Posts tagged with "School"
Tuesday, 15. December 2009, 20:05:00
Christian, Child, Drawing, Jesus Christ
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Update: School Denies Suspending Student for Jesus Drawing
Yesterday on my Facebook Page, I posted a World Net Daily link to a commentary on the The Christian being the new Negro. Those who have made Jesus Christ their Savior and Lord are paying an ever increasing price for their faith. Things are growing crazy when I hear about people being fired for saying
Merry Christmas and/or a minister of the gospel facing possible incarceration for committing the hate crime of pointing out homosexuality as sin from bible scripture.
Now, how is this for the latest level of crazy? In Taunton, Mass, a 8 year old boy was sent home from school and required to undergo a psychological evaluation, because he drew a picture of Jesus Christ on the cross in response to the teacher directive to draw something that reminded him of Christmas. His drawing was influenced by a recent family trip to a Christian retreat in Attleboro.
The drawing of the forever symbol of Christianity was deemed violent by his teacher and other school officials. Of course the evaluation found that the boy did not pose a threat to anyone or himself. The child's father is having him transferred to another school. Read more here and read another view here.
Thursday, 6. August 2009, 14:20:00
Text Books, School, Culture, politically Incorrect
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There are words that are in the process of being banned in your children's textbooks. Here are a few of the latest words deemed by various liberal committee groups to be politically incorrect.
Poor
Homeless
Deaf
Minority
Teenager
Able-bodied
American (geographically chauvinistic)
Listen to Tucker Carlson to hear what words should be used in their places.Now in all fairness here is a liberal opposing view to this "Banned in the Textbooks piece." Be forewarned, there is foul language.
Thursday, 29. May 2008, 09:00:00
Kindergarten, Alex Rarton, Classroom, Education
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I am outraged by what happened to special needs kindergartener, Alex Barton in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Strong disciplinary action should be taken against the teacher for having a survivor like situation in her classroom where she allowed the children to vote Alex out of the classroom. The teacher, Ms. Wendy Portillo had each child in her room tell Alex what they did not like about him. What in the world was Ms. Portillo thinking? What a lesson plan! What kind of education did she think was being provided through this survivor situation?
I know mainstreaming special needs children in a childcare and public schools do not always work out. Teachers are expected to maintain school standards for all the children while dealing with the situation of a special needs child in the class. It can be very frustrating for the teacher, especially if he/she is not getting any support from directors and principals who might have the “just do your job” attitude and most likely they have never had to deal with a special needs child in the classroom. It appears Ms. Portillo did not have an assistant. There should have been at least one support staff person in that classroom. Obviously Ms. Portillo was frustrated, but even in her frustration, what she did was unconscionable.
My situation was a little different, but while as a lead childcare teacher of a toddler classroom, I had 2 special needs children for about a year. One could not walk and was deaf and stayed in my classroom a little after his 3rd birthday. The other child had Down syndrome and was not talking. He stayed in the class a little passed his 4th birthday. He liked to pull a lot of hair and throw all kinds toys. They helped make a class size of 25 children with 4 teachers. The combined class of 1 and 2 years old was over ratio, but the physical size of the classroom provided a technicality for allowing so many toddlers in a classroom. When staff was out and/or taking benefit days, replacements were provided about third of the time.
When I went to the center directors to request a stay of classroom increase or to give me more staff, I was told that mainstreaming laws did not require what I requested and that I had to deal with the situation as is (my classroom size did increased without additional staff). That was frustrating, but my teachers and I loved our 2 children with special needs. I did request the directors to move the one child that had turned 4 in my classroom along with his mother. We both thought he should be with preschoolers and not toddlers.
Getting back to Ms. Portillo, she does not think she did anything wrong. Read, view videos, and read the strong comments about this incident here and here. If you think Ms. Portillo should face some kind of disciplinary action and/or think teachers in that situation need support staff in the classroom, go here and scroll down the post to the email links to tell Port St. Lucie school officials. Well this is the last post for this month. See You in June.
Monday, 28. April 2008, 23:30:00
College Course, Personal, Grant Writing, Life
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I started the second class in my childcare director’s credential today. The class will be on Mondays through July 7th starting in the late afternoon and will go well into the evening. This class is about grant writing and other forms of fundraising for non profits. Two thirds of my classmates from the first class returned with some new faces jumping on board to start their childcare credential process. After this class, I will have one more class to complete in the fall before I can process the necessary paperwork for my credential.
I have 6 chapters of reading to complete before next Monday. This class has no exams, but an awful lot of writing. A large writing project is due each week. I did get use to the Saturday morning classes. I hope I can get use to this class ending late into the evening (on a Monday, no less!). I remember with past late evening classes, the time did not bother me at all. I was younger and had more energy. Well unless something earth shattering happens, this is the last post for this month. See you on May 1st.
Saturday, 5. April 2008, 15:15:00
Personal, Me, Final Exam, Saturday Morning
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My class is over. I worked on the project and the take home portion of the final till the last second. I could not get my figures to balance on the spread sheet portions of the project. The take home questions were not too difficult, but because of my fighting with the spread sheets, the take home part of the final did not get done at home. In fact, I did the exam essays during the car ride to downtown Philly. We were given the choice of doing them at home or during them in class (open book).
The essay topics had to be related to our job situations. It was pretty simple to apply the topics such as the four functions of management to starting a new program or expanding childcare to include infant classrooms.
The close book portion of the test had to be taken in the classroom and it was numerous pages of multiple choice questions. On the two past exams had questions that I felt were
not that difficult, but for the final, she dug deep. A couple of questions were from her lectures. The answers were not in the long textbook readings.
Well I handed in my essay portion when I entered the classroom. It took about a half an hour to do the multiple choice questions. I was in and out in less than an hour; thus I was able to do some shopping. I have no more textbook readings and project assignments until I take the next class in the credential series which starts Monday, April 28th. I complained about going to class on Saturday and that turned out not to be so bad. Well now this next class is in the evening from 5:45 to 10:00 PM. It will be almost midnight before I get home after that class and then have to get up Tuesday and go to work.
There was a time when a schedule like that would not have bothered me. In fact I did that at Temple University on Monday nights back in the mid 1990s. I am older and a little slower now and those class hours are a little too long for a Monday night. Well, I hope it turns out in the positive like this Saturday class did.
Saturday, 29. March 2008, 17:40:00
Saturday Morning, Final Exam, Me, Personal
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My blogging was light this week, because of my final project for my Saturday morning course is due next week; thus I had to give it top priority. This Saturday will be the end for the first class of my three classes for my childcare director’s credential. This course dealt with general business practices. From time to time, the instructor related it to the business of childcare.
My blogging will be on the light side during the upcoming week as I finish my project and complete the take home portion of my final exam which is 3 long essays. The multiple choice part of the final will be completed on Saturday.
This class was not so horrible for a Saturday morning. I did not study for the first exam for this class, because of some major job related problems that kept me preoccupied that week. I only looked over the chapters the morning of the test while on the train commute, and during the hour before that 9:00 AM exam. I did very well with perfect scores on the 2 essay questions and the bonus question. I only messed up on a couple of the multiple choice questions.
The biggest challenge is developing the final project’s operating budget, cash flow and income statement spread sheets. Most of my classmates’ projects are childcare related. A few of us decided to do a non childcare related project. My project is Internet related. With 2 more courses to go, I wish at least one could be offered online, but I know that is a fat chance.
Saturday, 1. March 2008, 23:57:00
Personal, Saturday Mornings, Business College Course, School
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This morning I caught the 6:52 AM train to Philly. This is the first train on Saturdays. It is a little late. In fact since I have been riding this particular train, it has yet to arrive on time. The train usually pulls into the downtown Philly train station at approximately 7:50 AM. From there I walk 5 blocks with a stop to the store for snacks, coffee and water to the campus building where the course I am taking in the child care credential series is being held. I usually arrive in the building about 8:10. My class starts at 9:00. If I do not make the 6:52 train, the next train is at 7:52. I arrive in class at about 9:10 AM.
I had my second test this morning. I did very well on the first test. I am one of those who need to study up until the last minute, no matter how much studying I did during the week before the test. Getting there at 8:10 afforded my some time to look over everything (and eat some fruit and drink a little espresso) before the test. I also looked over the material while on the train. Whenever I have felt a little over confident with that “you either know it or you don’t” attitude after several days of studying and not looking over my notes right before a test, I do not do as well. There is always a concept or two that I remember studying, but then cannot recall all the facts. For me, looking over my notes right before a test is imperative.
Well next week is spring break. There will be no class; thus, I get to lay in bed on a Saturday morning. I still have to keep up with the reading. The two tests have covered almost 500 pages of reading. I also need to get caught up to where I am suppose to be at this point on my course project, which by the way will not be in the child care field, It will be in e-commerce.
Friday, 21. December 2007, 10:01:56
Holiday, Children, School, Christmas
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If you do not know, I work in a childcare center on the management side. This center along with the elementary school and middle school are under the direction of a Christian church in North Philly. This is a very exciting time of the year. This week the childcare has had a Christ centered Christmas program with recitations and songs from the preschool age children. They also received early Christmas gifts from Church. We did not give these gifts through a fake Santa. Nap time was a bit difficult for the children that day. They were so excited that they could not settle down.
The childcare and school staff had a Christmas party last week. The childcare staff is having a potluck Christmas luncheon today. And this evening the elementary and middle school will present their Christ centered Christmas program at the church. After that, the center and the school will be closed until December 26th. The 3 days next week will hopefully have a shrunken attendance of child care children, and school children of working parents who are in paid after care.
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