The Nazis used to harass their prisoners of war by forcing them to move a large pile of rocks from one side of the exercise yard to the other, and then back again. They understood how demoralizing it is to spend your days in pointless labor.
I am reminded of this watching my Older Daughter go through freshman year of high school. So much of what she's asked to do is demonstrably pointless.
In English, they read a book and then "analyze it to death", as she says. They have to write essays about the books, but the process is drawn out step by step, every step analyzed and critiqued, either by the teacher or by other students. The formula is so confining and unnatural that it's just about impossible to learn how to convey your thoughts on paper. They aren't her thoughts any more after they've been extensively critiqued, and she can't convey them clearly and fulfill the teacher's formula at the same time.
In History, which is allegedly World History this year, they're doing some bizarre role-play of conflict resolution. It's been going on for weeks. OD is supposed to be writing up her notes on the process, but she's highly resistant.
And her teachers wonder why she's depressed! The only way to get through this without depression is not to care whether your efforts have any larger purpose, or to accept that their sole purpose is to produce a transcript that might get you in to an exclusive college.
We're dragging OD through freshman year "like a thorn through a fleece", as the Yiddish saying goes. Enough already.
Showing posts with label private schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label private schools. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
One Burnt-Out Teenager
Recent e-mail from Sainted Husband and my Fed-up self to Friends Omphalos:
Dear Teachers--and one teacher's reply:
We're writing because we're concerned about our daughter OD, who is in the 9th grade at Friends Omphalos. OD is burnt out. She is very unhappy about school; she feels it's a treadmill she can't get off. She worries about homework all the time. Her sleep schedule is a wreck; she gets almost no sleep during the week and then has marathon sleeping sessions over the weekend. Sometimes OD feels she doesn't understand what the teachers want, which makes her anxious and causes her to procrastinate. Then she gets into a loop where she isn't getting the work done, but she can't relax either.
If she could at least have weekends and vacations free of homework, she might have a chance to unwind. This weekend, for instance, she had two hours worth of math homework alone. There was homework for other classes as well, but she didn't get to it, partly because we were busy and didn't have a chance to walk her through it.
Frankly, we're considering homeschooling. If we can't find a way for OD to be happy while attending Friends Omphalos, it makes no sense to keep her there. We need to find a way--soon--for OD to be happy and learning productively at Friends Omphalos, at least for the rest of this year.
Please get back to us about this as soon as you can. Thanks very much.
Thank you for your email and for the information about how OD is feeling. I think she's having the experience that many of our 9th graders have in trying to adjust to the differences between middle school and upper school. The workload is heavier and learning how to manage it takes time.
The best thing for OD to do if she is feeling overwhelmed is to make appointment with her teachers to talk about things and get some guidance from them. Sometimes students need help in learning how to approach homework or how to study for a particular subject. I'm always happy to speak with OD about any questions or concerns she has.
I certainly will not be assigning any homework over winter break. I'm a firm believer that break is for break. I can't say the same is true for weekends, although our policy is that students should not have more than 40 minutes of homework per subject each night the class meets (all classes have one skip day in our schedule where no homework in that subject should be assigned).
I enjoy having OD in class and certainly want her to have a positive experience here. I'm happy to do what I can to help that happen.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Second Chances and Extra Credit
In both of my kids' schools, teachers make an effort to allow extra credit and retakes so kids can build back up from a disappointing grade. This sounds like a good idea in theory, but in practice, it doesn't work out, at least for my kids.
Last year, Older Daughter had a science teacher at Friends Omphalos who was proud of all the opportunities he gives his students to amass extra credit. For Older Daughter, it just looked like more work when she was already overwhelmed by the workload. She isn't that motivated by grades and credit in any case. She never did any extra credit work, much to the teacher's surprise.
Younger Daughter had a geography test at the beginning of this year (3d grade) that she flunked. Looking at it, I was actually surprised that she had the patience to complete the test -- it was quite long. You could see that at a certain point she just gave up and started writing anything at all so she could say it was done. Surely she doesn't actually believe that the direction between North and West is called "eastSouth"?
The teacher tried to give YD a chance to re-take the test, on the grounds that it would boost her confidence to do better, but YD refused. She also refused to study geography more at home. She'd rather just forget it ever happened.
Last year, Older Daughter had a science teacher at Friends Omphalos who was proud of all the opportunities he gives his students to amass extra credit. For Older Daughter, it just looked like more work when she was already overwhelmed by the workload. She isn't that motivated by grades and credit in any case. She never did any extra credit work, much to the teacher's surprise.
Younger Daughter had a geography test at the beginning of this year (3d grade) that she flunked. Looking at it, I was actually surprised that she had the patience to complete the test -- it was quite long. You could see that at a certain point she just gave up and started writing anything at all so she could say it was done. Surely she doesn't actually believe that the direction between North and West is called "eastSouth"?
The teacher tried to give YD a chance to re-take the test, on the grounds that it would boost her confidence to do better, but YD refused. She also refused to study geography more at home. She'd rather just forget it ever happened.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
School Uniforms and Gender Messages
Hienuri mentioned in a recent comment that in his country almost all students wear a uniform. Here in the U.S., uniforms are worn mostly in Catholic schools, some private schools, some charter schools, and a few public schools. I have never worn a uniform to school; neither have my kids.
The last time I saw a lot of kids in uniform is when we were visiting England, where school uniforms are standard for both state-run and private schools. The part that interests me is how girls are dressed for school. They wear neckties and blazers, which in every other context are only worn by boys and men. What's the message here? I think the uniform says that for the purpose of school girls are honorary boys. As we all know, a girl being dressed or treated as a boy is taking a step up, whereas a boy being treated or dressed as a girl is being humiliated. (Thanks, guys!)
It's partly a historical accident. School uniforms were originally designed for boys because only boys went to school. When schooling became more customary for girls, it was easier to just fold them into the existing structure. The school uniform tells us that male students are the norm, and female students are an afterthought. (Similarly, in the U.S. we have school sports teams that are called the "Lady X", where X is the school mascot. The message is that the male team is the norm, and the female team is an afterthought.)
While girls are dressed as honorary boys from the waist up, they wear skirts below. We can't have them wearing the pants! The skirt in the uniform would have just about killed me as a child, if I had to wear them; I hated anything girly. Thank God I grew up at a time of unisex children's clothing.
Schoolgirl uniforms usually have short skirts; this dates back to a time when short skirts for girls, matched by short pants for boys, were a signifier of childhood. (My father once mentioned his "first pair of long pants" as a big moment for him.) Today, little boys are no longer dressed in short pants, but the short skirt remains in the schoolgirls' uniform, where it is now wildly inappropriate. Catholic schoolgirls in our area routinely hike their skirts up to show as much leg as possible, and you can imagine the distracting effect this has on the boys. It would be more modest to put the girls in pants, which doesn't mean it'll happen any time soon.
Cross-cultural footnote: I'm using "pants" in the American sense, meaning "trousers", not in the British sense, meaning "underpants."
The last time I saw a lot of kids in uniform is when we were visiting England, where school uniforms are standard for both state-run and private schools. The part that interests me is how girls are dressed for school. They wear neckties and blazers, which in every other context are only worn by boys and men. What's the message here? I think the uniform says that for the purpose of school girls are honorary boys. As we all know, a girl being dressed or treated as a boy is taking a step up, whereas a boy being treated or dressed as a girl is being humiliated. (Thanks, guys!)
It's partly a historical accident. School uniforms were originally designed for boys because only boys went to school. When schooling became more customary for girls, it was easier to just fold them into the existing structure. The school uniform tells us that male students are the norm, and female students are an afterthought. (Similarly, in the U.S. we have school sports teams that are called the "Lady X", where X is the school mascot. The message is that the male team is the norm, and the female team is an afterthought.)
While girls are dressed as honorary boys from the waist up, they wear skirts below. We can't have them wearing the pants! The skirt in the uniform would have just about killed me as a child, if I had to wear them; I hated anything girly. Thank God I grew up at a time of unisex children's clothing.
Schoolgirl uniforms usually have short skirts; this dates back to a time when short skirts for girls, matched by short pants for boys, were a signifier of childhood. (My father once mentioned his "first pair of long pants" as a big moment for him.) Today, little boys are no longer dressed in short pants, but the short skirt remains in the schoolgirls' uniform, where it is now wildly inappropriate. Catholic schoolgirls in our area routinely hike their skirts up to show as much leg as possible, and you can imagine the distracting effect this has on the boys. It would be more modest to put the girls in pants, which doesn't mean it'll happen any time soon.
Cross-cultural footnote: I'm using "pants" in the American sense, meaning "trousers", not in the British sense, meaning "underpants."
Monday, January 16, 2012
Martin Luther King and the America of 2012
The older I get, the more shocked I am to remember how very young Martin Luther King was when he was killed. He was only 39. He was born the same year as my father, who is still around today, age 82.
If Martin Luther King could come back and visit America today, what would he think of our situation now?
Martin Luther King, at the end of his life, was working on the "Poor People's Campaign". He was in favor of the redistribution of wealth and a guaranteed minimum annual income for the poor, which would enable families to climb out of poverty. We've gone in the exact opposite direction from what he had in mind. In 2012, we have less economic mobility than Great Britain. If you're born poor in the United States, you will almost certainly remain poor for the rest of your life.
One of the first issues tackled by the civil rights movement was the desegregation of schools. Back then, Southern schools were segregated by law, and the black schools struggled with less funding. Black children who were really middle class, the children of ministers and prosperous farmers, were held back by being forced to attend low-quality schools.
When desegregation cracked open doors that had previously been slammed shut, black people with energy, talent, and ambition (many of them already in the top rung of black society) naturally rushed through those doors. But the unintended consequence was that they left behind their neighbors in poverty, whose situation has been steadily worsening.
Today, our public schools have been resegregated. We're newly segregated by college and professional-school attendance too. Today more than ever, our ruling class is the product of Ivy League schools whose exclusive admissions policies give an edge to the carefully-groomed children of the rich. Our Supreme Court is stocked only with graduates of Harvard or Yale Law schools; our last several presidents got degrees at Harvard or Yale. Our most recent non-Ivy president was Ronald Reagan!
What would Martin Luther King make of Barack Obama? I'm sure he would appreciate the symbolism of our first black President, and be amazed (as I was!) that this could be achieved as early as 2008. But I doubt that he'd be happy with Obama's accomplishments (or lack thereof.)
Obama, in spite of his pigment, is a natural member of the upper class, starting with his private school education (he never spent a day in an American public school). I've been reading the new biography of the Obamas by Jodi Kantor (I recommend it), and what strikes me most about Obama is how typical he is of upper-class careerists. He's all about climbing the ladder, which of course he's done spectacularly well. It should really not be a surprise that Obama perpetuated George Bush's tax cuts for millionaires; those millionaires are his friends, colleagues, and campaign donors.
Today's segregation is about economic class more than skin color, but it's just as destructive as the old segregation. And, just as in the days of Martin Luther King, American schools are part of the machinery that divides the haves from the have-nots.
If Martin Luther King could come back and visit America today, what would he think of our situation now?
Martin Luther King, at the end of his life, was working on the "Poor People's Campaign". He was in favor of the redistribution of wealth and a guaranteed minimum annual income for the poor, which would enable families to climb out of poverty. We've gone in the exact opposite direction from what he had in mind. In 2012, we have less economic mobility than Great Britain. If you're born poor in the United States, you will almost certainly remain poor for the rest of your life.
One of the first issues tackled by the civil rights movement was the desegregation of schools. Back then, Southern schools were segregated by law, and the black schools struggled with less funding. Black children who were really middle class, the children of ministers and prosperous farmers, were held back by being forced to attend low-quality schools.
When desegregation cracked open doors that had previously been slammed shut, black people with energy, talent, and ambition (many of them already in the top rung of black society) naturally rushed through those doors. But the unintended consequence was that they left behind their neighbors in poverty, whose situation has been steadily worsening.
Today, our public schools have been resegregated. We're newly segregated by college and professional-school attendance too. Today more than ever, our ruling class is the product of Ivy League schools whose exclusive admissions policies give an edge to the carefully-groomed children of the rich. Our Supreme Court is stocked only with graduates of Harvard or Yale Law schools; our last several presidents got degrees at Harvard or Yale. Our most recent non-Ivy president was Ronald Reagan!
What would Martin Luther King make of Barack Obama? I'm sure he would appreciate the symbolism of our first black President, and be amazed (as I was!) that this could be achieved as early as 2008. But I doubt that he'd be happy with Obama's accomplishments (or lack thereof.)
Obama, in spite of his pigment, is a natural member of the upper class, starting with his private school education (he never spent a day in an American public school). I've been reading the new biography of the Obamas by Jodi Kantor (I recommend it), and what strikes me most about Obama is how typical he is of upper-class careerists. He's all about climbing the ladder, which of course he's done spectacularly well. It should really not be a surprise that Obama perpetuated George Bush's tax cuts for millionaires; those millionaires are his friends, colleagues, and campaign donors.
Today's segregation is about economic class more than skin color, but it's just as destructive as the old segregation. And, just as in the days of Martin Luther King, American schools are part of the machinery that divides the haves from the have-nots.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Dream Schools
I want a dream lover
So I won't have to dream alone.
-- Bobby Darin, "Dream Lover"
TeacHer asked, in a recent comment:
Thanks for the question, TeacHer!
My dream school would combine the best of the progressive and traditional philosophies. From the best of the progressives, I would take an interest in the child as a complete human being, with physical and emotional needs as well as academic ones, and the goal of developing an independent thinker, with a continuing interest in learning. From the best of the traditionalists, I would take a true understanding and appreciation of content knowledge, including technical content like math and science, and a respect for linear, well-designed curricula.
So, with the progressives, I would throw out authoritarian classroom-management systems like PBIS and WBT, but with the traditionalists, I would throw out bad curricula like fuzzy math, non-phonics reading instruction, and meta-meta-meta "comprehension" questions that baffle and alienate small children.
My dream elementary school would assign no homework, or optional homework, and never restrict recess as a punishment, or for any reason. Teachers and administrators would work towards a genuine partnership with parents, not the current Jeeves-and-Wooster farce that passes for "partnership".
My dream teacher would be well-educated and genuinely interested in learning, as well as humane and caring (that's a surprisingly difficult combo to find!). She would be open to new ideas, and not ideologically wedded to certain techniques (and yes, I understand that a lot of important classroom decisions aren't under the teacher's control any more.)
And here's an impossible dream for you: just once, I would like to read a newsletter written by a teacher with no grammatical errors.
Readers, what would your dream school look like? How about your dream teacher?
So I won't have to dream alone.
-- Bobby Darin, "Dream Lover"
TeacHer asked, in a recent comment:
I've been wondering about this recently: if you were to design the perfect school, how would it look? What about the perfect teacher?
Thanks for the question, TeacHer!
My dream school would combine the best of the progressive and traditional philosophies. From the best of the progressives, I would take an interest in the child as a complete human being, with physical and emotional needs as well as academic ones, and the goal of developing an independent thinker, with a continuing interest in learning. From the best of the traditionalists, I would take a true understanding and appreciation of content knowledge, including technical content like math and science, and a respect for linear, well-designed curricula.
So, with the progressives, I would throw out authoritarian classroom-management systems like PBIS and WBT, but with the traditionalists, I would throw out bad curricula like fuzzy math, non-phonics reading instruction, and meta-meta-meta "comprehension" questions that baffle and alienate small children.
My dream elementary school would assign no homework, or optional homework, and never restrict recess as a punishment, or for any reason. Teachers and administrators would work towards a genuine partnership with parents, not the current Jeeves-and-Wooster farce that passes for "partnership".
My dream teacher would be well-educated and genuinely interested in learning, as well as humane and caring (that's a surprisingly difficult combo to find!). She would be open to new ideas, and not ideologically wedded to certain techniques (and yes, I understand that a lot of important classroom decisions aren't under the teacher's control any more.)
And here's an impossible dream for you: just once, I would like to read a newsletter written by a teacher with no grammatical errors.
Readers, what would your dream school look like? How about your dream teacher?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Easing Up On Homework
In the NYTimes, At Elite Schools, Easing Up a Bit On Homework.
I can't get very worked up about this article. Apparently some elite NY private schools are starting to discuss the stress they put their students under, and talking about reducing some of the homework load. It doesn't sound like any radical changes are in the works.
The comments, as usual, are more interesting than the article. I liked the unintentionally hilarious account by a Dalton grad, (or as he calls himself, "a Dalton alumni" — don't get me started!) explaining that the great thing about his very expensive private high school was that he learned to get through Lit classes without reading the assigned books. Ain't learning grand?
Ovarachiever's footnote: it is never right for a person to describe himself as an "alumni", because "alumni" is plural. One person is either an "alumnus" (masculine) or an "alumna" (feminine).
I can't get very worked up about this article. Apparently some elite NY private schools are starting to discuss the stress they put their students under, and talking about reducing some of the homework load. It doesn't sound like any radical changes are in the works.
The comments, as usual, are more interesting than the article. I liked the unintentionally hilarious account by a Dalton grad, (or as he calls himself, "a Dalton alumni" — don't get me started!) explaining that the great thing about his very expensive private high school was that he learned to get through Lit classes without reading the assigned books. Ain't learning grand?
Dalton teaches you to learn, and to learn very very efficiently. For example, I never read a single book for English class because it was, in my opinion, a huge waste of time. The only time I would read was if there was a reading test, like the one on Macbeth. Besides that, doing all the reading was highly inefficient. The teacher doesn't grade you on how well you read the book; the teacher grades you on the paper you hand in. Instead of reading, I'd take great notes in class and sparknote the book if I could. Then when it came time to write the essay, I'd research what other scholars had said, synthesize what I found, then put my own spin on it. Took half the time.
Ovarachiever's footnote: it is never right for a person to describe himself as an "alumni", because "alumni" is plural. One person is either an "alumnus" (masculine) or an "alumna" (feminine).
Saturday, October 15, 2011
None of Your Business
(My previous post was mysteriously eaten by Blogger, so I'm reposting it.)
The other day I brought Younger Daughter to school late. Everyone in the office was on the phone, so I looked around and found this form, filled it out, and gave it to the teacher.
You'll notice that in the case of either absence or lateness, the parent is required to state a reason. The implication is that the reason must be accepted by the school. If the reason isn't good enough, will you get a phone call?
It's one more subtle way that the public school tries to exert its authority, not just over the child, but over the parents.
I was astonished the first time I brought Older Daughter in late to her private school, Natural Friends. I had a conversation with the person behind the front desk that went like this:
Me: "I'm bringing Older Daughter in late this morning."
Desk-person: "OK, she can go join her class."
Me: "Do you need me to fill something out? Sign something?"
Desk-person: "Nope."
P.S. On the form for Younger Daughter, the reason I gave for her lateness was "Bad Morning." True enough.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Behavior Problem, Learning Problem, or Both?
Here's my latest theory about what went wrong for Younger Daughter at Natural Friends.
It's clear that YD has language delays, probably caused by not enough attention in her first 16 months of life in an orphanage. YD started speech therapy at 5, and she's still going. When she began, she was collapsing all her consonant sounds into just a few -- d, m, and s, maybe? Speech therapy helped a lot and she is now speaking quite clearly, although her syntax is uneven and she has odd vocabulary blocks. She's said several times, for instance, "Can I help you plant the lightbulbs?" and I'm still trying to convince her that the ones you plant in the ground are just plain bulbs.
Given YD's difficulties with language, it's no great shock that she's a late reader. Back at Natural Friends, they teach reading with Reader's Workshop, which has nothing like the intensive phonics instruction that YD actually needs. So YD was in a very small class of (mostly) very verbal kids, who were (mostly) able to read with minimal phonics instruction. Over time, YD became increasingly intimidated and frustrated by watching other kids who seemed to magically understand reading in a way that she just couldn't grasp. But, like all kids in this situation, she was ashamed of not understanding, and it would never have occurred to her to ask for help. Instead, she just faked it and tried to get by as best she could.
Over time, her frustration led to anxiety and increasingly impossible behavior. I think she was almost in a panic -- we got descriptions of her constantly interrupting the teacher, grabbing things out of kids' hands, unable to sit still for a moment.
So then we started getting complaints from the teacher, and we made the rounds of various specialists. They were pretty useless, frankly. YD didn't need "more structure", or "clearer expectations", or (the school's suggestion) an aide to follow her around all day, and pull her out into the hallway if she was causing a ruckus. She needed teaching methods that would work for her, so she could learn to read and do basic math, and she wouldn't be constantly frustrated by stuff going over her head.
Will Local Public Elementary teach her better? Who knows? I've learned not to count on schools to actually teach my kids. I'll work hard with YD on the reading, and eventually on math too. If school can just be a reasonable social experience for her, I'll settle for that.
If nothing else, YD will be closer to the middle of the class at Fragrant Hills, since there are twice as many kids, spanning a wider variety of abilities. She won't feel like she's on the spot so much. Also, she has her own desk with inbuilt storage, instead of just a seat at a round table, which I think will give her a sense of control of her personal space and belongings.
So far, YD's gotten off the school bus looking happy, and we haven't gotten any complaints from the teacher. She told me last night that she likes her new school, and asked if she could go again next year. I said "sure, if this year goes well." Knock wood!
It's clear that YD has language delays, probably caused by not enough attention in her first 16 months of life in an orphanage. YD started speech therapy at 5, and she's still going. When she began, she was collapsing all her consonant sounds into just a few -- d, m, and s, maybe? Speech therapy helped a lot and she is now speaking quite clearly, although her syntax is uneven and she has odd vocabulary blocks. She's said several times, for instance, "Can I help you plant the lightbulbs?" and I'm still trying to convince her that the ones you plant in the ground are just plain bulbs.
Given YD's difficulties with language, it's no great shock that she's a late reader. Back at Natural Friends, they teach reading with Reader's Workshop, which has nothing like the intensive phonics instruction that YD actually needs. So YD was in a very small class of (mostly) very verbal kids, who were (mostly) able to read with minimal phonics instruction. Over time, YD became increasingly intimidated and frustrated by watching other kids who seemed to magically understand reading in a way that she just couldn't grasp. But, like all kids in this situation, she was ashamed of not understanding, and it would never have occurred to her to ask for help. Instead, she just faked it and tried to get by as best she could.
Over time, her frustration led to anxiety and increasingly impossible behavior. I think she was almost in a panic -- we got descriptions of her constantly interrupting the teacher, grabbing things out of kids' hands, unable to sit still for a moment.
So then we started getting complaints from the teacher, and we made the rounds of various specialists. They were pretty useless, frankly. YD didn't need "more structure", or "clearer expectations", or (the school's suggestion) an aide to follow her around all day, and pull her out into the hallway if she was causing a ruckus. She needed teaching methods that would work for her, so she could learn to read and do basic math, and she wouldn't be constantly frustrated by stuff going over her head.
Will Local Public Elementary teach her better? Who knows? I've learned not to count on schools to actually teach my kids. I'll work hard with YD on the reading, and eventually on math too. If school can just be a reasonable social experience for her, I'll settle for that.
If nothing else, YD will be closer to the middle of the class at Fragrant Hills, since there are twice as many kids, spanning a wider variety of abilities. She won't feel like she's on the spot so much. Also, she has her own desk with inbuilt storage, instead of just a seat at a round table, which I think will give her a sense of control of her personal space and belongings.
So far, YD's gotten off the school bus looking happy, and we haven't gotten any complaints from the teacher. She told me last night that she likes her new school, and asked if she could go again next year. I said "sure, if this year goes well." Knock wood!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
One Day, Two Schools
Today I had brief encounters with both of Younger Daughter's schools. In the morning, I stopped by Natural Friends. Younger Daughter's first-grade teacher last year, Teacher 1, had sent us an e-mail saying that she had some of Younger Daughter's writings, and the wiggle cushions we had bought her, so I went over to pick them up.
I told Teacher 1 that I was pretty sure I knew what the basic problem was; a lot of stuff they did went right over Younger Daughter's head, and she was intimidated that many of the kids seemed to "get" subjects that she struggled with. She was afraid of looking stupid, which led to anxiety, which led to bad behavior. Teacher 1 said, "Yes, she's very perceptive that way." Thanks a lot.
In the afternoon there was a "Meet and Greet" at Younger Daughter's new school, the local public elementary. Let's call it Fragrant Hills. On the playground YD met 2 kids she knows from the neighborhood, plus a kid she knows from summer camp. One of her tablemates in the classroom was actually in her kindergarten class at Natural Friends.
I had hoped to talk to YD's second-grade teacher about YD's behavior issues. I had completely forgotten that these events are set up precisely to prevent any meaningful discussion from taking place. So, like the other parents, we said a brief hello to the teacher (about whom I know nothing), put our names down for the fall conference, poked around the classroom a bit, and then went home.
I did notice a corner of the whiteboard labeled "Daily Homework". There were spaces for reading, math, spelling, and social studies, and something about getting the homework log signed. Hoo boy.
So, we hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and take what comes.
I told Teacher 1 that I was pretty sure I knew what the basic problem was; a lot of stuff they did went right over Younger Daughter's head, and she was intimidated that many of the kids seemed to "get" subjects that she struggled with. She was afraid of looking stupid, which led to anxiety, which led to bad behavior. Teacher 1 said, "Yes, she's very perceptive that way." Thanks a lot.
In the afternoon there was a "Meet and Greet" at Younger Daughter's new school, the local public elementary. Let's call it Fragrant Hills. On the playground YD met 2 kids she knows from the neighborhood, plus a kid she knows from summer camp. One of her tablemates in the classroom was actually in her kindergarten class at Natural Friends.
I had hoped to talk to YD's second-grade teacher about YD's behavior issues. I had completely forgotten that these events are set up precisely to prevent any meaningful discussion from taking place. So, like the other parents, we said a brief hello to the teacher (about whom I know nothing), put our names down for the fall conference, poked around the classroom a bit, and then went home.
I did notice a corner of the whiteboard labeled "Daily Homework". There were spaces for reading, math, spelling, and social studies, and something about getting the homework log signed. Hoo boy.
So, we hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and take what comes.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Unlearning Unteaching
Sainted Husband had a conversation with Younger Daughter that went like this:
Sainted Husband: No guessing! That's not what reading is!
Younger Daughter: But that's what the teacher said.
Sainted Husband: They taught you wrong.
This morning I was working with Younger Daughter, reading Chester, by Syd Hoff. She was doing pretty well, with coaching. She read the title character's name, "Chester", correctly several times, until she suddenly read it as "chicken". Why? There was a chicken in the illustration. She was reading the first letter, looking at the picture, and guessing, just as she was taught at school. Ugh.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Appreciation vs. Skills
Part of an e-mail from Teacher Cranium, the Head of School at Natural Friends:
Capstone experiences are being planned for each grade. We had great success in the intermediate school (fifth and sixth grades) with this year's simulated mission to Mars. We anticipate deploying simulations as key aspects of the social studies curricula of seventh and eighth grades as well.
For example, preliminary conversations are under way pertaining to a study of medicine in which an Emergency Room simulation is the featured context within which students utilize what they have learned as they play the roles of doctors, patients, first responders, nurses, and hospital administrators. We have a contact at Local Hospital who has invited us to use the simulator there. Medicine may then be used as a lens through which to examine the history of ancient China.
I had high hopes for Teacher Cranium at this time last year. He was hired because of his rep for progressive education. I want to like progressive ed. I really do. I want my kids to have actual experiences besides schoolwork. I want them to grow as complete human beings. I want them to enjoy learning. These are all ideals that I share with progressive ed.
I have nothing against the mission to Mars project, or the mock economy that was created for the second grade. A visit to an emergency room simulator could be interesting for the kids, although how it relates to ancient China is a mystery to me.
But but but ... at the same time, there are basic skills that I want my kids to master. They need to be able to read fluently and type accurately (a goal we still have not reached with Older Daughter.) They need to know at least enough math that they will be able to handle their finances intelligently and make some sense of the statistics and economic theories they will encounter. I would love for them to have working knowledge of a second language, and perhaps be able to play an instrument or compete in a sport.
If the projects at Natural Friends were happening in addition to a solid curriculum that dependably taught kids their basic skills, it would be a wonderful school. (It still might not be the right place for Younger Daughter, but that's a different issue.) But in practice, the school uses lousy curricula like Reading Workshop and Trailblazers Math, because these have been sold as "progressive".
The problem with "progressive" curricula is that they teach appreciation instead of skills. There's nothing wrong with appreciation; courses in music and art appreciation can be interesting and valuable. But you can't staff an orchestra with graduates of music appreciation, and you wouldn't want to have your portrait painted by someone who had only looked at art, no matter how knowledgeable they might be. Orchestras must be staffed with people who can read music and play instruments, and portraits are painted by people who can draw the figure. These are skills that take years of study to acquire.
Similarly, there's nothing wrong with doing logic puzzles with kids. But it's not the same as teaching math skills. There's nothing wrong with using a pie chart to demonstrate why 1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4. But if you don't go on to teach the algorithm, you'll wind up with a kid who can only add fractions if the denominators are friendly enough to produce an easy pie chart.
My dream school would teach basic skills in the most effective and painless way possible for a few hours each day, and then do interesting projects and activities for the rest of the day. Where is that school, besides my fevered imagination?
Capstone experiences are being planned for each grade. We had great success in the intermediate school (fifth and sixth grades) with this year's simulated mission to Mars. We anticipate deploying simulations as key aspects of the social studies curricula of seventh and eighth grades as well.
For example, preliminary conversations are under way pertaining to a study of medicine in which an Emergency Room simulation is the featured context within which students utilize what they have learned as they play the roles of doctors, patients, first responders, nurses, and hospital administrators. We have a contact at Local Hospital who has invited us to use the simulator there. Medicine may then be used as a lens through which to examine the history of ancient China.
I had high hopes for Teacher Cranium at this time last year. He was hired because of his rep for progressive education. I want to like progressive ed. I really do. I want my kids to have actual experiences besides schoolwork. I want them to grow as complete human beings. I want them to enjoy learning. These are all ideals that I share with progressive ed.
I have nothing against the mission to Mars project, or the mock economy that was created for the second grade. A visit to an emergency room simulator could be interesting for the kids, although how it relates to ancient China is a mystery to me.
But but but ... at the same time, there are basic skills that I want my kids to master. They need to be able to read fluently and type accurately (a goal we still have not reached with Older Daughter.) They need to know at least enough math that they will be able to handle their finances intelligently and make some sense of the statistics and economic theories they will encounter. I would love for them to have working knowledge of a second language, and perhaps be able to play an instrument or compete in a sport.
If the projects at Natural Friends were happening in addition to a solid curriculum that dependably taught kids their basic skills, it would be a wonderful school. (It still might not be the right place for Younger Daughter, but that's a different issue.) But in practice, the school uses lousy curricula like Reading Workshop and Trailblazers Math, because these have been sold as "progressive".
The problem with "progressive" curricula is that they teach appreciation instead of skills. There's nothing wrong with appreciation; courses in music and art appreciation can be interesting and valuable. But you can't staff an orchestra with graduates of music appreciation, and you wouldn't want to have your portrait painted by someone who had only looked at art, no matter how knowledgeable they might be. Orchestras must be staffed with people who can read music and play instruments, and portraits are painted by people who can draw the figure. These are skills that take years of study to acquire.
Similarly, there's nothing wrong with doing logic puzzles with kids. But it's not the same as teaching math skills. There's nothing wrong with using a pie chart to demonstrate why 1/2 + 1/4 = 3/4. But if you don't go on to teach the algorithm, you'll wind up with a kid who can only add fractions if the denominators are friendly enough to produce an easy pie chart.
My dream school would teach basic skills in the most effective and painless way possible for a few hours each day, and then do interesting projects and activities for the rest of the day. Where is that school, besides my fevered imagination?
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
We're Not Alone
I derive some comfort from reading stories of families who have been through similar problems. Here's a comment from a thread at dcurbanmomsforum called "Counseling Out" (edited slightly for readability):
I think the percentage of parents who are completely dismissive about their child's issues, perceived or not, when the consequence could result in being counseled out...is VERY SMALL. Most parents would never want to place themselves in a situation where their child is sure to be counseled out and will [do] whatever it takes to keep him in school.
Saying 'thats just how my child is' or 'he'll grow out of it' are not dismissive comments. Oftentimes comments like this are used to explain a child's behavior when a parent just does not know what else to say or do. And it may not be a lie either.
I think I represent the typical parent whose kindergartener is being counseled out and I have hardly been dismissive. In fact, we were told by their incompetent school psychologist that our child is developmentally delayed by a couple of years and that he has significant issues. Well, not according to the psychiatrist we saw and not according to a developmental pediatrician we saw.
The school and particularly the teacher stressed him out so much he was at his worst. And it is strange that schools are more apt to work with learning issues but not beh issues as most learning issues are neurological based and harder to 'fix' or work with and require much more ongoing oversight whereas beh issues require coaching and beh therapy and are generally easier to fix.
Speaking of incompetent school psychologists -- the psychologist at Natural Friends is a piece of work. She spent a lot of time during Older Daughter's first year there trying to blame me as a hysterical mom. I have never heard any parent say a good word about her.
I hope the commenter is correct that behavior problems are actually easier to fix than learning issues.
I think the percentage of parents who are completely dismissive about their child's issues, perceived or not, when the consequence could result in being counseled out...is VERY SMALL. Most parents would never want to place themselves in a situation where their child is sure to be counseled out and will [do] whatever it takes to keep him in school.
Saying 'thats just how my child is' or 'he'll grow out of it' are not dismissive comments. Oftentimes comments like this are used to explain a child's behavior when a parent just does not know what else to say or do. And it may not be a lie either.
I think I represent the typical parent whose kindergartener is being counseled out and I have hardly been dismissive. In fact, we were told by their incompetent school psychologist that our child is developmentally delayed by a couple of years and that he has significant issues. Well, not according to the psychiatrist we saw and not according to a developmental pediatrician we saw.
The school and particularly the teacher stressed him out so much he was at his worst. And it is strange that schools are more apt to work with learning issues but not beh issues as most learning issues are neurological based and harder to 'fix' or work with and require much more ongoing oversight whereas beh issues require coaching and beh therapy and are generally easier to fix.
Speaking of incompetent school psychologists -- the psychologist at Natural Friends is a piece of work. She spent a lot of time during Older Daughter's first year there trying to blame me as a hysterical mom. I have never heard any parent say a good word about her.
I hope the commenter is correct that behavior problems are actually easier to fix than learning issues.
A Decision Gets Made For Us
So, the private school that we applied to for Younger Daughter, the one that specializes in language disorders, won't take her. Sainted Husband talked to the Admissions Director, who told him: "our psychologist reviewed the application and feels that this is a child with no learning disabilities, just emotional and behavior problems." That's been pretty much my feeling all along.
So it's back to the public schools; the very same elementary school where Older Daughter had a traumatic 5th grade year. At least there's a new principal, so we can start (sort of) fresh.
We have a conference coming up with the principal in 2 days. I want to make sure that the school is reasonably prepared for Younger Daughter.
So it's back to the public schools; the very same elementary school where Older Daughter had a traumatic 5th grade year. At least there's a new principal, so we can start (sort of) fresh.
We have a conference coming up with the principal in 2 days. I want to make sure that the school is reasonably prepared for Younger Daughter.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Truer Words Were Never Spoken
From a comment at dc urban moms forum:
Over the years, with experiences at three different private schools, I have been truly surprised by the ability of school administrations to delude themselves into thinking that if they say the right thing but do nothing that parents will be mollified.
Over the years, with experiences at three different private schools, I have been truly surprised by the ability of school administrations to delude themselves into thinking that if they say the right thing but do nothing that parents will be mollified.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Disruptive Kids in Private School
I've been reading this thread at DC Urban Moms with a great deal of interest: Curious -- are there several disruptive children in your kid's class, by chance? Notice that this is a private school forum!
I'm interested in the number of commenters chiming in that they've seen an unusual number of disruptive kids in their private or parochial schools. Why is this?
One reason is that in the recession, private schools are struggling to keep up their enrollment, and misfit kids who might have been counseled out in the past are being strung along today. I'm sure this is a factor at Natural Friends.
The teachers at private schools are generally accustomed to working with "easy" kids -- bright, verbal, compliant types. It's one of the perks of working at a private school, to make up for the lousy pay. So they are ill-equipped to deal with difficult kids.
Mostly, the school tries to offload the problem onto the parents. But really, how much can parents do about this? We can tell our child, "don't be disruptive at school!" but that's not likely to have much effect. Sometimes schools want parents to punish their child for bad behavior at school, which I think is a particularly crummy idea. The kid just feels that everyone is ganging up on him. And it's very unlikely that an elementary-school kid will think to himself "I'd better sit still and be quiet because my parents might take away TV time later." If they were capable of that much forethought and self-control, they wouldn't be difficult kids in the first place.
And finally, the place I go to first, while it apparently doesn't occur to most others, is -- how much of this is caused by the school itself? Are the kids disruptive because they're bored or frustrated or being told to sit still all day? Are the school's demands reasonable or unreasonable? How could the school change what it does to help kids behave better? Are there large numbers of disruptive kids because school has become a bad fit for more and more kids?
I agree with this comment:
A major part of this problem is that schools are not designed to meet the developmental needs of young boys (and many girls). These children are labeled as behavior problems or worse because the expectations are not developmentally appropriate.
I could almost have written this comment myself:
Sometimes it's the school's fault.
My oldest son went to a very nice private school last year. He is 2E. We were very clear with them about his needs (language disorder) and his strengths (profoundly gifted in math and spatial reasoning). The school assured us that they could accommodate both his delay and his giftedness.
They were mistaken. They didn't have the slightest idea how to deal with a child like this. He was bored and disruptive. They knew how to work with smart kids, but they've never had a profoundly gifted kid. They had very little experience with language disorders. Conferences did nothing to correct the situation. They refused to follow the advice of our psychologist on how to deal with the boredom and the bad behavior. They refused to follow the advice of our speech therapist on how to redirect him so that he could understand what the correct social behavior is. It was a disaster of a year.
I'm very sure that our family was the subject of a great deal of negative gossip by other parents and that my son was characterized as a bad influence and my parenting skills were described as poor. We're aware. We were working out butts off, though, with no understanding from the school community. Horrible people.
This comment gives me hope:
Our ADHD child was "weeded" out from a school mentioned on this thread.
The school made the right decision.
Long story short, DC was diagnosed with an ASD the following year. Now, at yet another new school, it's amazing how the disruptive behavior has all but disappeared once we got the right "fit."
I hope we can also find the right fit for Younger Daughter.
P.S. I have a friend whose kids attend a fancy private school. She's concerned about the way that boys are "culled" (her word!) from the classes. By the time they're in middle school, the classes are about 1/4 boys, instead of 1/2. The boys won't sit still, so they're counseled out.
I'm interested in the number of commenters chiming in that they've seen an unusual number of disruptive kids in their private or parochial schools. Why is this?
One reason is that in the recession, private schools are struggling to keep up their enrollment, and misfit kids who might have been counseled out in the past are being strung along today. I'm sure this is a factor at Natural Friends.
The teachers at private schools are generally accustomed to working with "easy" kids -- bright, verbal, compliant types. It's one of the perks of working at a private school, to make up for the lousy pay. So they are ill-equipped to deal with difficult kids.
Mostly, the school tries to offload the problem onto the parents. But really, how much can parents do about this? We can tell our child, "don't be disruptive at school!" but that's not likely to have much effect. Sometimes schools want parents to punish their child for bad behavior at school, which I think is a particularly crummy idea. The kid just feels that everyone is ganging up on him. And it's very unlikely that an elementary-school kid will think to himself "I'd better sit still and be quiet because my parents might take away TV time later." If they were capable of that much forethought and self-control, they wouldn't be difficult kids in the first place.
And finally, the place I go to first, while it apparently doesn't occur to most others, is -- how much of this is caused by the school itself? Are the kids disruptive because they're bored or frustrated or being told to sit still all day? Are the school's demands reasonable or unreasonable? How could the school change what it does to help kids behave better? Are there large numbers of disruptive kids because school has become a bad fit for more and more kids?
I agree with this comment:
A major part of this problem is that schools are not designed to meet the developmental needs of young boys (and many girls). These children are labeled as behavior problems or worse because the expectations are not developmentally appropriate.
I could almost have written this comment myself:
Sometimes it's the school's fault.
My oldest son went to a very nice private school last year. He is 2E. We were very clear with them about his needs (language disorder) and his strengths (profoundly gifted in math and spatial reasoning). The school assured us that they could accommodate both his delay and his giftedness.
They were mistaken. They didn't have the slightest idea how to deal with a child like this. He was bored and disruptive. They knew how to work with smart kids, but they've never had a profoundly gifted kid. They had very little experience with language disorders. Conferences did nothing to correct the situation. They refused to follow the advice of our psychologist on how to deal with the boredom and the bad behavior. They refused to follow the advice of our speech therapist on how to redirect him so that he could understand what the correct social behavior is. It was a disaster of a year.
I'm very sure that our family was the subject of a great deal of negative gossip by other parents and that my son was characterized as a bad influence and my parenting skills were described as poor. We're aware. We were working out butts off, though, with no understanding from the school community. Horrible people.
This comment gives me hope:
Our ADHD child was "weeded" out from a school mentioned on this thread.
The school made the right decision.
Long story short, DC was diagnosed with an ASD the following year. Now, at yet another new school, it's amazing how the disruptive behavior has all but disappeared once we got the right "fit."
I hope we can also find the right fit for Younger Daughter.
P.S. I have a friend whose kids attend a fancy private school. She's concerned about the way that boys are "culled" (her word!) from the classes. By the time they're in middle school, the classes are about 1/4 boys, instead of 1/2. The boys won't sit still, so they're counseled out.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Minimal Schooling
As an update, I can report that our homeschooling efforts have taken the following form:
Older Daughter has a package of homework that was sent with her by Friends Omphalos. She does the work just as grudgingly and last-minute as she would have done at home.
I have walked Younger Daughter through a few pages of Singapore Math, and all of us have at different times helped her read a few of her leveled readers.
Every day we spend on our travels I find myself becoming more of an unschooler. The most mundane of our activities here -- for instance, biking around the small city where we now live, which we've been doing a lot -- seems so much more valuable than most of what the kids did at school.
Older Daughter has a package of homework that was sent with her by Friends Omphalos. She does the work just as grudgingly and last-minute as she would have done at home.
I have walked Younger Daughter through a few pages of Singapore Math, and all of us have at different times helped her read a few of her leveled readers.
Every day we spend on our travels I find myself becoming more of an unschooler. The most mundane of our activities here -- for instance, biking around the small city where we now live, which we've been doing a lot -- seems so much more valuable than most of what the kids did at school.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Paving the Road to Hell
Yesterday we had our last meeting at Natural Friends. This one was attended by a psychologist from the local Intermediate Unit, one of her colleagues, the Natural Friends school psychologist, the first-grade teacher (Teacher 1), and the Head of School at Natural Friends (Teacher Cranium).
The Intermediate Unit psychologist observed YD in the classroom, and tested her reading abilities. Younger Daughter scored in the Average range. The psychologist said the scores were lower than they might have been, because of YD's resistant behavior. So the scores should really be used as a floor; we know that YD is at least average in her reading abilities. The good news is that no-one has found evidence of any cognitive problems or learning disabilities.
The bad news remains YD's difficult behavior. Teacher Cranium's proposed solution was that we should do a mountain of paperwork in the hopes of obtaining a 1:1 aide, or "shadow", to follow YD around all day and deal with her behavior. I see this as a solution for the school's problem, more than a solution for YD's problem.
What I'd like to know is how much of YD's difficult behavior is caused by the school itself. This is a question the school won't even ask, let alone answer. Some of her restlessness and refusal is probably caused by frustration and anxiety at being required to do things that she just can't do. Here's an example that came up at the meeting:
Teacher 1: She can add two numbers together, but when you ask her to explain how she did it, she can't explain!
What a ridiculous thing to ask a 7-year-old child to do, especially a 7-year-old child with known language delays. Unfortunately, it's a basic part of their ridiculous math curriculum, Trailblazers.
Teacher 1 also said that YD loved listening to stories read aloud, and had "astute" responses to them. On the other hand, if you ask YD to demonstrate her comprehension of the dull-as-dishwater leveled books that they teach reading with, she doesn't answer the teacher's questions correctly.
What's the mystery here? If YD is interested in the proceedings and has something to say, she can say it. If she's bored and frustrated, she refuses.
Near the end of the meeting, I said to Teacher Cranium: "Why should we spend (insert large number) dollars to send Younger Daughter here? You can't handle her behavior, and she's behind academically."
To my amazement, Teacher Cranium had no response to this. He nodded his head and said, "Uh-huh". I was expecting him at least to launch into praise of Natural Friends, but he had nothing to say.
I feel that Teacher 1 and Teacher Cranium are basically kind-hearted, well-intentioned people, but that's not enough. They're not effective. They're not willing to turn a cold appraising eye toward their own practices and ask themselves what's working, what's not working, and what they might do differently.
For next year, we're considering the local public school, or a private school that specializes in teaching kids with language delays and disorders.
The Intermediate Unit psychologist observed YD in the classroom, and tested her reading abilities. Younger Daughter scored in the Average range. The psychologist said the scores were lower than they might have been, because of YD's resistant behavior. So the scores should really be used as a floor; we know that YD is at least average in her reading abilities. The good news is that no-one has found evidence of any cognitive problems or learning disabilities.
The bad news remains YD's difficult behavior. Teacher Cranium's proposed solution was that we should do a mountain of paperwork in the hopes of obtaining a 1:1 aide, or "shadow", to follow YD around all day and deal with her behavior. I see this as a solution for the school's problem, more than a solution for YD's problem.
What I'd like to know is how much of YD's difficult behavior is caused by the school itself. This is a question the school won't even ask, let alone answer. Some of her restlessness and refusal is probably caused by frustration and anxiety at being required to do things that she just can't do. Here's an example that came up at the meeting:
Teacher 1: She can add two numbers together, but when you ask her to explain how she did it, she can't explain!
What a ridiculous thing to ask a 7-year-old child to do, especially a 7-year-old child with known language delays. Unfortunately, it's a basic part of their ridiculous math curriculum, Trailblazers.
Teacher 1 also said that YD loved listening to stories read aloud, and had "astute" responses to them. On the other hand, if you ask YD to demonstrate her comprehension of the dull-as-dishwater leveled books that they teach reading with, she doesn't answer the teacher's questions correctly.
What's the mystery here? If YD is interested in the proceedings and has something to say, she can say it. If she's bored and frustrated, she refuses.
Near the end of the meeting, I said to Teacher Cranium: "Why should we spend (insert large number) dollars to send Younger Daughter here? You can't handle her behavior, and she's behind academically."
To my amazement, Teacher Cranium had no response to this. He nodded his head and said, "Uh-huh". I was expecting him at least to launch into praise of Natural Friends, but he had nothing to say.
I feel that Teacher 1 and Teacher Cranium are basically kind-hearted, well-intentioned people, but that's not enough. They're not effective. They're not willing to turn a cold appraising eye toward their own practices and ask themselves what's working, what's not working, and what they might do differently.
For next year, we're considering the local public school, or a private school that specializes in teaching kids with language delays and disorders.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Back to Local Public Elementary?
So we went to talk to the principal of Local Public Elementary about the possibility of sending Younger Daughter there. I told her up front that Younger Daughter has behavior issues that were causing problems at Natural Friends, and that Natural Friends wanted us to have her tested and possibly get a 1:1 aide to "shadow" her during the school day.
The public school principal was very welcoming, and laid out all kinds of possibilities for evaluating our Younger Daughter and providing the support she might need. It is amazing how many people and resources they have for these issues. As my sainted husband remarked, "special ed is what they do." I think they were happy to see us because we can keep a bunch of their people employed for another year.
Would Local Public Elementary be good for Younger Daughter next year? I honestly don't know. They think they can handle her issues, but that doesn't mean I would like their proposed solutions.
Would Natural Friends be good for Younger Daughter next year? I don't know the answer to that either.
Here's the bottom line: if Natural Friends is about as good as the public school, then the public school is the better choice. If Natural Friends is somewhat better than the public school, then the public school is the better choice. The only way Natural Friends can be the better choice is if it is so much better than the public school that it's worth the tuition.
I used to think we were shelling out the big bucks for Younger Daughter to attend Natural Friends because she's happy there. Recently, though, she's become extremely anxious and phobic about attending school, so that argument is starting to fall apart.
I know we're not sending Younger Daughter to Natural Friends for the academics, which are frankly terrible. The math program is embarrassing, and the reading program isn't so hot either. I keep coming back to an offhand remark that the first-grade teacher made during our last meeting; she said that Younger Daughter was not up to grade level for reading, and that she would need tutoring, but that was true for several kids in the first grade. What the ...? They've only got eleven kids! If several of them will need extra tutoring, that's a quarter of the class! Gee ... maybe it's time to re-evaluate your teaching methods?
Increasingly, I feel that all our school options for Younger Daughter are crummy, so we might as well go with the one that doesn't drain our bank account. That would be the public school.
The only good news is that we don't have to make a decision for several months yet.
The public school principal was very welcoming, and laid out all kinds of possibilities for evaluating our Younger Daughter and providing the support she might need. It is amazing how many people and resources they have for these issues. As my sainted husband remarked, "special ed is what they do." I think they were happy to see us because we can keep a bunch of their people employed for another year.
Would Local Public Elementary be good for Younger Daughter next year? I honestly don't know. They think they can handle her issues, but that doesn't mean I would like their proposed solutions.
Would Natural Friends be good for Younger Daughter next year? I don't know the answer to that either.
Here's the bottom line: if Natural Friends is about as good as the public school, then the public school is the better choice. If Natural Friends is somewhat better than the public school, then the public school is the better choice. The only way Natural Friends can be the better choice is if it is so much better than the public school that it's worth the tuition.
I used to think we were shelling out the big bucks for Younger Daughter to attend Natural Friends because she's happy there. Recently, though, she's become extremely anxious and phobic about attending school, so that argument is starting to fall apart.
I know we're not sending Younger Daughter to Natural Friends for the academics, which are frankly terrible. The math program is embarrassing, and the reading program isn't so hot either. I keep coming back to an offhand remark that the first-grade teacher made during our last meeting; she said that Younger Daughter was not up to grade level for reading, and that she would need tutoring, but that was true for several kids in the first grade. What the ...? They've only got eleven kids! If several of them will need extra tutoring, that's a quarter of the class! Gee ... maybe it's time to re-evaluate your teaching methods?
Increasingly, I feel that all our school options for Younger Daughter are crummy, so we might as well go with the one that doesn't drain our bank account. That would be the public school.
The only good news is that we don't have to make a decision for several months yet.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Multiplying by 10
My latest epistle to the Head of School at Natural Friends:
Teacher Cranium -- I recently had the following conversation with a "New New Math" educated kid:
Me: You know the shortcut for multiplying by 10?
Kid: Yeah, you just add a zero.
Me: OK, what's 53.5 x 10?
Kid: Um... 53.50?
Me (horrified): That's the same value!
Kid: Oh, right. Is it 530.5?
Kids need to understand that it's not just about "adding a zero", it's about shifting the place value. In an ideal world, you should be able to ask the kid, "why does 10 have this special property, but not, for instance, 8?" and eventually get the answer, "... because we're in base 10."
Sincerely, FedUpMom.
Teacher Cranium -- I recently had the following conversation with a "New New Math" educated kid:
Me: You know the shortcut for multiplying by 10?
Kid: Yeah, you just add a zero.
Me: OK, what's 53.5 x 10?
Kid: Um... 53.50?
Me (horrified): That's the same value!
Kid: Oh, right. Is it 530.5?
Kids need to understand that it's not just about "adding a zero", it's about shifting the place value. In an ideal world, you should be able to ask the kid, "why does 10 have this special property, but not, for instance, 8?" and eventually get the answer, "... because we're in base 10."
Sincerely, FedUpMom.
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