Friday, October 16, 2009

FF: The Education is Forever Edition

Fridays always bring my favorite memes:
Friday Fragments?
The chronicles of my Ordinary and Awesome life, family, and thoughts at www.ordinaryandawesome.com. Ordinary and Awesome is also the Mostly Wordless Wednesday headquarters as well as the home to several original awards and memes.


Thank-you, Mrs. 4's and Sara for hosting. I'm yours forever.

This week is a new experience as I am back in school :( Really, I don't mind learning, but I do mind homework. Here is the first thing I learned this week ~ the shelf life of knowledge used to be 50 (that's how long information you learned was "good" before it was preempted by new research.) Now the shelf life of knowledge is a little more than 2 years.

The second thing I learned is that today's workers will typically cycle through 5 careers/companies. Researchers think our kids will cycle through 9 careers/companies. That's a lot of change.

My daughter is taking a mighty blunt health class, and the teacher says she has been embarrassed by some of the discussions from the students. Sometimes my girl slips and tells us a bit about what they're learning. I have to say, "Hooray," for our district offering this class.

My 25th college reunion is this week in Massachusetts. There are lots of reasons I won't be going, but thank-you, Facebook, for putting me back in touch with some of the former classmates I've missed the most.

Maybe I'll do better at attending my 30th high school reunion next summer. The reunion planners have been sending me reminders for the last several months. I can't decide if I can still claim ignorance and "forget" to go.

I am all about more tolerance when little kids bring Cub Scout knives to school so they can eat with the fork part, and when the girl leaves the butter knife in the back seat of her car after a cake decorating class the night before. But the child who brought an air-soft pistol to our middle school last week? Send him away.

My little boy told me that only one teacher in his building is any good at decorating his room. I'm guessing that evaluation was based solely on the number of Halloween decorations in the room.

Went to parent-teacher conferences at the high school this week. Was not thrilled by the efficiency of the English teacher who simply gave us his spiel and seemed annoyed when we asked questions. LOVED the teachers who introduced themselves to us, asked our first names, and really seemed to know who our daughter was.

On that note, when a teacher has a full-time student teacher for the entire school year, where is the teacher (the one getting full pay for the year, but not teaching??)

Finally, I spoke too soon last week in sharing the week's examples of writing from my own students. On Monday, this charmer was submitted by one of my students at the COLLEGE where I teach. May the Lord add patience to my teaching style:


"Being in english class has teached me how to work as part of a team."

26 comments:

Laura ~Peach~ said...

ha ha ha at your college student... how sad really... praying for your patience... and my poor punctuation and spelling and typing errors :)

MsTypo said...

You've "teached" your readers a lot too! :p LOL

Unknown said...

Luved when your son noticed decor in the classroom...I'm sure it's not just the Halloween decorations, but maybe how they are displayed...and for him to mention something like that is pretty amazing.
And what amazes even more, are the teachers that go into the teaching profession, thinking they can just assign pages and not have to deal with the class. I personally had a teacher like that...years ago~

Wonderful World of Weiners said...

We went to our 20th reunion lat November and LOVED it!! We had way more fun than we expected!!

Hallie

won said...

I too get annoyed at teachers that seem impatient with questions from me, the parent.

I understand your sentiment there.

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

You're a great teacher, mother and blogger! Do I get an A?
<><

betty said...

being in English class helped the person know how to work as part of a team?? is the person applying for a job or writing an essay? Too funny!

I liked back-to-school night when you got to meet the teachers and here what your kids are learning; didn't like that each class was only 10 minutes long before you moved to the next one (following your kid's schedule) because you never really got to know much in that short period of time

my 35th high school reunion is next year; I'm strongly thinking I'm not going

I like that health class, I think the kids need to learn things from adults, books, school especially if they aren't getting it at home. Home is where it should be taught but often is not taught. And I would rather the kid have the right information than the wrong one gotten from friends who are piecing together stuff they might have no clue about

enjoy the weekend :)

betty

Busy Bee Suz said...

I always love your Friday Fragments, it is like we are all 'with' you all week. I would love to be a fly on the wall in the sex ed class. I could learn a few things I am sure...I could also learn to lock my girls in the house until they are 40!
I hope you have a great weekend with healthy kids, husband and YOU.

Betty W said...

I guess you have your work cut out for you! :)

MrsSki said...

Why in the world would a child ever think it was appropriate to bring an air soft pistol to school. That's outrageous!

I laughed out loud at your student's charmer.

I think facebook will completely eliminate the need for high school reunions. I'm hoping for that because I would need to start my diet today to look the way I want to for my 10 year reunion next summer. sigh.

Smellyann said...

I don't even know what an air soft pistol is!

Good Lord, how did that kid even get into college?

And having a student teacher for the ENTIRE year? Not cool. I'd pull my kid out!

Checkered said...

Well sure, now that we're Weight Watchers success stories, lets hit all the reunions. Better hurry, before we start some serious "cheating."

Martha said...

Thanks for stopping by! I keep telling Tara there will be plenty of time to see snow, she just has missed the seasons so much living in FL! I don't mind snow as long as I don't have to SHOVEL it!

The way kids write these days is horrific. Texting doesn't help I suppose.

4 Lettre Words said...

Congratulations on getting back in school! And, I'm totally with you on the whole reunion thing. Not interested!

My son's school doesn't do Halloween, either...or really any "holiday". Things have really changed since I was in Kindergarten.

Have a fantastic weekend!!

Anonymous said...

I used to be a teacher...the teachers with the student teachers are all in the teacher's lounge drinking coffee and gossiping....


All I learned in health class was that french kissing leads to having a baby...


My 10 year reunion is next month, I just can't decide.

Nancy C said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog. At the end of every school year, as I would read the yearbook inscriptions of my students, proclaiming, "Your a great teacher," I would consider weeping and/or drinking heavily.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

The shelf life of knowledge RETAINED is negative twenty five for females over the age of 40.

Punt your reunion and come to next year's Blog Fest. Or rather, the reason you can't attend your 30th reunion is that you must attend Blog Fest. There. That's better.

Claudya Martinez said...

I've been teached many wonderful teachers, I just haven't learnt it.

Mrs4444 said...

I couldn't help but hear the 7th grade health class through the false wall in my classroom the past few years. I loved the day (every year) when they teacher said the word "penis" and the class was dead silent. So funny. That's one class I could NEVER teach.

We're going to conferences soon, too. Kyle's college-level classes are kicking his butt (he's getting C+'s, which is so unheard of for him). Hopefully, we'll be able to help.

Good luck with your classes! I'm excited for you :)

LadyFi said...

Oh dear - the poor college student!! LOL!

Loved this post - and you're spot on about our kids having to be so much more flexible when it comes to future work situations.

Unknown said...

Only the cool teachers decorate for Halloween. And I totally agree on the whole weapons thing. As for student teachers, it must be nice for the real teacher. Can I get a student mommy?

Julie said...

finally catching up on blogs...and so thankful for this post... your students are so funny, seriously...it should be a sitcom. Hang in there!!!!

tipper said...

This year-I LOVE all my girls teachers-so I am blessed-and so are they.

You left me with a good laugh about your college student : ) Have a great Sunday!

Stacey said...

What a riot. My husband teaches junior high and his student stories absolutely give us the laugh we need to get through the stress at home.
I heard an interesting piece on talk radio about university educators trying to relay the message to today's students: that specific knowledge in a specialized field is no longer in high demand as it once was. That a broader knowledge is better for the resume because it allows more flexibility in our ever-changing economic climate. Wow. I feel smart writing that. lol

Lawyer Mom said...

"Teached me"? Oh no! But at least it came at the beginning of the semester!

Sara Elizabeth said...

I am sorry to stop by so late. I am catching up on FF post today. Busy week and my birthday kept me a little busy. :(

A student teacher the whole year!? Hmmm...

An air soft pistol being brought to school in jr. high? What in the world?