[neilep]

quote:Originally posted by Donnah

Ya Neil, a newbie who's going to blow past me for the most posts in no time!  Chris probably has more posts than me if you count all his identities.

...but at least your posts are worthy....mine are mostly trite !!...with you it's quality...with me...I don't even want to say.....

And yes....Chris....he's a schizoid Posterer (is that grammatically correct?)...hmmm..I wonder how many others there are ?

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'  

[Donnah]

Oh pu-leease!  Many of my posts are bantering with you, and I don't have your knowledge of sound systems (which I'll be tapping when I'm rich enough to buy the one I want).  I'm a Jill of all trades, almost master of one or two.

[neilep]

......but my knowldge of Hi Fi and Audio Visual Systems would probably serve me better on a Hi Fi Forum, but I love science too. Thanks Donnah.

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'  

[Broca]

ok ok  how did we go from a post that was ALL about me.....to electronics! <stomping foot and pouting! >
I guess I need to blame that on Neil because he called me brocalli...WHAP! <grin>
Anyone reading the book  Portrait of a Killer..Jack the Ripper case closed...good book.

[tweener]

You'll have to forgive Neil - he's the expert at derailing topics and leading us off in new and completely unexpected directions!  Keeps everyone on their toes!

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

[Broca]

Well, I will forgive him this time. <sigh> :-)

[tweener]

OK, so lets swing this topic back to all about you!

Tell us about you!  Where are you?  What do you do for a living?  What do you do for fun?  What is your background?  I saw in one of your posts something about teaching 4th graders about plasma.  That must be fun!

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

[Broca]

I teach in a town on the shore of Lake Ontario in New York State. Today our theme was earthworms. I did not know that the largest earthworm was found in South Africa and was 22 feet long. WOW EH? I beleive that the inquisitivness we are born with should be nurtured and cultivated throughout life inorder to make learning, and life interesting. We always want new ideas and yet we want kids to conform inside the "box". I beleive that can not be true. In 4th grade we have 5 state tests and there is enough "inside the box" thinking that has to take place because of them. I want students to be able to have an intelligent discussion with anybody about anything so that means bringing a lot of knowledge and schema to the class and having them make a lot of connections with the information. I have had so much luck with my students though, they really work hard for me and they do extremely well on the tests and they also seem to take verbal and written life skills with them. I read a book called "How to think like Einstein". It was in some ways a very basic motivational book but also linked this great mind with things we can do as people and as teachers to facilitate the perpensity for life long learning. I like to have the kids think they are thinking like Einstein, that in itself seems to motivate and build esteem. We are the only ones who hold ourselves back. If you can read and write you can do and be anything....cliche?   I think not!

[Broca]

ok...enough about me............. <laughing>

[Donnah]

Broca, I love your teaching style.  I think public education generally teaches children to think inside the box so that there will be a constant supply of "worker bees".

[tweener]

Very good!  I love your attitude about teaching and learning.  I wish there were more like you.  I know there are, just not enough.

Keep laughing!

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

[neilep]

Soz about calling you Brocalli ...Broca..........I wish I was in your class though....I could have done with a teacher like you.....probably would have stopped me from daydreaming all day !!

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'  

[Broca]

Thanks, we do seem to laugh a lot in here! I think it is a privledge to teach. So, what about you guys?

[Broca]

Neil....hunny......We would have had a riot together in class. Well, when you weren't in the office. :-)

[neilep]

Me was norty quite a lot !!.....was anybody else naughty at school ?

Broca.....(it's sooooooooo tempting to call you a green fluffy vegetable !!)...anyway.....you should check out the thread 'Hail To Science Teachers'.......it's all gooey and nice about teachers and will make you feel nice and gooey too  !!!

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'  

[Broca]

Thanks Neil, I will do that.

[Donnah]

quote:Originally posted by neilep

Me was norty quite a lot !!.....was anybody else naughty at school ?

Was?

Report cards frequently said I daydreamed.  Doesn't anyone when they are bored and unchallenged?

[Broca]

You are right Donnah, people do just that. It is a shame that more attemts were not amde made to reach evetry students learning style, and yet so much of that research wasn't done until recently. I would like to say though, it is also common sense I would think as a teacher...if a kid is bored...re-think what you are teaching or how you are teaching it, it is too hard or too easy. We can not simply teach to the middle road anymore!

[tweener]

I was "prone to mischief", but for the most part I couldn't get into much trouble - I knew I would get shot when I got home.  And there was NO way to keep a secret since my mom was a teacher in that small school.  I was a "good kid" but every once in a while....something would happen that just couldn't have been done by a "good kid", but really couldn't have been conceived by anybody else.

In my school, they didn't (and still don't) "teach to the middle road" - they teach to the bottom, the lowest common denominator.  In Arkansas, that is usually VERY low indeed.

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.

[Broca]

It is a very prevelant thing that parents do not support their childrens' teachers. It makes it difficult when kids come to school and tell me they did not do their homework because they had girl scouts or soccer. Are extra activities important...yes...but so is homework...and I do not give much. I think that kids need to get in the habit of some work at home as the amount increases as they grow older. We need to set the habit early. I am sorry they teach to the low, if teachers raise the bar kids will achieve more.