Monday, January 23, 2006

Here we go again

I have mentioned before that I experience some dread when Ryan gets into the car and the first words out of his mouth are:  "Mom, I have some good news and some bad news."

Usually he comes up with some good news, but today it was Ben who spewed the bad news for him, and after that, there was no good news for me to hear:  "He got a 'Think Sheet'!  For just ____!"  (I left it out to build the suspense for this next part...written in red ink on a hot pink page, you know, easy to read...)

"Ryan continues to go to the electric pencil sharpener very frequently each day during work time.  He has been asked not to do this and told that there are sharpened pencils in a can on my desk that he can get anytime.  And today, he didn't even check at his table where there were 3 extra sharpened pencils.  The loud sound is very distracting to the other kids.  Ryan is also working on staying in his seat and staying on task, so this doesn't help.  And mainly, I've asked him countless times not to get up and use the pencil sharpener during work time."

So now, he has to write a few sentences to answer the question, "What can you do differently next time that will work better for you?"

Hmm.  Let's just look at that again:

"Ryan continues to go to the electric pencil sharpener very frequently each day during work time.  He has been asked not to do this and told that there are sharpened pencils in a can on my desk that he can get anytime.  And today, he didn't even check at his table where there were 3 extra sharpened pencils.."

"I will try to use the pencil I already have.   If I can't find a pencil that I deem usable, I will use crayon.  If that doesn't work, I will prick my own finger and write in my blood, as I don't want to risk leaving my seat and getting a pencil from the can on your desk."

"The loud sound is very distracting to the other kids."  

(I think she left out the part where she says that this loud sound, multiplied by the 20 other kids in the classroom being kids, reverberates in her head like the noise from a thousand jackhammers, don't you think?)

"I will be more considerate.  I will hand you a bottle of Tylenol as I walk in the door on Monday." 

"Ryan is also working on staying in his seat and staying on task, so this doesn't help."

"I will try to stay in my seat better, and the flexicuffs oughta do it, while helping me stay "on task," too."

"And mainly, I've asked him countless times not to get up and use the pencil sharpener during work time."

(Again, this may be missing: "Obviously, you've not taught that child to listen the first time, causing me to waste precious breath repeating myself.")

"I will try to pay attention and only cause you to repeat yourself once."

To be honest, after I showed it to Mr W, I jumped in my van and sped off to the school to look for her.  Very heat of the moment.   Fire in my maternal belly.

When I got home, as I came in the door, Nolan asked me, "What happened?"

I replied, "She wasn't there."  Then, under my breath, I muttered, "So she still lives."

Mr W heard me, and he was chuckling before I entered our bedroom.  (I don't think Nolan did.)

I'm going to have a chat with her tomorrow.  I never said Ryan was an angel, and I need to determine just how disruptive and ants-in-his-pants he really is before I come undone, if at all.

"Think Sheets" for talking in the halls, burping, and sharpening pencils...I never knew you could get in trouble just for being a kid.  

It's a shame I haven't copied these, and laminated them or something, for posterity.

You know, to have something to laugh and send to him when he calls to say "Mom, I have some good news and some bad news.....about little Ryan."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can't say I find that teacher's writing to be very top notch. I think you should rewrite it in more clear prose, make it much less wordy.

Something like, "I thought I wanted to be a teacher but I don't like kids so I drink at night. The pencil sharpener sets off my hangover."

xoxo

Anonymous said...

hi,
    loved your entry, arnt kids wonderful I used to dread daniel saying i have good news and not so good news. i once said to daniel what is it with the word NO you dont understand. My smart arse of a son says O i nearly choked laughing, he was very young at the time. have a great day,
katie x

Anonymous said...

Trey brought home a sheet yesterday also! It had his grade (98~A) and a conduct grade of a B-... At the bottom it had written, "Trey just won't stop talking". I just wonder how much talking he can be doing and still maintain a grade like that? He asked me if he were in trouble.. I replied "No, I know Mrs._____ is just a hateful old woman that is only there for 2 more years until she can retire." I'm guessing he will tell her this if she asks him what I said about that report. And she will ask him too, because I don't think I will sign it and send it back until tomorrow.

This teacher is so bad that Trey once came home and said "Mrs ____ can be nice, Mom. Because her little grandson came into the room today, and she was nice to him. So she must not hate kids."... And that came from a 7 year old. This is the woman that told him that she didn't care that it was his birthday when he told that it was! Talk about being mad!!!

I don't know what it is about school these days. They don't give kids a recess anymore, but expect them to be fully focused and to sit quite and all... Kinda stupid if you ask me..

Now you have me started, Anna...

***Monica

Anonymous said...

LOL!  :)

Anonymous said...

Being that she IS an adult... maybe she could UNPLUG the sharpener and put it in a cupboard until a specific time.  Give them like five minutes to power sharpen maybe when she has earplugs in!  If you don't want them using it... take it away.  

I went around a couple years ago w/one of my son's teachers.  He was home with 103 degree fever.  When he returned he was given a 0 on an assignment that had been due the day he was absent!!!  School policy stated that "an child with an excused absence will have three days to make up an work from that day and will be able to turn in assignments the day he/she returns that were due the day of the abscense"  

I wrote the teacher thinking she didn't get my note.  She wrote back that she has her own rules.  I had to go through guidence -- the told me the teacher wouldn't excuse a girl last year that had been in the hospital and there was nothing I could do.  I told them I wasn't  that girls mother but MY Son would not take a zero.  I went to the principle and got this response "THe teacher said she was trying to teach them to be prepared ahead and he SHOULD have turned it in EARLY!!! " LIke if the payroll clerk was sick she wouldn't want her to have a "doover" and cut her check the next day!  I finally had to threaten to go to the next school board meeting! Then the zero was removed.  Sure isn't like it was when I was in school.

Now see what you've started... teachergripes.com!  LOL  

Anonymous said...

You've GOT to be kidding me.  Getting in trouble for sharpening his pencil?  Unbelievable.  

I honestly don't know what's happening to schools anymore.  It's a sad state really.  All these rules and regulations were imposed on me when I was in school...and I turned out to be a very productive member of society.  ::maybe::  LOL  

Either way...I think it's ridiculous and I'd be talking to the teacher too.  

Let us know how it went!

XO,
bridgett

Anonymous said...

Obviously you are the worst parent on the face of the earth-can you not restrain your child? :)  
Who need a sharp pencil anyway-just give him a crayon!  LOL!!!!
Good luck with the teacher and keep is posted!
Gillie
http://journals.aol.com/ekgillen/Gillie/