5 minute coffee break

... wait a minute, where's the coffee?

You Have A Type A- Personality

You are one of the most balanced people around.
Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want.
You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you.

When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back.
Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love!
You live life to the fullest - encorporating the best of both worlds.

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

Pacific Coast Rainforest

I spent the last three days with two colleagues and three parent chaperones marshalling 62 ten-year-olds to Grade Five Camp. Despite the best attempts of the camp counsellors and other adults, we were unable to totally exhaust their supply of energy!

When I am better able to focus, I'll put up the best photos of the children. For now, here are a few shots of the lovely Sunshine Coast... minus the sunshine!

%&$#@& lazy parents, part II

Yes... there's more!

The following Thursday, Tamon's attitude towards school work not having changed in the least, I decided to follow through with his mother's request, and asked him to read an age-appropriate novel and write a 1/2 page summary of each chapter, to be handed in on Monday morning before boarding the bus for Camp. Knowing very well his propensity for procrastination and avoidance, I asked him on Friday afternoon if he'd started his project. When he said he hadn't yet chosen a book, I asked him to select one from the classroom library to show me before leaving the class at the end of the day (of course, he didn't). I emailed his mother to let her know that I'd gone along with her "suggested" consequence, and went home for the weekend.

Night owl that I am, late Sunday night I checked my email before going to bed, only to find the following in my inbox, timestamped 12:26 am:

Thank you for your email, And yes I understand from Tamon that there has been more difficulty this week. I will be coming to the school this morning with him before the students arrive for the field trip. As I am not going to allow him to go until I speak with you directly. I have some concerns with how Tamon is feeling about this trip.

I don't anticipate that you will have received this email before tomorrow morning so I will leave it at that.

Thank you.

Although of course I didn't reply (office hours definitely not extending to past midnight!), I at least had something like advanced warning that trouble was brewing...

Monday morning, I arrived at school at 7:20 to find most of the kids with their parents and luggage, eagerly waiting for our departure to Camp. I rushed into the school to set up the class pets in the Kindergarten room, only to be ambushed in the stairwell by Tamon's mother. Desiring to get the message across that I was in a rush, I invited her to walk and talk, and continued my way down to the classroom.

Given what she had to say, I am surprised she didn't ask me to meet her at 6 am instead. I was informed in no uncertain terms that her son was supremely unhappy, cried himself to sleep every night, and hated coming to school each day - all thanks to me. "You are unfairly targetting my son, singling him out for supposed misbehaviour," she ranted. "I've asked other parents, and they said their kids agree that you're bullying him. No one else gets treated this way. I mean, what kind of person assigns a 10 page essay to a ten-year-old??"

I explained that I hadn't assigned a 10 page essay, but rather a series of 1/2 page chapter summaries. "Yes but you told him AGE APPROPRIATE! He's got a 20 chapter novel! You saw it, and you said nothing?!" I repeated to her the circumstances of the past week which had led up to this point - none of the other kids lie to my face - reminding her that, as I had pointed out in my last email, I had in fact not seen his book choice, as he had once again neglected to follow my instructions. But by then, of course, she was on a roll.

"I don't know how I feel about sending my son with you to this camp. I need to know that he'll be safe and happy, and right now I don't feel that being with you for three days will be an emotionally safe environment for him."

By this point I'd lost what little patience I had... especially knowing that I had 61 other students waiting to board the bus. "Look," I said shortly, "All the activities are run by the Camp staff. I'll barely see the kids, and they'll be way too busy to see or care about their teachers. I have to go, NOW! All the kids and parents are waiting outside, and we have a ferry to catch. Talk to your kid, and figure out what you want to do. The bus is leaving in 5 minutes."

In the end, of course, Tamon came with us (although as neither the permission form nor the cheque had been handed in, I had to call the school from the ferry to have the principal obtain them from his mother). I've had no contact with her since, although she apparently admitted to "being something of a bitch" when the principal called her about the missing papers.

%&$#@& lazy parents !

I am mad.

Want to know why? Because teachers are paid less than babysitters, per child, yet are expected to "do" everything for them, and are later blamed for everything "wrong" with them. God forbid the parents take any responsibility what-s0-ever.

My email to a parent:

Hi Michelle,

I wanted to let you know that Tamon spent about 90% of the morning today working in the office.

I had to remind him to start the morning's work (up on the board) several times. By 9:40 am he was again talking to his peers, and there was nothing on his desk. When I asked him if he had finished the work, he told me he had, and so I asked to see it. He then spent about 5 minutes "searching" in his desk, muttering about where did he put his workbook.

Recognizing a stalling tactic when I see one (he knows I am quite forgetful, and was no doubt hoping I'd get distracted by some other student and not come back to him!), I asked him if he had really done any of the work. When he admitted that he had not, I sent him to complete the assignment in the office for the remainder of the period, plus recess. After recess I had a student deliver the next assignment (science) so that Tamon could work on it without interruption. He came back to the classroom around 11 am to join us for the rest of the music rehearsal (we have a recorder concert tomorrow morning).

I hesitate to demand an "apology" from him; such a course of action on my part is unlikely to inspire any sincere response. I will, instead, leave it to your discretion as to whether he ought to fulfil some kind of task over and above the actions I took today.

I hope that the rest of your day / week goes well, and that Tamon will come back tomorrow with a more positive and cooperative attitude.

Many thanks,

Pistâche

Her reply:

I have already heard from Tamon that this happened today. I ask that you assign him additional work that he can do at home. If he cannot focus and respect the time provided at school, then he will have to spend his free time after school working on classwork. I think a report or essay on a topic related to current classwork would be appropriate. I will tell him to expect this assignment from you and I will tell him that I requested you to provide it. In addition, he will lose all video game privileges until school is out for the summer.

As for further punishment related to camp, I told him that I was taking this behaviour into consideration and that I am not making my final decision with regards to his attendance at this camp until Friday.

Thanks.

Basically, she couldn't be bothered to discipline her own child, and I get to do the dirty work for her. Funny how a person who won't even take the time to do her job as a parent can have no qualms about telling me how to do mine as a teacher!

Look at the CAMERA!

What do you do when your subjects just won't pay attention?

I always try to take a few moments before I release the shutter to make sure that my framing is perfect. After all, the more I do now, the less I'll have to do later, when retouching the proofs. One tiny oversight can mean hours of painstaking work later on to correct it.

Conscious of the time constraint that afternoon, I made sure to tell the bride and groom what I was doing. "Don't move. I'm just waiting for the wind to pick up the veil a little." Despite the clear instructions, however, Glen was compelled to speak, just as I released the shutter. The result? A beautifully framed photograph... of a bride and her dolt!

Below are the two original photographs. If you're surprised to find out that the two photos above were in fact manipulated, then I've done a good job!

Any thoughts?