I will be real with you. As hard as I try, there are things that I just can't teach. Now if you know me you would first think "well, she probably can't teach math too well". But quite frankly if I had to I probably could teach the hell out some math. Maybe not anything over kindergarten math, but I would have those kids counting to the moon and back in no time.
What I can't do is teach students to be good people. I can model good behavior, I can inflict consequences on bad behavior, but being a good person, I think that is something from the inside. It may even be genetic. I say this because in the course of my life I have met some folk that may be considered "bad" people. Just working here I have met drug dealers, strippers, and even a parent who did time for murder ( yeah...that kid got an A...LOL). But all in all as I got to know them, I learned that inside they are really good people and for the most part were doing things they did not want to do to take care of their families...or even pushed into a series of events and just made the wrong choice. They worked with their child and they were never afraid to tell me what they don't know.
In most every classroom in American now there is a child with special needs. Usually around third grade the general ed students start noticing there is a "difference" with one of their classmates. This manifests in one of two ways: 1. The students rally around their "family" and ensure that nothing happens to them or 2. they find any way to take advantage.
My class has chosen option 2.
So today my special needs child brings in his money for his field trip. $10. One student tells him that I am no longer taking money for the trip. He uses the money to buy snacks in the cafeteria and proceeds to pass them out to other students like communion on first Sunday. See the problem is they know why he had the money and they choose to do the wrong.
Even picked out the chips they wanted. Jesus Wept.
My explanation to them was in life you have to be a good person first. And it is REALLY hard to be a good person. You must do the right thing even when you know that doing the wrong think will get you the immediate pleasure (in this case some cookies and hot fries). My disappointment is that I try to make sure that during the course of teaching about writing and subject- verb agreement that I try to teach my kids how to be good people.
But that is a skill that is only assessable, not necessarily teachable. At least not by your friendly neighborhood third grade teacher.
What I can't do is teach students to be good people. I can model good behavior, I can inflict consequences on bad behavior, but being a good person, I think that is something from the inside. It may even be genetic. I say this because in the course of my life I have met some folk that may be considered "bad" people. Just working here I have met drug dealers, strippers, and even a parent who did time for murder ( yeah...that kid got an A...LOL). But all in all as I got to know them, I learned that inside they are really good people and for the most part were doing things they did not want to do to take care of their families...or even pushed into a series of events and just made the wrong choice. They worked with their child and they were never afraid to tell me what they don't know.
In most every classroom in American now there is a child with special needs. Usually around third grade the general ed students start noticing there is a "difference" with one of their classmates. This manifests in one of two ways: 1. The students rally around their "family" and ensure that nothing happens to them or 2. they find any way to take advantage.
My class has chosen option 2.
So today my special needs child brings in his money for his field trip. $10. One student tells him that I am no longer taking money for the trip. He uses the money to buy snacks in the cafeteria and proceeds to pass them out to other students like communion on first Sunday. See the problem is they know why he had the money and they choose to do the wrong.
Even picked out the chips they wanted. Jesus Wept.
My explanation to them was in life you have to be a good person first. And it is REALLY hard to be a good person. You must do the right thing even when you know that doing the wrong think will get you the immediate pleasure (in this case some cookies and hot fries). My disappointment is that I try to make sure that during the course of teaching about writing and subject- verb agreement that I try to teach my kids how to be good people.
But that is a skill that is only assessable, not necessarily teachable. At least not by your friendly neighborhood third grade teacher.
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