Is it horrible for a teacher to pop in a movie???

[tinkhoney]

you all are compairing apples to oranges.

 

[Daisy Chick]

I wish my OB-GYN was one- who went to lunch for 2 1/2 hours while I waited for my 11:00 am appointment until 2:30 pm. (Well-- I guess he didn't pop in a movie)

Exactly. Assuming this wasn't some sort of medical emergency, that is just not right. I'd be getting a new OB.

(And that's 3 1/2 hours. )

 

[firemanslady09]

I dont see Arthur as being totally fluff. The show does teach values.


Daisy Chick, I am sensing a little hostility from you. Perhaps you have some issues with the school system. But, this is one teacher who for the first time this year put in a half hour video. Someone who uses their time at home to make phone calls, answer emails and do lesson plans. Would you like them to submit a bill for that time as well?

 

[jillyjoey]

Exactly. Assuming this wasn't some sort of medical emergency, that is just not right. I'd be getting a new OB.

(And that's 3 1/2 hours. )

My appointment was at 11 . I saw him leave the office with his wife at noon. 2 1/2 hours. I'm sorry -- I'm sure my dr. is making more money than the OP.

Whatever-- I'm not giving the OP a hard time. At my kids school, the teachers don't even get a lunch break of their own -- they have to eat with their class. At least with most jobs, you get a lunch break -- teachers can't leave the school during the day either to run errands. Most people with jobs get to leave at lunch time. All in all, I really don't think that these kids will be educationally scarred for the rest of their lives by her showing this movie for 1/2 hour.

 

[Miss Kelly]

I have absolutely no problem with a teacher letting kids watch a movie or a tv show at school. I concur with a previous poster, walk in the shoes of a teacher and you would understand the need for a break every once in a while.

I work in a daycare 3 days a week and guess what? We let the kids watch a 30 min tv show at around 11 am and again at about 5 pm. By those times, I'm ready to pull my hair out and I need a break! Flame me if you want.

 

[C.Darwin]

be sure to deduct that hour before work starts when I work in my room, the hour after school when I make parent phone calls and write notes, and the hours I work from my home every day.

you spend HOURS every day working at home? and why do you have to spend an HOUR after school every day calling parents and writing notes? ok...welcome to a career. salaried employees often work well beyond a 40 hour week.



i would have no problem with a short non-fiction video if it is relevant to what is being taught. but an authur cartoon because the teacher is "stressed"? why not put a little effort into at least finding something related to black history month or president's day?

 

[poohs_hunny]

But lots of people have days where they don't get any breaks. And they can't pop in a movie to keep from "losing it." And they can't "lose it," either...they have neither option. They have to do their job and not "lose it."

So do teachers. But we are all human. Others have the option of temporarily walking away from a situation if it gets out of control. Teachers can't do that.

 

[Liberty Belle]

We watch a video once a month during an end-of-the-month class party. The kids have to earn the party, though.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Yes, and that planning time and lunch break are just so relaxing when you're pulled out for a meeting, have to return phone calls/e-mails, run to the copy room, etc. I have the utmost respect for those in the medical profession, and I am asking that others show respect for my profession. I don't think that anyone can truly understand what a particular career involves unless they have experienced it themselves. Until then, the grass is always greener...

Exactly. Oftentimes planning periods are used to attend a meeting, deal with an unruly student, fill in for someone else, help the specials teachers, etc. Oftentimes lunch breaks are spent in a noisy cafeteria, breaking up arguments, helping kids open ketchup packets, or in your classroom with children who were unable to go to the cafeteria for lunch.

 

[Daisy Chick]

I dont see Arthur as being totally fluff. The show does teach values.


Daisy Chick, I am sensing a little hostility from you. Perhaps you have some issues with the school system. But, this is one teacher who for the first time this year put in a half hour video. Someone who uses their time at home to make phone calls, answer emails and do lesson plans. Would you like them to submit a bill for that time as well?

Lots of people (not me, but lots) put in extra time at home. Lots of people work just as hard as teachers do. And they cannot pop in a movie at work because they need a break. Why should teachers be any different?

I have no issues with the schools my kids attend. They do an amazing job with all the kids. All of them...not just the bright ones. I have one who would lie his way out of homework every single night, but he can't. His teachers would call and rat him out.

I credit them with getting my eldest into the college of his choice. One wrote him a letter of recommendation that was so good that I envied her ability to write so well while I cried about the beautiful stuff she wrote. She obviously spend some time on that and she didn't need to do it.

We pay a lot of money to the school, but I know the teachers don't see much of it. They are an extraordinarily dedicated bunch of folks who manage to educate both smart and stupid kids. No WAY any kid could get out of 4th grade, (much less high school!) without being able to read and make change.

I could keep going, but you get the general idea. I like them. A lot.

But if they started playing cartoons in class instead of doing their jobs, I'd be liking them less.

 

[Sparx]

I'm a high school student. My French teacher shows us movies all the time. Either in spoken French, or with French subtitles. We don't go a week without watching a movie.

My English teacher also shows movies. We just read The Odyssey, and now we're watching Oh Brother Where Art Thou. (its based on TO.) But after midterms in December, she put Cars in.

I have some very difficult classes. Sometimes WE need a break as much as the teacher does. My French movies are mostly Disney films.

My Health teacher put in Harry Potter after we all finished our final in December. Then the next day (we had an extra day for make up exams, but no one missed, so we had an hour in there) we watched Ever After.

I have no problem with it, being the student. I am in several classrooms every day. I spend more time awake at school than I do at home. My day revolves around class. Sometimes you need a break.

 

[jillyjoey]

Did the OP say what grade she taught?

I agree that the South Park videos would be improper -- but showing an 1/2 hour Arthur cartoon -- whoop de doo.

How many parents pop a Disney movie in the DVD player to shut their kids up or keep them occupied at home or in the car (I see you in your big Tahoes) (I have a DVD in my car too so I'm really not pointing fingers - I can just see into your Tahoe better ) and not think anything about it?

If if was Friday and the OP had finished her lessons for the week - what is the problem?

 

[#1hockeymom]

you spend HOURS every day working at home? and why do you have to spend an HOUR after school every day calling parents and writing notes? ok...welcome to a career. salaried employees often work well beyond a 40 hour week.

It is called checking papers. I don't do that during the time I am teaching. I make my parent phone calls from school because if I made them from home I would be charged long distance charges. I guess I left out the part about writing lesson plans, copying papers, among other things that I do after school. I am not complaining about my job or hours. I love my job. I wrote in response to the post about our planning time and lunch break as free time. I quoted the post in my response. I'm sure you saw that.

 

[summerrluvv]

Wow I'm surprised that some of you teachers don't get a lunch break. At DS's school, the aides eat with the students while the teacher goes to lunch.

 

[Daisy Chick]

So do teachers. But we are all human. Others have the option of temporarily walking away from a situation if it gets out of control. Teachers can't do that.

Not really. Can't just walk away from a boss you don't like, or customers you don't like, etc. You'd get fired. You have to suck it up and do your job or go find another.

I KNOW that teachers spend extra time at home doing teaching stuff. I graded my fair share of papers to help mom. Not essays - math tests, spelling tests, geography tests...stuff where it was right or wrong.

And I know they spend their own money on cutesy stuff with which to decorate the room.

But other people work at home and pour money into their work, too.

Again, I have tons of respect for good teachers. I just think they should be teaching and not having the kids watch cartoons.

OK, maybe the last day of school. Watch a movie. What else are you gonna do?

I'm just repeating myself and signing off now.

 

[C.Darwin]

It is called checking papers. .

for HOURS every night, though?




i'm glad you like your job and weren't complaining about the hours, though. i'd hate to see a bunch of kids stuck in a little room all day with someone who hated working with them.

 

[momm2four]

I can only speak for myself, but towards the end of the year, sometime during the last couple of weeks of school, I will put a movie in for the kids, and I would not exactly call it a break.

A break is when you get to put your feet up, maybe have a snack, and have some time alone. What I did after sticking in the movie was go straight to my desk where I proceeded to finalize grade cards for my 95 students. I also had to grade the same number of final exams and webquests that were assigned.

If I had to bet, I'd say that the OP probably did some school related work while the movie was on. I could be wrong, but I bet she wasn't reclining on a sofa eating bonbons either.

I do agree that if that's the norm rather than the exception, I'd be a little perturbed with the teacher, but if the teacher is known as someone who doesn't waste time with "fluff", then I think a little break now and then is good for teacher and students.

Lori P.

 

[lyeag]

Wow I'm surprised that some of you teachers don't get a lunch break. At DS's school, the aides eat with the students while the teacher goes to lunch.

Lots of teachers are expected to eat with their class.

To the OP- Don't feel bad. It is expected that this time of year students and teachers start to feel burned out and frazzled. (even when you aren't expecting!) I used to tell my students 3rd qtr was always the hardest. It seems like school has been going on forever and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. It seems to last forever.

I would much rather have a good teacher put in a 30 minute fluff video so she can gather herself in order to continue being a teacher than have a teacher that just yells and screams all day. (And yes, there are plenty of those still out there)

Yes, teachers have scheduled breaks, but they usually get eaten up by a lot of little daily things that need to be taken care of: answering email, gathering homework for the child that has been out sick, checking in with another teacher about individual students and their overall progress, calling parents, committees, going to gather instructional aids from the library, decorating the room, wiping the desks with lysol .... you get the idea. So many little details. No job is really easy, but with children you have such a responsibility to maintain composure.

 

[C.Darwin]

Again, I have tons of respect for good teachers. I just think they should be teaching and not having the kids watch cartoons.

i agree. i don't even like the "movie once a week/month as a reward for good behavior" excuse. if it's a kid's movie, they've probably all seen it before anyway. pick another reward/incentive for good behavior that doesn't take up so much instructional time.

 

[pospisil]

I don't have a problem at all with it. DS is in kindergarten, and they watch movies every day after lunch. They have 45 minutes for lunch and "quiet time". When the kids get done eating, they lie down and watch part of a movie for the rest of the time. It's usually some kind of fluff, but so what? The teacher doesn't get a lunch, she spends that time helping the kids finish lunch, clean up, go to the restroom, and she gets things ready for the afternoon lessons. Yes, I do pay a lot of money for tuition, but I don't expect DS to have to LEARN every single minute of the whole school day. The kids need a break, even if the teacher doesn't (and I think she does). I have a stressful job myself, and I can't pop in a movie whenever I want, but I'm not going to say "I can't do it, so you can't either, nah, nah, nah". Having to run herd on a class full of 5 and 6 year olds all day would make me pull my hair out, so I don't begrudge them a little down time. JMHO