All-Star You Might Be A Crazy Cheer Mom If...... (confession Time)

[Pebbles49]

I think it is wonderful that these kids made such connections and then were able to take those experiences and relate them to their everyday lives. The biggest problem I see though with a K-8 school is the buses and having such a wide age range of kids in basically an uncontrolled environment. Our schools are K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12, and I always appreciated not having significantly older kids on the bus when my kids were younger.

My old school district (~8 years ago) actually had all PK-K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8 & 9-12 grade breakdown, but they noticed that during the 6-8th years, the students grades bottom out, sharp declined in test scores and huge rise in bullying had occurred and huge teacher turnover and difficulties attracting teachers to teach the middle school grades... So, the school district decided to phase out 6-8th grades and instead of 4 different grades school, they ended up with 8 K-8th school, they are now able to have smaller class sizes, combined the resources and better allocate the money to serve everyone and I stayed the 1st year and it seemed like this K-8th model was working . However, I left to go back to a 6-8th grade model and sometimes I wished I had stayed at the old school district.

 

[CheerBank]

My old school district (~8 years ago) actually had all PK-K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8 & 9-12 grade breakdown, but they noticed that during the 6-8th years, the students grades bottom out, sharp declined in test scores and huge rise in bullying had occurred and huge teacher turnover and difficulties attracting teachers to teach the middle school grades... So, the school district decided to phase out 6-8th grades and instead of 4 different grades school, they ended up with 8 K-8th school, they are now able to have smaller class sizes, combined the resources and better allocate the money to serve everyone and I stayed the 1st year and it seemed like this K-8th model was working . However, I left to go back to a 6-8th grade model and sometimes I wished I had stayed at the old school district.

God bless all you middle school teachers!

 

[purplecheer]

God bless all you middle school teachers!

I think the younger years are cute and fun, even when they are naughty, they say sorry and truly mean it, like they honestly didn't know what they did wrong, they actually want to learn too.
And when you get older, the students want to do well for university/college. But in the middle, we know how to be naughty and annoy the teachers, and we don't care what they think of us, and we start to become more rebellious. Just I think a general lack of care and respect to the school and teachers.
(when I said "we", not me in particular. Just because I was just part of that year level. I was always the child who was scared to get in trouble and wanted to do well.)

 

[AScheer]

This seems so backwards. It does not hold the students or their parents accountable for their own/child's success whatsoever. Is this a special education school or something?

Really, in general, this is a problem our country is facing. Parents and children not being held accountable. There's always someone to blame, some excuse, but it's never the parent or the kid. There are a lot of great parents and kids, but there are equally as many bad ones.

 

[AScheer]

As an elementary teacher in a title 1 school, we are often seen as babysitters to the parents. They could care less what their child learns. They could care less that our job depends on their child's test scores. I feel so terrible for these students but at the same time I just don't understand why my job is tied to these students when they come to school saying "my momma doesn't care if I make bad grades so why should I try?" *seriosuly had a kid a few weeks ago tell me that* You can teach that kid up and down, you can give them as much love as possible, but that isn't gonna make them try when it comes to a test my job depends on and now I'm labeled as "ineffective." Our education system is really messed up. They kids are so sick of the tests, there is no fun in education anymore which makes it all the more reason for the kids not to try as stated above. Give them something fun and engaging and I guarantee they will learn whether they realize it or not. But instead we are sitting them in front of a computer 30% of the time testing. If I would have known that when I went to college, I most likely wouldn't have become a teacher.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is one of the reasons I didn't. Coaching in the system and having relatives that teach, made me steer away from the profession. I'm in that school office in the afternoons. I see the teachers coming in looking miserable and I hear their stories. I see the endless useless paperwork, I see the agenda emails with all they have to accomplish, I see how their hands are tied on pretty much every single thing. I see my aunt miserable and barely making enough money to support a family. I see my aunt working other jobs in addition to teaching to bring in extra income. That all stopped me from being a teacher.

 

[SL&AM]

I must admit, I would have said the same thing, but 8 years ago I taught a group of juvenile delinquent 8th graders whom I would not have trusted to walk my poodle... But we decided to assign these 8th graders to be big siblings to the Kindergarten class and they turned out to be the best role models, they read and helped the Kindergartens with their lessons... Furthermore, the Kindergarten class had a big affect on our 8th graders too, these 8th graders were mindful of their little siblings and began behaving better too, these little kids were so excited to see their big siblings and made the 8th graders feel important...
Which I believe is sorely missing in the 6-8th or middle school environment...

I've never considered the disconnect of middle school like this before, but it makes sense when you type it out. In our area, middle school's have the absolutely worst reputations---they purposefully go to school the latest and don't get out until 4:15 because that is how the county tries to control them...our middle schools are 7th and 8th only.

 

[Twinklestars]

Our previous school was pre-K through 12. There was a hall that had pre-k and kindergarten. Another with first and second…

The junior high and high school had their own wing that the little kids weren't allowed in.

Everyone rode on the same buses. Overall, it really wasn't an issue having all the grades. Most grades had 35-50 students. When your school is that small, you know pretty much everyone or their family. Cuts down on some of the problems.

 

[Teacher Mom]

Sad to read this on several fronts. My non-CP is in the middle of her sophomore year at a top university going into elementary education and truly has a calling for it. I really hope she can find it a rewarding career.
Thank you to all those teachers out there. I know it is a thankless job in many ways


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If she really wants to teach and loves children, she will be rewarded. After 21 years, I still adore my job.

 

[KPep]

Really, in general, this is a problem our country is facing. Parents and children not being held accountable. There's always someone to blame, some excuse, but it's never the parent or the kid. There are a lot of great parents and kids, but there are equally as many bad ones.

Oh we have the same problem up north!!!!

 

[DropAndRun]

I'm late to this discussion but Droplet (and her brother) goes to what our state calls a global school. (They have language immersion programs and specifically hire international teachers) Her teacher is here from Scotland. She originally moved here planning to stay but after the learned what a scam the American teaching pay situation is, she is outta here after this year. It's too bad. She's only 28 but is an amazing teacher and has had such a different kind of environment to offer Droplet since she is from a different place. I was skeptical at first but I love her. She is an asset to our school and its a shame that we will lose her and others like her because of our crappy system.

I am amazed that y'all are asked for supplies for the whole class and things like copy paper. I make all of the copies of papers for all of the 2nd and 4th grade classes at our school and make sometimes 10,000 copies per week. It is all tracked by a grade specific login that I use to login to the copier(s) but the school district provides the paper.

 

[cheer25mom]

I'm late to this discussion but Droplet (and her brother) goes to what our state calls a global school. (They have language immersion programs and specifically hire international teachers) Her teacher is here from Scotland. She originally moved here planning to stay but after the learned what a scam the American teaching pay situation is, she is outta here after this year. It's too bad. She's only 28 but is an amazing teacher and has had such a different kind of environment to offer Droplet since she is from a different place. I was skeptical at first but I love her. She is an asset to our school and its a shame that we will lose her and others like her because of our crappy system.

I am amazed that y'all are asked for supplies for the whole class and things like copy paper. I make all of the copies of papers for all of the 2nd and 4th grade classes at our school and make sometimes 10,000 copies per week. It is all tracked by a grade specific login that I use to login to the copier(s) but the school district provides the paper.

I teach 120 students a day and get 1500 copies a month. That's about 10 pages per kid for the whole month. Worksheets, problem sets, tests, everything. We don't have textbooks to send home, class sets only. Anything else I copy I have to do outside of school and pay for. I don't get any money for supplies. Anything I buy comes out if my pocket. I do ask parents to donate if they choose, but I don't get much and many of my kids have no supplies. I buy pencils and paper for my room.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DropAndRun]

I teach 120 students a day and get 1500 copies a month. That's about 10 pages per kid for the whole month. Worksheets, problem sets, tests, everything. We don't have textbooks to send home, class sets only. Anything else I copy I have to do outside of school and pay for. I don't get any money for supplies. Anything I buy comes out if my pocket. I do ask parents to donate if they choose, but I don't get much and many of my kids have no supplies. I buy pencils and paper for my room.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That's terrible! The administration "complains" loosely about the amount of copying I do (4 second grade of 26,24,26,31 and 3 4th with 23, 26, and 21) but they don't limit it at all. More than half of what we send home is crap no one cares about. Personally, I think they could cut down a LOT on what they do if they would email or text or something, but of "technologically advanced" school doesn't allow that communication due to the high percentage of low income families in our particular school with no direct access to computers and the like so it's a product of circumstance. This year has been my first experience with the public school system as I grew up in parochial school and both of my children attended private school until we moved to NC. My mom was a teacher, which is why I spend 15+ hours a week volunteering at the school trying to cut down on the time these under paid teachers have to spend after hours doing things they don't get paid for.

 

[Beans100]

I feel like some of the solutions are applicable for smaller schools, but my HS was 9-12 and had 4000 kids. If the kid didn't care the school let them fail and they were sent to the remedial HS. Interestingly enough, many of those kids then succeeded at the remedial HS because it was smaller and they were given more individualized attention. I think the real problem is the size of some schools. In reality high schoolers are just like really big elementary school kids. And no one would dare have an elementary school of 4000.

 

[purplecheer]

I feel like some of the solutions are applicable for smaller schools, but my HS was 9-12 and had 4000 kids. If the kid didn't care the school let them fail and they were sent to the remedial HS. Interestingly enough, many of those kids then succeeded at the remedial HS because it was smaller and they were given more individualized attention. I think the real problem is the size of some schools. In reality high schoolers are just like really big elementary school kids. And no one would dare have an elementary school of 4000.

WHOA! The average size of schools here (Aus) 6-12 are 1000-2000. That would be an organisational nightmare to coordinate! I'm weird in the sense I like to get to know everyone in my grade at least a little bit, imagine trying to know 1000 people! I feel like if a school is smaller, their school community is closer and more supportive, I prefer smaller (not too small) schools. I think they have a better learning environment and 'vibe' I guess.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

I feel like some of the solutions are applicable for smaller schools, but my HS was 9-12 and had 4000 kids. If the kid didn't care the school let them fail and they were sent to the remedial HS. Interestingly enough, many of those kids then succeeded at the remedial HS because it was smaller and they were given more individualized attention. I think the real problem is the size of some schools. In reality high schoolers are just like really big elementary school kids. And no one would dare have an elementary school of 4000.

This so much. My graduating class was ~800 kids. My highschool was 10-12 because they couldn't fit the 9th graders in it. When your school is that big, you are essentially just a number in a system and school becomes a game. You play the game to win (get good grades with the least amount of effort) not to learn. Sometimes the teachers cared about all 250 of their students and sometimes the teachers wanted to care but don't know how to care for 250 students. They couldn't give individual attention to every student at any time they need it. Teachers would routinely have 20+ kids stay after school each day for extra help. How do you give help to 20+ kids who need individual help all at once? You can't. This also means you also can't give kids who find the material too easy something more challenging.

I was lucky enough to be that kid who gave 75% effort and still got 93 average at the end of HS. If I was a student who needed individual help or couldn't learn visually, I would've had a very tough time in school. I watched a lot of kids slip through the cracks because the school didn't have enough resources to help them.

My first semester at college was a really tough adjustment because my 75% effort wasn't getting me the grades I wanted and I had to relearn how to do my school work so that I could be successful.