyrade.
No, not at all! That is just crazy.
ReplyDeleteKids should be learning to love school and learning, not 'to write meaningful sentences'!
If I was you (and had the option) I'd be looking for another school. Poor kid.
WOW. The BEGINNING of Kindergarten and she expects them to be writing SENTENCES? Half of our first graders are still trying to figure that out. I think she has her expectations set way too high. Granted, last year our 1st grade class was exceptionally high and by this time of the year they were writing First, Next, Last stories on how to carve a pumpkin... but this years class is much more "average" and let me say... her expectations for Kdg seem more like our expectations for 1st grade. Maybe our school is "behind"... but honestly I don't think that in the first few months of Kdg they should be writing sentences. I dunno... maybe other teachers have different thoughts on this?
ReplyDeleteAnd... for her to decline your help in a classroom just seems strange. Most teachers are DYING for help with stupid things like putting up art work, laminating, cutting things etc... I can't believe she'd deny you the opportunity to come in and help/observe. THAT seems a little weird to me. Is there any way you can switch him to a different teacher?
WOW, I can't believe that teacher is putting so much on those little kids! Its like kids are able to be kids sometimes! Can you switch teachers?
ReplyDeleteGood Lord! I don't think we were even taught to write in K. It seems like we started handwriting in 1st grade. And, what's with this full-day K business? We only went for 1/2 days, and most of the kids could barely keep their attention span for THAT long. I remember K as learning colors, shapes, having play-stations (that definitely taught you something), story-time, craft time, etc. Geez...next thing you know, they'll be starting pre-algebra in kindergarten! I am so dreading the day when mine go to school. Ugh. And, your poor little guy...getting so worked up over some stupid journal. That's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteGood gosh! What is her name...Mrs Ball-Breaker? Complete sentences? Come on folks I agree w/ Nic on this one that alot of 1st graders do struggle w/ sentences & is it too late to see about switching teachers?
ReplyDeleteMy 1st grader (who I am not proud to say had no pre-school)is just now getting the COMPLETE & actual rational sentence business down to a science & she's in 1st friggin' grade!
Any chance of talking to the counselor &/or principal & seeing what the school's expectation's are?
Lina
NO, that is not a normal expectation and YES, she must be clueless!!!! I wish she worked at my school so I could go have some words with her!!!! I wish I could work with Peyton for GT, I already love him!
ReplyDeleteI am so afraid of the girls going to public school for this very reason. the teachers you wind up with (rather your kids wind up with) are a crapshoot and there is nothing you can do about it. It is depressing and so wrong that P's teacher has to look in his folder to know who he is. To know who you are. And yet, she apparently doesn't know any of you. I hope she makes a full turnaround and becomes a good instructor. Poor kid. Poor you!
ReplyDelete