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- Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!caen!m2xenix!puddle!f315.n103.z1.fidonet.org!Sheila.King
- From: Sheila.King@f315.n103.z1.fidonet.org (Sheila King)
- Sender: ufgate@puddle.fidonet.org (newsout1.26)
- Newsgroups: k12.chat.teacher
- Subject: RE: MISSED MESSAGE ON DIS
- Message-ID: <41028.2B615E4A@puddle.fidonet.org>
- Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 19:25:00 PDT
- Organization: FidoNet node 1:103/315 - Castle of the Four , Diamond Bar CA
- Lines: 97
-
- More to Amarit:
-
- -> What exactly is a valid reason?
-
- Already mentioned above, the student has a slip. Sometimes, however,
- even if the student doesn't have a slip I may think the explanation for
- tardiness is reasonable. How can I possibly give you a list of what
- "valid reasons" are to me? It varies, and I consider each one on a case
- by case basis.
-
- -> What do you think the student learns when he/she is sitting in
- -> detention?
-
- Well, if the student is as intelligent as you and I, he will find
- detention a silly waste of time, and hope to avoid it in the future. So
- the student will learn, that the behavior which earned him the detention
- should be avoided if he wants to not waste his own time.
-
- -> How do you know the student has understood the cause of the
- -> detention?
-
- By talking to the student at the time I decide to give him the
- detention. Understanding is very important to me. I'd rather not give
- any detention at all, than give one and have the student not understand
- what it's for.
-
- -> I certainly hope you don't assume that the student is just going to
- -> realize that he/she has too many "checks" in your book and that's why
- -> he/she is in detention
-
- I make no such assumption.
-
- -> I have found that the student will be late to class because he/she
- -> found the class boring, or that the student had things that "were
- -> more important" do to...in trying to find out what exactly those
- -> things are, I've come to many different stories, and since have come
- -> to conclude that maybe a change in the way the material is presented
- -> and the way a student can opt to take that material and lecture makes
- -> the difference in getting a student excitied about school.
-
- You are absolutely correct that a "boring class" could be one reason a
- student would be late, and that the teacher should try to enliven the
- class to prevent a student being tardy for that reason. Just because I
- have rules about kids being tardy to class, doesn't mean I don't feel
- just as you have described above, and that I don't try to make my
- classes more interesting. Well, I still feel like a could improve,
- though I think I've made improvements from my first year teaching. But I
- do keep that in mind when planning my classes.
-
- -> Exactly how long after class starts is a student considered tardy by
- -> your hand?
-
- As soon as the bell has rung, if the student isn't in his seat he is
- tardy.
-
- -> That's really great! You have scared the living daylights out of
- -> your students and you know...they're coming to your class on time not
- -> because they like your class, or because they are actually interested
- -> in learning, but because they don't want to have to spend any more
- -> time than they have to at school and in the track of learning.
-
- The above is absolutely NOT true about me, my class or my students. They
- are NOT scared of me, they LIKE my class (they have TOLD me so) and you
- can come visit some time if you'd like to see for yourself.
-
- -> Sorry, but I certainly couldn't resist the chance of my slight
- -> sarcasm.
-
- Try a little harder next time. I really didn't appreciate it.
-
- -> My philosophy as far as keeping students "in line" stems from getting
- -> them to want to learn, not getting them to hate coming to class for
- -> fear that they aren't going to do "the right thing" to please the
- -> teacher...the whole idea for me is to get the kids to please
- -> themselves...not me.
-
- I agree with you, that this should be our prime motivation as teachers.
- However, that doesn't mean I shouldn't also have standards of behavior
- that I expect my students to live up to, and consequences if they don't.
- If I'm doing a good job getting them to want to learn, the consequences
- will never be necessary anyway. And this is the way it mostly happens in
- my classes.
-
- -> No it should never REQUIRE a punishment. These are kids and they
- -> should be allowed to BE kids.
-
- These are adults-in-training, and in the real world inappropriate
- actions have very real consequences. The law is the law. I think it is
- quite alright for students to become familiar with that type of
- situation.
-
- More next message
-
-
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