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So someone starts a topic with a classic " I heard " and we're off to the races with another bashing of teachers/public workers.
It's not "I heard." It's my neighbor. Her daughter attends the school. She visited the teacher and asked if it was true, and the teacher defended it as a "reward."
This wouldn't have been an opportunity to bash teachers if the "teacher" didn't provide the opportunity. It isn't my fault she wants to make grading time for herself by slipping videos into the DVD player.
If someone here wanted to defend teachers, they'd say that this is unacceptable and gives real teachers a bad name. You are choosing not to do that, and in stead have chosen to defend teachers under all circumstances. That's silly.
This person is taking breaks from teaching while the kids are in the room, and reinforcing the idea that learning isn't what kids REALLY want to do. That's harmful. This person shouldn't be in the a classroom.
Raise your hand if you think kids don't watch enough TV. Keep it up if you think a person should be paid roughly $70k to run the video machine.
Every teacher and his/her brother is whining that standardized testing is giving teachers too little time to teach. They are forced to teach to the test. I wonder what test the kids are prepping with watching Cinderalla?
Also, note that nearly an hour of each elementary day is eaten up in transition between subjects, lunch, the beginning of school, and the end. So, kids aren't learning 6 hours out of the day. Subtract lunch too. Now, subtract movie-time.
Just wondering if any of the ones opposed to kids in school watching a 90 minute movie once in a while (once a month, once every 6 weeks?) are on THEIR job for the entire 40 hours they're at work? Do you clock in and immediately start working? Do you work every minute, every second until your coffee break and then take ONLY the 10 minutes that's permitted? Do you take exactly a one hour or 30 minute lunch and get back exactly on time and immediately back to work? Do you clock out at exactly your quitting time?
Are you WORKING the entire 40 hours you're getting paid to work? Or do you BS with your buddies, run to the vending machine, grab a 2nd or 3rd cup of coffee, play around on the computer or internet, check your personal email, make personal calls, take an extra minute or 5 on your lunch, leave a few minutes early, etc etc etc????
And you expect kids to have their noses buried in a book for 6 1/2 hours a day without a break or something to break up the monotony?
I suppose arguments are easier to win if you make you pretend your opponent is saying stupid things - as you characterize my argument here.
No one said that kids should have their noses buried in anything. Instead, they could write, read, talk, act, play, run, learn a sport, play math games, do art, discuss history, dance, toy with instruments, cook, argue, or walk about the grounds breathing deeply.
This is a weak, weak argument. It shows desperation.
I'm a teacher (high school) and I don't agree with showing an entire Disney movie as a reward. A better reward would be something more educational (ie: physical program, creative writing, art, fun reading, etc)
My issue is how people on this board are bashing thousands of teachers because of 1. I find it insulting and so simplistic. You don't know what I do in my classroom and yet you bash my profession because of some misguided 3rd grade teacher in Huntington. How is that fair? Is there not a bad apple here and there in your profession too??
I'm a teacher (high school) and I don't agree with showing an entire Disney movie as a reward. A better reward would be something more educational (ie: physical program, creative writing, art, fun reading, etc)
My issue is how people on this board are bashing thousands of teachers because of 1. I find it insulting and so simplistic. You don't know what I do in my classroom and yet you bash my profession because of some misguided 3rd grade teacher in Huntington. How is that fair? Is there not a bad apple here and there in your profession too??
I didn't bash anyone else. Just this one teacher, and I specifically called out Dickinson because I know my friend is going to visit the principal. I doubt anything will be done because this one teacher is likely tenured already. This is her "academic freedom."
All systems have problems. The cool thing about public services is that they must respond to the people they serve. I'm calling her out, and fostering a discussion about early-education pedagogy.
Someone defend the use of Disney films in 3rd grade.
The gauntlet has been thrown down. This thread was intended to critique the method - not teachers in general.
I can think of a few lessons to be gained from Cinderella:
1. Treat people with respect, no matter if they are rich or poor
2. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't accomplish things
3. Life isn't always fair
4. Don't judge a book by it's cover
I am sure there are other things that can be learned as well.
As far as showing movies in school...as the father of a 1st grader, I would not want to find out that his teacher was showing Disney movies on a regular basis...but once or twice a year is really not that big a deal to me personally, and there is nothing wrong with rewarding a class full of young students if they have achieved goals in class that were set forth. I remember my Biology teacher in 7th grade showing us Duck Soup because the entire class did well on an exam, and as a reward we got 2 classes off to watch the movie (periods were roughly 40 minutes, so you couldn't watch the whole thing in one class). I am quite confident Duck Soup doesn't have nearly the amount of "life lessons" that can be gauged from a Disney movie.
I can think of a few lessons to be gained from Cinderella:
1. Treat people with respect, no matter if they are rich or poor
2. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't accomplish things
3. Life isn't always fair
4. Don't judge a book by it's cover
I am sure there are other things that can be learned as well.
As far as showing movies in school...as the father of a 1st grader, I would not want to find out that his teacher was showing Disney movies on a regular basis...but once or twice a year is really not that big a deal to me personally, and there is nothing wrong with rewarding a class full of young students if they have achieved goals in class that were set forth. I remember my Biology teacher in 7th grade showing us Duck Soup because the entire class did well on an exam, and as a reward we got 2 classes off to watch the movie (periods were roughly 40 minutes, so you couldn't watch the whole thing in one class). I am quite confident Duck Soup doesn't have nearly the amount of "life lessons" that can be gauged from a Disney movie.
I agree. If this was a one time thing this thread is bit of an over reaction.
Movies!!! Lets tear down the school. Evil teachers!!!!!!!!! Nine year olds should be focused on work twenty hours a day. Once they learn some things in life are enjoyable we'll never get them back to work in the mines again.If I ever found out my kids smiled in school I would go right up there and demand a refund.
I can't believe I wasted three minutes of my life reading this thread--must be my third grade teacher's fault somehow.
My son does not attend public school. He does attend parochial school. There isn't a television in the facility. On Fridays the kids get rewarded. It's called "Free Friday." On Friday they get to play science, chess, or music.
I have no problem with continuing to pay for the state schools while paying my last few shekels for my son's education. I do think there is a problem with separating people like me, who care about the performance of schools, out of the management of my community's schools. You don't care if teachers show kids cartoons. I think it's comically nuts that both not care, and be willing to pay that much for such a service. Maybe I should join the PTA.
If you hired someone to cut your lawn, would you mind if they took an hour out to watch TV? I sure as hell would. What if they were responsible for your kids and not your lawn?
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Huh?
