Would you be mad if....

[Cindy B]

I have seen the shoe for pencil thing as well. Constantly there are students that are consistently unprepared. I can't tell you how many pencils/pens I bring in from home, and the students use, or I never get back.

I haven't personally seen this lately, but I know it happens. I think for a written workbook textbook assignment, and it is seatwork, its not a huge deal.. if there was a fire drill or soemthing like that, the shoe would go back on in a hurry!

As for the name on the board, that is what worked for your daughter.. if that makes sense. Be grateful that this is the only thing it took for her to understand the rules. It is more of a drama thing than anything else. I have some students that it takes conferences with principals and guidance counselors to behave!

For my daughter, she had to sit on the stage with one other girl in lunch room. (that was a punishment). That is what it took for her to behave in the lunch room. She was indignant about it, and then I asked her.. well... did you do that? (whatever the offense was) and she did say yes!

 

[Cindy B]

And for the other posters that have offered backpacks, etc... my school only allows backpacks in lockers only, and the last core class of the day...

The administration is worried about what could or couldn't be concealed in backpacks/purses.. so they don't allow them during classroom time with the exception of the final core of the day.

The only reason they are allowed in the final core of the day is that is when the entire school gets let out, and the hallways are jammed with kids, and they don't want the student to miss the bus if they are still attempting to fight the crowd of students and also do that.

And with orthotics, special needs.. there are some exceptions to the shoe/pencil rule, and the teachers for the most part are pretty aware of who can/can't do that.

 

[mom2boys]

I can guarantee that a teacher would only ask for my 8 yr old son's shoe ONCE. The entire class would be unproductive if his shoe were off in the classroom. He baths regularly and now wears socks daily(now). We frequently wash his sneakers and we have sparyed every conconcetion known to man in his shoes. It doesn't matter. Within a week of owning new shoes they STINK.

 

[phamton]

Just an idea for the teachers in the group. I collect thrown away and lost pencils. These are the ones I loan out. They are usually stubs of pencils usually without an eraser and often with tooth marks on them. The kids hate borrowing my pencils as they are too little to sharpen and too uncomfortable to use. So when a student is without a pencil, I happily loan mine and the students rarely forget to return them.

If I happen to find a pencil that is new, I break it in half to have 2 or 3 pencils to loan. The students are never afraid to borrow a pencil from me because I cheerfully loan them. The students are not very happy with my pencils but it tends to make them remember to bring their own pencil next time with no reminders from me. I never have to nag my students about not having a pencil. I've got plenty of pencils to loan.

Bev

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Interesting topic...

If my dds shoe was taken, I say good. I buy her supplies and she has almost a hundred pencils at home. There is no reason she should be w/o one.
Also at her middle school there is a pen & pencil machine. You can buy them at school, anytime during the day.

Hmmm....maybe I will give her teachers pencils for Christmas for the classroom, heh?
If I could get my hands on those tiny library pencils that would be good for loaners, don't you think?

 

[Mskanga]

As for parents sending in packs of pencils at the beginning of the school year thats ridiculous. We already have to send in tissues and buy our own child's supplies. Then there are the fees for planners, workbooks, insurance and textbook rentals. There's no way I'm paying for someone else's kid's supplies.

That's where our schools are different, our school district supplies all those things ( including tissues and cough drops ) , so to us parents in our school, would not be much to spend $1.00 here and there for pencils. Luckily my dd always extra pencils with her and never needed one , but the bottom line is that the teacher has a class rule in place that goes against school district policy. Yes there must be class rules, but they must go along with the school policies.
Funny thing is this is the second year for this teacher, but four years ago another teacher tried the same rule, and the principal took care of that one. We were wondering ( since both teachers are about the same age ) if this is something they learn in College.

 

[poohandwendy]

but the bottom line is that the teacher has a class rule in place that goes against school district policy

Actually how much of the 'shoes at all times' rule is part of the dress code? What I am getting at is that if the main reason for that policy is to prevent students from removing their shoes (or even not wearing them at all), t really may not apply to teachers holding a shoe for a pencil. Like most dress code rules, they are in place to keep the students in check. Not necessarily because it is such a safety issue to have a student without a shoe for one period.

Yes there must be class rules, but they must go along with the school policies.

We have a 'no hats during class' rule, but that doesn't mean (wthin reason, like a presentation) hats cannot ever touch the head of student in the classroom. Our district leaves it up to the discretion of the teacher. Sometimes that just makes more sense.

 

[tmq2766]

For all you teachers out there that think it is OK to take a students shoe for borrowing a pencil how would you feel if when you called a neighbor to borrow a cup of sugar or whatever else you might need in a pinch and they agreed but only if they could have your shoe until you returned whatever you borrowed..... SAME THING.....
To me it is degrading to a child.......

 

[Toby'sFriend]

oh please! It is not the same thing at all. And if I had a neighbor who was continually borrowing things without returning them, I'd probably want something much more valuable than an old smelly shoe as collateral.

Degrading to a child? Honestly?

Because to tell you the truth, I think you're being a wee bit dramatic there.

 

[tmq2766]

And a teacher loaning out a .5 cent pencil is not being dramatic by taking a students "Old Smelly Shoe"?

 

[dcgrumpy]

What is so degrading about not wearing a shoe? sStting all day with your underwear on your head, that's degrading.

 

[caitycaity]

my view on things like this is:

in life we all have to deal with people we may not agree with or don't like that are in positions of power, maybe a boss, maybe an insurance adjustor, etc.

sometimes life is not fair. better kids learn that lesson while they are young and learn how to deal with people in positions of authority that they do not get along with now rather than have mommy and daddy always "fix" the problem for them.

i think excessive parent intervention is partially where the entitlement mentality comes from.

just my two cents.

 

[AirForceRocks]

Originally posted by caitycaity
my view on things like this is:

in life we all have to deal with people we may not agree with or don't like that are in positions of power, maybe a boss, maybe an insurance adjustor, etc.

sometimes life is not fair. better kids learn that lesson while they are young and learn how to deal with people in positions of authority that they do not get along with now rather than have mommy and daddy always "fix" the problem for them.

i think excessive parent intervention is partially where the entitlement mentality comes from.

just my two cents.

ITA caity. As a parent, I realize that it's hard sometimes to not jump into every "battle" when it comes to kids and teachers, but as caity said, better they learn now than later that life isn't always fair.

 

[sha_lyn]

As for the name on the board, that is what worked for your daughter.. if that makes sense. Be grateful that this is the only thing it took for her to understand the rules. It is more of a drama thing than anything else. I have some students that it takes conferences with principals and guidance counselors to behave!

Her DD did not miss behave, she closed a darn book so that she could open up the other one she was also suppose to read. As for understanding the rules. Even the teacher admitted that the OP's DD didn't know it was a rule.

As for the shoe thing.... I certainly would talk to the teacher about it. If he still continued his stupid policy then I would go over his head. He is violating school policy and putting the kids safty in danger. Shoes can track in a lot of junk, including broken glass. I understand his fustraion over pencils not being returned, but he should either take something else (maybe the text book for the next class?), put the kids names on the board as a reminder to both of them, or not loan out pencils.

 

[AirForceRocks]

I'm sorry, but I'm just not getting the big deal over the name on the board...do the other kids in the room not know your DD's name? Are you guys in the Witness Protection Program or something? I just don't see the big deal. It's not like Attorney General Ashcroft put her name out on the Most Wanted Terrorist list or something, her name is on the blackboard, big deal.

 

[poohandwendy]

i think excessive parent intervention is partially where the entitlement mentality comes from.

AMEN Caity!!!! Reading through this thread has completely convinced me that teachers are grossly underpaid, no matter what they make.

Most teachers I know have stated the hardest part of their job is dealing with the parents who undermine teir every move, now I can see what they mean.

 

[tmq2766]

WOW!!!!!
I think it is pretty obvious out of everyone who has posted on this thread which ones are teachers......
Sometimes I repeat sometimes I feel teachers take their authority to an extent..... The shoe thing proves that......

 

[Goofball]

Most of us teachers chose this profession because we are power hungry and want free reign to pick on little people. BWAHAHAHAHA!

Gee whiz.

 

[tmq2766]

Sometimes I repeat sometimes I feel teachers take their authority to an extent.....

What a surprise again things said on this board were taken the wrong way or to much like a personal attack.
Apparently for some people unless you think exactly like them you will be nailed......
Being sarcastic just causes more reasonon for a thread to get UGLY!!!!!!!!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

ok - I'm confused. Why are you quoting yourself?

btw, I'm not a teacher, AirForceRocks isn't a teacher, CaityCaity isn't a teacher, and I'm pretty sure PoohandWendy isn't a teacher.