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

[SDFgirl]

This is true. Don't get on my case for my child missing school to spend the day at MK and I won't get on your case for popping in the movie!


(actually - I've never had a teacher get on my case - but I've read about it a lot here! )

I am one teacher who doesn't mind a kid missing a day of school here and there. Family time is important. More memories are made at the beach or at Disney then during one day at school. As long as it's not frequent, it doesn't bother me! In the long run, what's more important?

[waiting for other teachers to come and flame me now...]

 

[fivefordisney]

I have to say I really don't like it. It's a waste of instructional time. This morning at the busstop, a first grader said that her class had behaved really well so they were going to watch "High School Musical" in the afternoon.

I am an educator and one complaint I hear over and over again from teachers is that there is not enough instructional time and that administrators keep putting more and more into the curriculum. If that is the case, then why are teachers showing two hour Disney movies?

I have no problem with educational videos that allign with what is being taught in the classsroom. In fact, those types of videos are great! I just can't stand it when my child comes home from school and tells me they watched Little Mermaid" all afternoon... it does drive me nuts.

 

[Buckalew11]

I guess it would depend what movie it was and if it had anything to do with what they were studying. Unless it was a planned movie day special event type thing.
DD doesn't watch many movies at school unless it is reward type thing. I would not like it if they were watching movies once a week.

In HS, we watched too many movies. I enjoyed a few movies in English that went with our literature. But, honestly, Psycho was NOT necessary for a JR in HS. I saw many a scary movie back in the early 80's (Freddie Kruger types) but Pyscho scared the bejezzes out of me and I still think of it from time to time in the shower.!

 

[DisneyDotty]

My son (1st grade) routinely mentions watching a movie in class. Like, on a weekly basis. One day he said that they had watched a movie in music class. About what? I asked. About mice, he answered. Mice? Were they at least singing mice?

Nope, not even a musical cartoon!

Love it--"singing mice?" Don't know why this hit me as funny, but I so understand what you're saying! Sometimes we struggle to see the relevance of what our kids tell us they're doing in the classroom--and I know, we need to take what they're saying with a grain of salt. (Just like teachers cannot believe everything their students tell them about what's going on at home!)
I taught--it is possible to find relevant "fun" material to show/do in the classroom once in a while!

 

[SDFgirl]

I just can't stand it when my child comes home from school and tells me they watched Little Mermaid" all afternoon... it does drive me nuts.

I think there's a difference between a 30 minute Arthur cartoon and "Little Mermaid" all afternoon.

And I DON'T show movies once a week. This is the first time I've ever done this.

 

[Teacher03]

I don't think there is anything wrong with popping in a 30 minute movie-don't feel guilty! I have a reward system used during every quarter (9 weeks) where a movie is shown in the gym on a big screen-it feels kind of like a drive in. So we watch one every 9 weeks, but it has to be earned. We also will watch a movie during these long weeks of indoor recess, but only during recess.

 

[fivefordisney]

If you teach, how do you feel about putting in movies?

I'm not talking about educational shows that go along with the curriculum. I'm talking about fluff cartoons or movies.

Today, I was a bad teacher and popped in a movie that had no real educational content. It was only 30 minutes, and I was literally about to blow my top and I needed a BREAK!

I feel bad about it now, but it was Friday afternoon, dang it!

How do you feel about putting in movies occasionally? Do you feel guilty when you do?

I understand feeling like you are going to lose it with the kids, and yes, it is only 30 minutes...

To lessen your guilt and to appease parents like me who really do want the time spent in school to be valuable, you might want to begin to invest in videos/DVDs that connect to your curriculum. When I taught first grade, we did an entire unit on Eric Carle. I used my book club points to buy an Eric Carle video. It had a few stories on it and an interview with Eric Carle. It gave me the 30 minutes I needed and still was informative.

When I taught the "gifted and talented" sixth grade seminar on Shakespeare, I used pieces of "The Midsummer Night's Dream."

I understand needing a break--I just loathe the loss of instructional time to "fluff"...I know you didn't waste an entire afternoon. I was just venting about what goes on in my kids' school and in the school in which I work...

 

[cryssi]

I used to love those days in school. My english teacher would put on rock climbing videos every once in awhile (he was one of my favorite teachers and yes, his class was tough!). I recall watching "Eddie and the Cruisers" in a class, might have been Spanish class, and also watching "Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey" maybe in Spanish also...and no, we didn't watch the movies in Spanish! lol

 

[Glinda64]

As a parent, I don't like it. Both of my kids (1st grade and 4th grade) have several different "special" activities that they do throughout the day when they are not with their main teacher (music, art, PE, lunch, etc.), so it seems as though the teachers do get some degree of a break. I'd like my children to be instructed using as much interesting material as possible. If that means and educational movie/film, that's great. But, I don't enjoy it when they watch other things at school.

 

[SDFgirl]

I understand feeling like you are going to lose it with the kids, and yes, it is only 30 minutes...

To lessen your guilt and to appease parents like me who really do want the time spent in school to be valuable, you might want to begin to invest in videos/DVDs that connect to your curriculum. When I taught first grade, we did an entire unit on Eric Carle. I used my book club points to buy an Eric Carle video. It had a few stories on it and an interview with Eric Carle. It gave me the 30 minutes I needed and still was informative.

When I taught the "gifted and talented" sixth grade seminar on Shakespeare, I used pieces of "The Midsummer Night's Dream."

I understand needing a break--I just loathe the loss of instructional time to "fluff"...I know you didn't waste an entire afternoon. I was just venting about what goes on in my kids' school and in the school in which I work...

I'm sorry if I seemed snippy in my response. I'm pregnant and feeling pretty edgy. Crazy hormones!

I do know what you mean, though. A teacher near me puts a movie in about twice a week. They're not long - 15 to 30 minutes each - but they add up. And they're fluff.

Thanks for the suggestion. I can check out educational tapes and DVDs from our library and those have been all I've shown in the past. Today was a spur of the moment decision and I just borrowed an "Arthur" tape from a neighboring teacher.

 

[southernbohemian]

I student taught World History. The first week was observation week and the regular teacher told me she had a documentary about the pyramids that she shows all of her classes. Great. Then she turns on a Fox program about how aliens built the pyramids. I kid you not. I thought maybe she would joke about it in the end or something, but no. So I spent the next week having to deal with some very interesting "theories." Just goes to show, just because the video seems on topic, doesn't mean its actually adding to their education.

To the OP - don't feel bad - everyone has those days, especially when they're preggers. Just look at it as a gift to the kids for being such a good class.

 

[Daisy Chick]

I want to add that I have no problem with the occasional educational video.

But if this idea catches on, it would be kind of cool. "No, I'm sorry, that patient won't be going for his cardiac cath...I've had a long week and I think we're going to watch Columbo instead." If it were possible, I might do it.

So, if you can get away with it, have at it!

 

[kidzmom3]

No, this is generally a very good class. They were not even really misbehaving, as much as I was feeling very edgy and irritated over small things.

This is the FIRST time I've done this all year, and I generally kind of look down on it. But today - I felt like I was gonna throw myself off a cliff!! I'm pregnant and tired and hormonal. Sigh...

While I am not going to flame you, you did ask for opinions and here is mine. Most of us who work, have been tired and hormonal (maybe even pregnant) and in an office you just don't have this option. I work in an emergency room and we are on our feet for 8 long hours with usually no food, maybe a drink and a quick dash to the bathroom. Our patients are just as demanding as any children at school. School is for teaching, my kids have 20 minutes to eat lunch and have recess, because they need the time to fulfill the curriculum. I would be one of the parents complaining about you if this happened at our school.

 

[disykat]

While I'm not a big fan of showing movies regularly in the classroom, an occasional short break or extra recess is sometimes necessary for the good of the "community" - whether it is the teacher or the students!

A 30 minute movie a few times a year is way different than watching full length movies for no apparent reason other than poor planning.

Movies can stimulate interest in a subject, reinforce a book that was read, be used as a tool for practicing outlining or notetaking, etc.

I'm only teaching part time this year, so there's no time for movies in my day. However, when I taught full time I made a POINT of showing a few each year because the kids really enjoyed them. I was just thinking recently about the episode of "Reading Rainbow" I used to show every year for Chinese New Year.

 

[va32h]

Love it--"singing mice?" Don't know why this hit me as funny, but I so understand what you're saying! Sometimes we struggle to see the relevance of what our kids tell us they're doing in the classroom--and I know, we need to take what they're saying with a grain of salt. (Just like teachers cannot believe everything their students tell them about what's going on at home!)
I taught--it is possible to find relevant "fun" material to show/do in the classroom once in a while!

Well, I was trying to give the music teacher the benefit of the doubt. A lot of the old Looney Tunes cartoons used famous classical music pieces. I know that's how I recognize Beethoven's 5th. Elmer Fudd knocks on Bugs' door and he says:

"Nobody's Home"
"Nobody's Home"



"

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

While I am not going to flame you, you did ask for opinions and here is mine. Most of us who work, have been tired and hormonal (maybe even pregnant) and in an office you just don't have this option. I work in an emergency room and we are on our feet for 8 long hours with usually no food, maybe a drink and a quick dash to the bathroom. Our patients are just as demanding as any children at school. School is for teaching, my kids have 20 minutes to eat lunch and have recess, because they need the time to fulfill the curriculum. I would be one of the parents complaining about you if this happened at our school.
__________________

Bolding is my own. As a parent i agree with this. I was one of the nerdy kids in school that HATED it when a teacher or sub would do this. After only 2 movies i told my mother and she was mad that i didn't mention it after the first one was shown. She went to the principal and it never happened again. School is for learning.

 

[Ready to go in Ok]

I want to add that I have no problem with the occasional educational video.

But if this idea catches on, it would be kind of cool. "No, I'm sorry, that patient won't be going for his cardiac cath...I've had a long week and I think we're going to watch Columbo instead." If it were possible, I might do it.

So, if you can get away with it, have at it!

I don't think that is quite the same. But that's just me.

 

[RLccweems]

This happens from time to time at our school. And I know the kids love the break. i don't mind if it's a disney film...kids do need a little break.


lettie

 

[daisyduck123]

1st grade teacher here....I put in a video once a week (sometimes I miss a week) when I just NEED A BREAK.

I always have a supply of educational/curriculum related videos on hand though....just to be on the safe side.

*BTW, I get these "county-approved" videos right from our school library.
They are anywhere from 15-30 minutes long.

**Today we watched the episode of Reading Rainbow about "shadows".
We've been studying shadows & tying it in with Groundhog Day.

 

[disneymom3]

As a parent, this would really peeve me. When DD was in K the teacher put on Arthur now and then in the afternoon. The reason that really got to me was they had just switched to all day every other day K for these kids midyear. Yeah, I agree they were wiped out and probably not functioning very well, but the school system is the one who said they had to stay there. An educational video I would not have minded at all. Heck, I homeschool now and even at home my kids are not allowed to watch TV unless it is from the nonfiction section of the library. They do have some good stuff there adn my kids have picked up a lot of info from them.

So, my feeling is, fluff would tick me off, educational bent even not on topic--like how animals live, how magnets are made, etc--that would not bother me at all.