Hey...Teacher...leave those projects at school!!!

[tarheelmjfan]

First of all, I never said or suggested the teacher should pay and shop for the materials. We did contact the teacher and there were no exceptions. Those who were not part of a group had to present all three things. I do feel that if this is a county approved curriculum, then the COUNTY should pay for the materials. Frankly I see no value in providing food in a Spanish class fives weeks into the school year.

I feel parents are unfairly put upon with any of these at home projects. How does someone who does not have the time or the extra funds supposed to handle this? Let their kid get a zero? Talk about selfish!

I'm sure they know which kids can't afford it & consider that. Then again, many kids with parents who truly can't afford it would be getting government assistance, including food stamps or whatever it's called now.

 

[monorailsilver]

That's a lot of food.

I remember when I did French a group of us made French silk pie. It was yummy! Actually the mom showed us how and basically made it for us.

FYI, I am a parent of a kid with food allergies-dairy, peanut, tree nut and egg white. I would much rather a home made snack be brought in then a store bought any day and I am so thankful no snowflake parents have vetoed that in our town yet. Of course in elementary school, I know pretty much all the parents and some would send something else for him like a pound bag of skittles or they'd ask me what he can eat. Middle school it's different but he can now eat cooked milk but still isn't crazy about most things with cooked milk.

 

[MrsDuck]

While delicious and fun, that projects seems WAAAAYYYY too involved for my tastes. My mom is a high school Spanish Teacher and they have "food days" once a year where students can bring food in from any country (or paper plates, napkins, cups, drinks) for extra credit. Much more reasonable, in my opinion.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

While delicious and fun, that projects seems WAAAAYYYY too involved for my tastes. My mom is a high school Spanish Teacher and they have "food days" once a year where students can bring food in from any country (or paper plates, napkins, cups, drinks) for extra credit. Much more reasonable, in my opinion.

Sorry, but the plates, napkins, cups, etc. shouldn't get extra credit. I know people who bring those to every event, because they're too lazy to bring anything else. I can't believe any teacher would give that equal credit to someone who actually worked for the grade.

 

[katclicks]

Having worked in education for the past 10 years, I am shocked that is even allowed. Every campus I have been on does not allow homemade foods. What is the academic tie in for this activity? I would also check the school/district policy on food brought in.

 

[MrsDuck]

Sorry, but the plates, napkins, cups, etc. shouldn't get extra credit. I know people who bring those to every event, because they're too lazy to bring anything else. I can't believe any teacher would give that equal credit to someone who actually worked for the grade.

I think the mentality is that without the plates, cups, etc. there wouldn't be a way for the "party" to happen. And, for what it's worth, she always has a hard time getting students to bring in paper products because everyone is typically very eager to bring a dish!

 

[DanceswithDisney]

I think the mentality is that without the plates, cups, etc. there wouldn't be a way for the "party" to happen. And, for what it's worth, she always has a hard time getting students to bring in paper products because everyone is typically very eager to bring a dish!

Must be the same parents who insist on having a halftime and post game snack at soccer! IT IS AN HOUR!!!

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I think the mentality is that without the plates, cups, etc. there wouldn't be a way for the "party" to happen. And, for what it's worth, she always has a hard time getting students to bring in paper products because everyone is typically very eager to bring a dish!

That makes sense.

 

[Hikergirl]

So it's ok for the teaher to use their time outside of the classroom and their own funds for these projects? Your daughter couldn't be in a group because of outside activities so you had to do all three and complain about cost and time! It ok for teacher who probably has family and outside interests to go buy things?

If it was such a hardship why not contact teacher and explain. I'm sure they'd work something out. Although it does sound like you are making fantastic things to bring the comments on parents funds and time being used are rather selfish IMHO

Well the teacher doesn't have to assign such a project in the first place.
Of course her comments are selfish, she's the one shelling out the cash for this project.

 

[msjprincess]

Is this a real complaint or is it like the other snowflake threads you've started?

 

[Disney_traveler]

There is a big push in the education world for more on-your-own projects taking multiple days than the usual in class assessments. For ever parent complaining they don't have the time/funds, there is another parent complaining their child doesn't perform well on exams/journals/etc. As I have stated before, with all the wants of parents, we basically need one teacher per each student.

 

[jevs]

Must be the same parents who insist on having a halftime and post game snack at soccer! IT IS AN HOUR!!!

And? rugby is only 80 minutes unless they go into extra time, they have half time. AFL is broken into quarters with each approx 20 minutes of play.

 

[wenrob]

So it's ok for the teaher to use their time outside of the classroom and their own funds for these projects? Your daughter couldn't be in a group because of outside activities so you had to do all three and complain about cost and time! It ok for teacher who probably has family and outside interests to go buy things?

If it was such a hardship why not contact teacher and explain. I'm sure they'd work something out. Although it does sound like you are making fantastic things to bring the comments on parents funds and time being used are rather selfish IMHO

I think the point is that the funds/time for the project should be thought out a little more not that the teacher needs to provide the funds. A meal for 30+ kids is not cheap and it's unreasonable to expect a kid who can't be part of a group to provide the entire thing on their own. If part of a group, each kid would make one thing so why would a child not part of a group have to provide a full course meal? I'd be a little bent out of shape too. I've never heard of being able to opt out of a group project though. Now if OP insisted her child could not possibly be a part of a group and that was the alternative given then that was a choice made and a problem of her own making.

I loathe school projects. Both as a kid and as a parent. I had parents who worked swing and grave and no extra funds whatsoever. The pressure to present a dazzling, knock your socks off project and having no resources was awful. As a parent I never had a project that cost me less than 50 bucks with my oldest. I couldn't afford it then and now that I can I just don't with the younger two. We buy a display board, use the materials we have on hand and they do the best they can.

 

[jevs]

Is this a real complaint or is it like the other snowflake threads you've started?

Hmm I think there's a bit of going on.

 

[3Gsandme]

I always thought these things were rites of passage. We did them when I was in school and they do them now.

 

[jo-jo]

Did every child bring in enough food for 30? 30 times each food item is a lot of food in that class.

 

[Kimberlyann11]

When DD was in the third grade they had to build a model of a business in our county. I have zero crafting ability so I got the materials and she worked on it mostly herself. The only part I helped with was the roof and that fell apart. When we went to the open house, they had them displayed and one of them had a water feature. A. Water. Feature. In the third grade. It had the stone exterior artfully built with the moss skillfully placed perfectly and a working water wheel.

DD was devestated as there were only a few that were visibly done by kids and not the adults. She got an A on it though, and I told her that's because the teacher could tell she did her own work and worked hard at it.

 

[wenrob]

I'm sure they know which kids can't afford it & consider that. Then again, many kids with parents who truly can't afford it would be getting government assistance, including food stamps or whatever it's called now.

How could they possibly know? There was a time when it was all we could do to just feed our kids. Not a soul knew, not even family. How would a teacher have any idea what my financial circumstances were unless I told them?

 

[wenrob]

When DD was in the third grade they had to build a model of a business in our county. I have zero crafting ability so I got the materials and she worked on it mostly herself. The only part I helped with was the roof and that fell apart. When we went to the open house, they had them displayed and one of them had a water feature. A. Water. Feature. In the third grade. It had the stone exterior artfully built with the moss skillfully placed perfectly and a working water wheel.

DD was devestated as there were only a few that were visibly done by kids and not the adults. She got an A on it though, and I told her that's because the teacher could tell she did her own work and worked hard at it.

At my kids science fair last year, a kid brought in live chickens. What the heck? LOL

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I hated cooking projects when my kids were in school. I can't cook, I'm terrible at it and I just don't like doing it. Thankfully they were few and far between.
When my oldest was in kindergarten they had a holiday feast and each child was assigned a holiday. He got Channukah, and his friend got Christmas. We're Catholic, his friend was/is Jewish (we moved, so he was a friend, still Jewish, though), needless to say two moms spent a lot of time on the phone sharing ideas and recipes. Her cookies went over well (my grandmas recipe) my latkes came out nothing like hers, and were barely touched.

After that I handed the baton to my husband and he handled all projects from then on, with the kids doing all the work, and him directing.