Friday, May 30, 2008

HEART OF GOLD

Read this and tell me it's not from a first person experience. Bet those Ed-Profs don't mention these kind of incidents in class.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nothing gets ya ready for this except for jumping into the water--yeah, it's hot. THREE more days to go--# four is using some of that comp time :)

-- Jason said...

I have had my share of run-ins with "Helicopter Parents" this year. I held my ground each time, and I am happy to report that my Principal was very supportive of me, for which I am grateful.

As far as Ms. Gold's article is concerned, I must take exception to her idea that much of our so-called beating is deserved. The few alleged idiots who have been arrested for their alleged crimes might deserve their alleged beatings, but the rest of us are honest, hard-working, caring individuals who deserve nothing but the utmost respect.

Anonymous said...

I think "I must take exception to her idea that much of our so-called beating is deserved" is based on your site alone.

Perhaps she, like me, know a lot of sub-par teachers that the district has hired - not only the ones in handcuffs and jumpsuits. They all cast the shadow on us.

The public does not make that distinction and apparently neither did you. It is a problem.

Nice to know your principal supports the "fly-bys". Some are not so fortunate.

Is there a protocol that you follow (and would share) that allows her to feel secure in doing so?

-- Jason said...

Virgin, I'm not entirely sure I follow you. Are you saying that based on my site I deserve a so-called beating? If so, would you please be more specific as to why you believe so?

There are sub-par people in all professions, including teaching. Rarely do those other professions make headlines when somebody errs.

If you have taken offense to my use of the word "alleged" then I'm sorry you don't understand the finer point of the law. The various accused teachers are innocent until proven guilty. If proven guilty, they ought to be punished to the fullest extent of the law and should never be allowed anywhere near a classroom. However, I refuse to castigate the entire profession.

The public needs to make a distinction between classroom teachers and district policies. Often people are critical of policy but take it out on teachers instead.

For example, in light of the district's recent decision to curve semester exams, I would not be surprised that a few years from now people will complain that "Johnny can't read" and they will then blame teachers instead of the politicians that have been voted into office (or hired by those who have been voted into office) to run the school district. No, it will be the teachers who get the heat. Big "non-profit" (yet filthy rich) corporations will then swoop-in and attempt to "fix" the system. The teachers will get the blame. The politicians and corporations will look like heroes for tackling a problem they created in the first place.

I may or may not be a "fly-by." Only time can tell how long I will stay in the profession. For now, I have no immediate plans to leave.

Although I believe I have a decent working relationship with my principal, I would like to think that it is my documentation and teaching abilities of which she has been supportive. I am aware that others are not so fortunate. (Indeed there are some at my own school who may have had entirely different experiences.)

As far as protocol is concerned... when a parent complains that I have been uncommunicative and I produce a folder full of back-and-forth e-mails, I don't think there is any room for doubt that I am in the right. Virgin, is this the kind of thing you're asking for?

Anonymous said...

Jason,

"I am a member of a profession that has taken a beating lately - much of it deserved." appears to be a straight forward point.

It was my intent to point out that YOUR interpretation was based on YOUR experience at YOUR site. Her comment appeared to be a conclusion based on a much broader field of vision. That's all.

Then, one sentence later you reverse course with "The few alleged idiots who have been arrested for their alleged crimes might deserve their alleged beatings..." They DO deserve whatever the law lays on them.

I am fully aware of the nuances of "alleged" - its how lawyers make their money. Stephanie is "alleged" to have done "it" three times with a student. Can you honestly listen to the tapes and still think "alleged"?

The author is a teacher at Freedom High School. (ring a bell?) I would expect similar comments from any faculty where a teacher subjected their fellow faculty to the humiliation of a sex-with-student arrest. I'm sure she has heard some pretty "interesting" stories. Kids talk, lie, exaggerate. You gotta take it with a grain of salt but the truth is in there somewhere.

Sub-par doctors, surgeons, bus drivers, architects, lawyers, judges, cops, senators, governors, etc. grab headlines.

I must admit to an equal oversight. My statement should have been more specific and read: "Nice to know your principal supports you instead of the "fly-bys". I apologize for that one - it looks terrible and targets you. Not good.

Yes, the protocol of a folder full of documentation is exactly what so many rookies ignore.

You are dead on with the "Johnny Can't Read" scenario. It's what the public looks for - since the 1950's. Read the article Suzie has on the side bar.

-- Jason said...

LOL. The misinterpretations of the blogosphere! I accept your apology vis a vis "fly-by". I must also offer an apology... when I read your reference to my "site" I had interpreted it as referring to my WEB SITE as opposed to my WORK SITE. Things now make sense.

Anonymous said...

What happened to Goader?

Anonymous said...

Not sure what happened to goader. Could be someone hijacked his site.

Suzie Creamcheese said...

Found him and updated the link.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate your concern for my absence. I am in the process of changing hosts, and, at the same time I am migrating everything to my preferred domain name: es-kay.net

If you will set your favorites to es-kay.net then you will go to wherever EsKay is located. This is a temporary location until my new site goes live early next week.

The domain name es-kay.net has always been hosted by a direct domain host, which redirects to whatever address EsKay is located. That is for assurance that no one can take down EsKay for very long, as I can always go to an alternate host and es-kay.net will still work.

That address will always work no matter what address appears in the address window.

I will make it the home domain when the new site is up and running. However, it will continue to also reside with the direct domain host as insurance.

Anonymous said...

Actually i rather enjoy looking at the woman pictured on the site now. It beats the he** out of you picture. :)

Anonymous said...

I would be a bit concerned if you favored my picture over a pretty girl's, so all is as it should be.