"Mom, can you please be quiet. I'm trying to do my math!"
Seems to me that if my son willingly spends almost 2 hours doing addition and subtraction problems, almost all correctly, at home........
then at school, he could probably do more than count a few dots and circle the correct number.
Apparently his teacher doesn't think so....at least not until the end of the year when the kindergarteners will start addition and subtraction
I'm hoping the principal will have a different outlook.
Differentiated Instruction....ever hear of it??????
posted by Undomestic @ 8:46 PM
9 Comments:
Oh gosh. The school journey begins. And it really doesn't end for a long time. I hope you find someone thrilling for Cameron next year. He would be so fun to teach.
Cari, what do think of Montessori schools? I just think that Cam might be a good candidate
Yes....and being a teacher in NJ (where they STRESS it)...it is hard when other schools don't do the same thing!!
And yet I'm not even asking her to TEACH him anything. I merely asked if she could give him some +/- worksheets to do instead of the counting ones. And I'd go over it with him at home. She said the materials she has are for the end of the year when they do it as a class. But that I could go to Target and purchase my own workbook to do with him at home...along with a bunch of other suggestions for things I can do at home. The thing is, I do stuff at home already...that's how he knows what he knows. I just would prefer to have him continue progressing at school. If nothing else happens, at the very least, we'll pull him from all day (which we pay for) and put him in 1/2 day, and I'll do even more at home. We're also considering other schools.
l,
I tried to look up the law, and there's nothing about challenging kids that I could see...at least not in Minnesota.
Now that is just plain stupid!
If the kid can do math, let him, and don't hold him back!
For the love of Mike! Why can't schools encourage excellence instead of mediocracy?
Ok... *deep breath*...calming down...
lh, so are you coming here to teach my son????
cg, I've never really looked into Montessori's before. Maybe I'll check that out. Might have to do some serious convincing of my hubby, though.
dana, And Minnesota seems to think they're the tops in education. I beg to differ based on my experiences here.
jaye,
Based on my teaching experience in NJ, I have to say that they were tops. The students in my honors clcass at my MN charter school were equal to the regular level kids at my NJ school. When my sister moved from Indiana to NJ, she kept her daughter back one year..as she struggled somewhat in Indiana. It was probably the best thing she did, considering the high expectations of NJ schools. I know your sister cringes when I talk about Cameron needing more in Kindergarten....says I'm like one of "those parents" from her school in Cherry Hill, but I really feel I'm right this time. And good for you for helping out your friend. Early reading intervention is so vital to future academic success!
kimberly,
Unless my child was unsafe in his school, I don't think I'd ever homeschool. Too hard with 3 kids, and as a school teacher, I do feel that there is so much to gain from a classroom environment that involves more than just gaining content knowledge. Thanks for the prayers.
jaye,
YEs, she knows I'm a teacher. I signed up to volunteer in her class, where I thought I'd be helping kids. Instead, I had to staple bookorders and cut paper strips to make Christmas Countdown chains. Sigh.
Eric,
So much depends on the teacher...not necessarily the school. I worked at an excellent middle school in NJ, but there were some teachers I would never want my child to have. On the flip side, there were MARVELOUS teachers as well! I know so many great teachers in my grad classes and who I'm friends with. That's why I'm trying to set up a meeting with the principal...to see if the issue is with the teacher or school policy. Then we'll know how to proceed. As a public school teacher, I know the struggles. Having so many kids as so many levels is HARD to deal with. But schools should provide the support needed. And like I said, I'm not asking her to teach him. I really don't think I'm asking too much.
I guess what is also upsetting me is that I feel like a failure. Finding the right school for Cameron was my job. Education is my expertise, medicine is my husband's. So he told me he trusted my judgement. And I chose the local public school, where the principal told me my son would be challenged (that principal is no longer there), where I was told they did balanced literacy and my neighbor said the classrooms were diverse. Plus,it's free, and he gets picked up by a bus right in front of our house. My husband and I agreed that it's just kindergarten, and we moved to this town, paying a lot more for our house, because of the schools, so we should at least try the public school...plus I'm a public school teacher and have loved some of the public schools I've taught in. And despite what I thought was best for Cameron, I now feel like I've failed...mainly my husband's trust of my educational decisions for our children. Sigh.
Ack Cari, I dont think you failed. you made the best decision you could with the information you had at that time. SO if the information to your disposal changes, you have to re evaluate your situation, not your original decision.
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