Take Me There to Disneyland

(via @yourguyeli)

When i was a teachers assistant(first grade), i would add extra points for doodles and drawings when i was grading papers. Obviously, these points didnt go in the grade book. I called them Miss Rachel points. But the kids loved it and started doing more complex drawings on the back of their homework to get more points. I had a parent tell me that her daughter got excited to finish her homework so she could do a new drawing for me, so teachers, of literally any grade, give the drawings some acknowledgment. Its a creative outlet that may motivate your students to do their homework but more importantly, it could be someone's escape and you just writing "nice panda" next to their drawing will make them feel so special.

Giving points for doodles is always a must. I did that as a college professor.

There are no stupid questions

This story says a lot about the assumptions we make about people. People assumed this girl was stupid even though she was passing her classes, and doing very well in them, simply because she didn't act the way that they expected a "smart person" to act. On top of that though, the compassion on display here, the saint-level patience, are really sweet.

That said, there's something I'd like to highlight. This girl would have been just as valid if they really were her questions. "No stupid questions" doesn't just mean "Maybe this person has a good reason for asking." It means that there are no stupid questions. None. Every bit of knowledge we have started with someone deciding to ask a question. Often a question that no one else thought needed to be asked. I'm sure that before Sir Isaac Newton, "Why do things fall down?" was considered a silly question. The thing is, if no one ever asks the "dumb" and "silly" questions, then how do we know that they are? The difference between a fact and an assumption is in checking what we know.

I mean the answer could just as easily have been “she gets good grades BECAUSE she asks all these questions, because asking for clarification when you don’t understand something is how you learn”

It's also a nice reminder that intelligence truly is much more diverse than most people think it is. Even if someone isn't good in school, that doesn't mean they're dumb. This friend of the person we're talking about suffered from social anxiety. Other students suffer from learning disorders like dyslexia or memory/hyperactivity disorders like ADHD or ADD. I myself struggled with hyperfocus and ADHD at school, and so did my father -- he was consistently put down for his intelligence by his stepfather, and although I was able to project confidence and intelligence to my classmates and ended up getting a pretty respectable GPA by the end, that didn't mean I didn't struggle with my grades my entire school career.

Even if someone isn't intelligent in an academic sense, it doesn't mean they can't be intelligent in other ways that aren't as easy to measure in tests. They could be emotionally intelligent, or intelligent in regards to physical strength and how to use it, or artistically intelligent, or even intelligent about people and how trustworthy they are. This person sure knew how to pick friends, if nothing else! And I would make the argument that most teachers actually prefer it if you do ask questions, "stupid" or not, because it means you're listening and paying attention enough that you want to make sure you fully understand the material. I'm not a teacher exactly, but I train new employees in my line of work, and I certainly prefer people who will ask "dumb" questions rather than stay silent and then prove later on through their actions that they didn't understand the material. And of course, even if in the end a person isn't considered intelligent by any metric, that doesn't mean they're worthy of ridicule for it.

There's always more going on than just what you can see. People are always more than just what you can see of them.

youth have a right to be educated about the world regardless of what their parents/caretakers believe. youth have a right to learn accurate information about the world for themselves, including information that allows them to disagree with their parents/caretakers. we have got to destroy this mindset that everyone under 18 is essentially sentient playdough for parents to mold however they want and its violating "parent's rights" to allow their children to be educated on basic facts of the world (like that queer people exist or that america is founded on genocide) because it would mean they lose the slightest bit of control over their child's reality. imo schools have a moral responsibility to protect youth's right to knowledge and freedom of thought over their parent's "right" to control everything they know. your children should be allowed to fucking disagree with you, and restricting their access to knowledge in order to prevent that is abuse.

Hi I want to let you kids know how effective these walk outs are: public schools are payed by attendance. Meaning if you’re not going to class the whole school isn’t getting payed their share. Now if it’s just like the normal kid has a sick day that’s normal.

But a class of 200? And you know who’s getting the blame? Administration. So kids continue to plan your walk outs in DROVES. Convince the kid with perfect attendance to join you, get your teacher involved by having them accept your homework at a later time.

You kids deserve a proper education and school experience. Don’t let these adults take that away from you.

My high school was 2 THOUSAND. Back in 2018, we had a beloved teacher put on leave for talking about the Parkland shooting. Nearly 300 students + staff did an impromptu walkout. We were threatened with loss of prom and graduation… until a certain magazine caught wind of us. It was TIME. Our random high school was now national news. One of my classmates went on primetime news. We had helicopters for days. The next time we walked out, over half the school participated. We were blocked in on all sides by cops.

Walkouts make them scared. Walkouts get attention. Walkouts work.

literature/history professor: *praises me*

me, instantly: now, i can finally die at peace

My history teacher stopped class the morning after my sophomore year school play to give my performance a glowing review.

That made it into my novel almost ten years later.

He later went on to make the class write a monologue as if they were living through each historical period we covered in class. There will never be another Mr. Higgins.

When I was in middle school and we reached the part in the Russian history curriculum where we discussed the fall of the Romanov dynasty, I ended up raising my hand so much during my teacher’s lectures, adding in additional details and context to what he was teaching, that I helped teach the class. There were even details I’d learned -- such as Olga, Tatiana, and Alexandra actually serving as nurses during WWI -- that my teacher had been unaware of. And believe me when I say that I wouldn’t have felt even half as confident in sharing how much I adored and had researched that part of history on my own (thanks, Don Bluth!) if my teacher hadn’t encouraged it 150%. It didn’t even matter if the rest of the class looked at me funny -- knowing my teacher liked what I had to contribute and actually found it interesting was enough. 

So yes. In case you need extra confirmation about how much positive reinforcement can mean, to a kid. 💜

WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU AMERICAN EDUCATION SYSTEM?!!

Here in Australia we just explain how seatbelts work and about not getting into cars with drunk drivers but okay America.

#i think its because teenagers are kinda dumb and think theyre invincible#at least my students are#so you have to show them death to smack it into their heads that they can actually die 

You clearly don’t have to, since we get along just fine without doing it. This just sounds like a great way to traumatise kids but the stats say that American kids tend to come out of high school with PTSD anyway so in for a penny I guess. Is there any data to suggest that this affects teen road accident statistics in any way or did someone just decide it sounded cool and impactful one day?

If this is a common US thing at all (and I doubt it - in fact I’d guess some or all of these tweets are complete fabrications), it’s recent. This didn’t happen when I went to high school and I’ve never personally heard of it happening anywhere else either.

Here’s a Wikipedia article about one such program. My high school did it. Also they lie about statistics. And at my school, people eulogized themselves and we were supposed to act respectful during it.

Also, the teachers were supposed to keep the scheduling a secret, but the German instructor warned us.

they put us in a theater and acted it out on stage, complete with a real car and a sequence where they tried and failed to revive the girl. then at the end they told us how many times they had observed us looking at our phones. They weren’t anyone from our school, though, just a company that did this every year.

So much of American education is built around “scare ‘em straight” and you have no idea how fucked up it is.

"Flowerd" - a better alternative to the "hangman" game.

So you might have seen this image going around the internet.

[ID: A high school hallway crammed with shoulder-to-shoulder teenagers, about three of whom are wearing masks. End ID.]

This is a high school in my area. This was the first day back. This picture, taken by a student, went viral (ha), and the superintendent was more or less forced to make a statement. It’s long and it’s a lot of bullshit but here’s the big stupid part.

“One area where we have received a good deal of feedback is mask use in our schools. Wearing a mask is a personal choice and there is no practical way to enforce a mandate to wear them. What we will do is continue to strongly encourage all students and staff to wear masks.”

If I have to explain to you the staggering level of bullshit in this statement, then you’ve never been an AFAB person in high school. Tank top? Sent home. Jeans too tight? Home. Collarbones showing? Home. Never mind the application of out-of-school suspension, which is its own kind of bullshit that we’re not here to discuss today. If you can send someone home for showing too much ankle you can send them home for not wearing a mask.

I’ve seen pushback against him on Twitter but they’ve already proven they don’t give a shit what we think, or care about the safety of the students OR staff. Only that things look like they’ve gone back to normal.

So it’d be a real shame if people from all over blew up their phones at 770-443-8000 or used faxzero.com to send 5 free faxes per day to 770-443-8089 making known their concerns about this anti-response to a massive public health risk. Make it a national issue and maybe shame our government into acting like they’ve got a single brain cell between them. It’d just be real upsetting. I’m just saying.

HEY GUESS WHAT IT’S WORSE THAN THAT

“ Within days of that workout, several North Paulding [football] players had tested positive for the coronavirus. The school’s parents were notified just hours before the first day of class.”

“James’ parents saw the photograph that had been circulating Tuesday and told him, ‘You are not going back to school again,’ he said. But a few hours later, his mother had spoken to the school and was told that students who ‘chose not to go to school’ could face suspension or expulsion.“

“Any student found criticizing the school on social media could face disciplinary consequences.”

This is a fraction of the article, please read the whole thing. I didn’t know about the expulsion threats - there was a literal three-day window to enroll for virtual. These kids are forced to choose between their health and their academic career. I can’t form words, I’m so fucking mad. Please don’t let them get away with this unscathed - Kemp either, this is his goddamn fault.

“There is no way to enforce this” If I can get a group of rowdy 6 year olds to keep their masks on, you have no excuse.

We all knew that schools wouldn’t be able to remain safe but they don’t need to be this fucking flippant about being COVID petri dishes. Keep your kids home and take the suspension or expulsion, then when the school board gets fired for gross incompetence and endangering the lives of children you can take your apology letter and virtual classes a few months late. Expulsion is preferable to death.

This is in Georgia, and a lot of school districts there can’t legally have mask mandates. Governor Kemp signed an executive order prohibiting mask mandates and voiding ones already in place. He is suing the Atlanta City Council and Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms because Atlanta tried to enact a mask mandate. It’s now in mediation. 

Partial text of order: “Any state, county, or municipal law, order, ordinance, rule, or regulation that requires persons to wear face coverings, masks, or shields, or any other Personal Protective Equipment while in places of public accommodation or public property are suspended to the extent that they are more restrictive than this Executive Order" 

So yes, get on the school and the school board and their policies about dress codes and criticizing the school on social media; all very valid.  You can also contact Governor Kemp’s office at 404-656-1776 or through this form to urge him to listen to science and enact a mask mandate state-wide, or just do what Republicans say they like and let schools and towns have local control over enacting mask mandates they want to have.

Sources:

 NPR article

CBS News article

If your in school and reading this, refuse to go to school. Or if they force you, do a sort down strike. Refuse to go to classes. Get your friends to do the same. WEAR A FUCKING MASK.

They are killing you, your friends, their families, your teachers and thousands of random people who you will end up infecting. They are sending you back knowing that you will get sick and die or get other people killed. Dont let them. Your life isnt worth it.

That’s my moms school in one of those pictures. She teaches math. Let me tell you exactly how bad it is. There are between 28-33 students in all of my moms classes. The desks are all less than 2 feet away from each other, and facemasks are not required. Teachers are not allowed to tell students to wear masks. There are no temperature checks or other preventative measures being taken in an effort to keep symptomatic kids home. The school gave the teachers a “cleaning kit” which consisted of a single spray bottle of cleaning solution and a stack of brown recycled paper towels. They cant even use those cleaning kites, because it turns out that that solution is caustic, and will burn students hands if they come in contact with it. Teachers are banned from using their own money to buy normal brand sanitizers like lysol bcs they havent been approved by the fda for use within schools. The janitors are not required to sanitize the classrooms; instead the teachers are expected to do it between every class- a break of 7 minutes. Teachers are not allowed to construct any protective measures such as clear plastic shields between desks. Students are still eating their lunches in the cafeteria, a room which holds 500 students at a time.

Not only are these school districts being negligent in forcing these kids back to school, they are actively working against teachers attempting to do anything to minimize the risk.

There has already been on positive case at my moms school, of a student who spent two full days in class. An elementary school in another county has already had to shut down completely after an outbreak in a 2nd grade class. Schools have only been open for 3 days.

These school districts are putting students, teachers, and faculty at risk of illness and death because their arrogance and pride will not allow them to admit they might be wrong. Its despicable, and I hope every one of the bastards in charge of this decision gets fired and sued, and never placed in charge of children ever again

The student that posted that first image was suspended and teachers and students are being threatened with poor evaluations and suspensions if they are vocal on social media

https://twitter.com/Freeyourmindkid/status/1291127621024206849?s=19

Ok.  I’m asking this seriously.  Public schools aren’t businesses.  They don’t turn a profit.  They aren’t running in the red.  How is opening schools back up supposed to jump start the economy?

Oh I see.  It’s so parents can return to work allowing the government to skip out on another round of stimulus money.

Hmm.  Don’t like that much.

Also “back to school” shopping which is extra food, clothes, supplies, electronics. The big corps want those dollars too.

there are absolutely private companies that contract with school boards - dont think other wise - and they DESPERATELY want that school money

I’ve always detested Betsy Devos. She doesn’t even have an education background.

Students, you’re not powerless here. Contact everyone in your school, convince them to do a student strike. Stay home, or protest outside the school, or whatever. If enough of you refuse to enter the school, they’ll have to close it.

take your protest to the capital and give them your kid germs

The woman who benefits financially from private schools and has frequently pushed for private schools to be the only option for children is pushing to make public schools seem unsafe and a health risk? I’m shocked, shocked I say.

Once a little boy went to school. One morning The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. He liked to make all kinds; Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows, Trains and boats; And he took out his box of crayons And began to draw.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make flowers.” “Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make beautiful ones With his pink and orange and blue crayons. But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And it was red, with a green stem. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.”

The little boy looked at his teacher’s flower Then he looked at his own flower. He liked his flower better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just turned his paper over, And made a flower like the teacher’s. It was red, with a green stem.

On another day The teacher said: “Today we are going to make something with clay.” “Good!” thought the little boy; He liked clay. He could make all kinds of things with clay: Snakes and snowmen, Elephants and mice, Cars and trucks And he began to pull and pinch His ball of clay.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make a dish.” “Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make dishes. And he began to make some That were all shapes and sizes.

But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And she showed everyone how to make One deep dish. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.”

The little boy looked at the teacher’s dish; Then he looked at his own. He liked his better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just rolled his clay into a big ball again And made a dish like the teacher’s. It was a deep dish.

And pretty soon The little boy learned to wait, And to watch And to make things just like the teacher. And pretty soon He didn’t make things of his own anymore.

Then it happened That the little boy and his family Moved to another house, In another city, And the little boy Had to go to another school.

The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. And he waited for the teacher To tell what to do. But the teacher didn’t say anything. She just walked around the room.

When she came to the little boy She asked, “Don’t you want to make a picture?” “Yes,” said the little boy. “What are we going to make?” “I don’t know until you make it,” said the teacher. “How shall I make it?” asked the little boy. “Why, anyway you like,” said the teacher. “And any color?” asked the little boy. “Any color,” said the teacher. And he began to make a red flower with a green stem.

~Helen Buckley, The Little Boy

…

This gave me chills

i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again, if ron has studied the amount that hermione did he would have been an actual genius

Ron is an actual genius. The difference is that Hermione’s talents fit into the socially-preferred version of “genius” (i.e academic, “book smarts” knowledge). Whereas Ron’s talents (emotional support, strategy, intuitive thinking) are held in far less esteem in western society. 

Add in the fact that Ron is feminine coded (doing the lions share of emotional labour, etc) while Hermione is masculine coded (a preference for logic over emotion, etc.), and combine this with western societies lack of appreciation for feminine-coded talents. Net result? Ron is overlooked constantly simply because his talents are considered “less important” (despite being essential). 

I could mention the fact that Ron doesn’t have Hermione’s compulsive need to be the best student in the room (brought on by both her studious nature, but also due to her worry that she’ll be ousted from the wizarding world if she doesn’t do well). Unlike Hermione, Ron feels like he can’t live up to his siblings reputations, and -as a result- doesn’t even bother trying that much. Because why try and succeed if no-one notices either way? 

Arguably, Ron’s talents are just as valuable as Hermione’s (in some cases -like emotional labour- they are more valuable). But people don’t see that, because Rowling never has it in the foreground (since his abilities are more support-based). 

As the old saying goes; if you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, it will spend its entire life believing itself to be an idiot. Ron is a genius already; he just isn’t the type of genius that society prefers.

I couldn’t be in more agreement with this. Intelligence is often measured by grades, tests, and degrees, but I’m sorry, I’ve encountered plenty of good test takers who didn’t truly understand anything they studied. Regurgitation =/= learning, and intelligence is not that one-note. This is also why it frustrates me to all get-out when people also like to treat Harry as unintelligent. Yes, perhaps Harry and Ron didn’t do as well in school as Hermione, but they’re still very intelligent in their own way, even if it’s in ways that are not so easily categorized through rankings and percentages. That’s sort of the whole point of these three being a Golden Trio -- they each provide something valuable to the team that the other two don’t.

To break it down using the 9 types of intelligence --

Hermione is the scholar of the trio. Her intelligence comes largely from what she is able to soak up from books and in the classroom. She’s great at deduction and organization. She excels in logical-mathmatical intelligence.

Ron is the mediator of the trio. His intelligence comes largely from the people he knows and the world around him. He’s great at reading others’ moods and applying common sense to a situation. He excels in interpersonal intelligence.

Harry is the leader of the trio. His intelligence comes largely from within. He’s great at both acknowledging his own shortcomings and inspiring others with his sincere, modest example. He excels in intra-personal intelligence.

I don’t really know how to describe this feeling other than stressful, so I decided to draw it

Please let me draw and “sketchnote”

Ugh I know it

“If you’re drawing you’re not listening.” Absolutely untrue!! It’s ‘optimum arousal’. It’s why people can sing along to the radio while their driving to work and not worry about missing turns, but they need to turn down the music to navigate to a brand new address. Driving to work has become muscle memory and you actual need an outside stimuli to keep you’re brain paying attention. You need more brain power to navigate something new, so the music is now a distraction.

Same thing with people who listen better while doodling. If you’re an auditory learner you need something to occupy your vision and kinestics to optimally listen to what you’re supposed to learn. Auditory learners listen better when doodle- fact! 

(fyi- I’ve been a teacher for 16 years. I know what I’m talking about.)