The Christmas Film That Inspired Me To Become a Teacher

December 26, 2010

christmas-kranks

Ok. Confession time. The above picture is highly misleading.

I was in the first year of an Arts degree, and like many teenagers, wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do.  I hadn’t even given teaching a moments thought.  Too many bad memories from my own school days to give teaching a single speck of consideration.  But then one night I happened to watch the Jimmy Stewart classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and within hours that all changed.

The movie portrayed a character on the edge of his tether who attempts suicide when he realises he is worth more dead than alive.  Enter an angel named Clarence who shows him how he, without even realising it, touched the lives of the people around him.  Everyone wants to leave the world having achieved something – having made the lives of others more enjoyable and secure.  I started thinking about what I could do to make a contribution to society and in what area is there a need for someone with my limited talents.  Within two hours I went from never coming close to considering teaching to having the burning desire to teach.  This desire kept intensifying throughout the rest of my Arts degree and the Teaching degree that followed.  My passion has never cooled.  Actually, I love teaching more every day.

I’m interested to find out what inspired you to become a teacher.  Was it due to a brilliant teacher you had growing up?  Was it out of a love for a subject like Maths or Music?  Did you just want to offer the next generations something better than you had growing up?

Michael Grossman is the author of the hilarious new children’s book, My Favourite Comedian. You can buy a copy by clicking on this link. Thankfully, he has nothing to do with the utter disaster that is Christmas with the Kranks.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

The Primary Students that Plotted to Kill Their Teacher

December 24, 2010

I don’t know what is more disappointing, the students actions or the feeble response from this poor teacher’s school.

A primary school where over 200 youngsters plotted the assassination of their math’s teacher over Facebook is considering disciplinary measures against the students.

Tatjana Landsman, principal of the school in the northern town of Bjelovar, said she would be meeting with parents and the class council to discuss the matter.

“I am not certain what sorts of measures should be imposed, but the most important thing is that this case is seen as a warning, and that parents finally realise that children must be controlled in their use of internet and social networks,” Landsman said.

Oh really?  Let’s blame the internet! It’s not the kids fault – it’s the internet!

Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, state secretary Zelimir Janjic visited the school and offered assistance

“We always react in such situations because we do not wish to leave the school alone to deal with these problems,” said Janjic.

That’s nice.  So how are you reacting to the problem?

He added that several concrete steps has already been arranged, including workshops for parents organised in cooperation with Zagreb’s Institute for Protection of Children.

Janjic said that he would also advocate that schools get a psychologist in addition to having a pedagogue and a special education teacher, in order to have a team that could deal with such problems.

So let’s get this straight.  Two hundred students ganged up on their teacher and plotted the teacher’s assassination, and what was the consequence?  A workshop on better internet usage and a chance to consider getting a psychologist.

Hmmm…..

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Posted in Bullying, Teacher Welfare | 1 Comment »

Our Duty to Stop Bullying Websites

December 23, 2010

It was disappointing, yet not at all surprising, to hear of the new smash-hit website entitled LittleGossip.com, which promotes bullying behaviour online.

A new website that encourages schoolchildren to write anonymous gossip about their peers, which is then rated as ‘true’ or ‘false’ by other users of the site, has exploded in popularity among Britain’s pupils in the past month.
Many of the comments on Little­Gossip.com are obscene, while others are homophobic or threatening.

In one post, a student at Eton made the following barely literate contribution about a peer: ‘mate your a ******* wannabe, u spend all of dads cash on your drug addiction.’

Another pupil at Emanuel School in Battersea, South London, wrote of a girl at the school: ‘****** is working her way through the boys, but unfortunately hasn’t made any girl friends along the way, what will she do when she runs out of boys? And who is her next target?’

In my opinion, even if this site gets closed down, it’s only a matter of time before copycat sites appear all over the place.  While it is integral that parents and teachers are proactive in curbing bullying the problem is far too great to have confidence that such measures is going to be near sufficient.  Instead, it’s up to the online community to ensure that all such sites get closed down.  There is absolutely nothing of benefit for sites like this to exist.  We must ensure that we do all we can to stop the proliferation of online bullying.  It is one of the worst types of bullying.  Shame on the creators and users of this horrendous website!

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Posted in Bullying, Cyber Bullying | 5 Comments »

My Take on the “Lunchbox Wars”

December 22, 2010

It is my opinion that schools not only have a right but a duty to look after the welfare of their students.  Schools are well within their rights to impose sanctions on what foods are allowed and not allowed to be included in the children’s lunch boxes.  Yes, there are those who believe that being in a free country should give parents the freedom to do as they please.  I agree with that theory in part.  I think parents should be able to feed their kids whatever they want – in their own home.  At school, there is nothing wrong with imposing restrictions on sugary foods.  On the contrary, it’s commendable.

I am writing this in defense of Clifton Park Primary School, who are embroiled in a “Lunchbox War” with some parents over such a ruling:

A LOCAL school’s decision to monitor the contents of their students’ lunchboxes has sparked heated debate within the Bunbury community.

In last week’s edition of the Bunbury Mail, the mother of a Clifton Park Primary School student was outraged to learn her five-year-old son’s lunchbox snacks were being confiscated due to their sugar content.

The Bunbury Mail office was flooded with letters and Facebook posts from residents voicing their opinion.

Joy Whysall’s letter said it was an example of the world gone crazy.

“What gives others the right to choose what we eat?” she said.

“This is a disgraceful state of affairs when a teacher can go into a child’s lunchbox and take out what they feel is unsuitable for the child.”

I am sorry to disappoint the irate parents of Bunbury, but when they send their kids to a school, they are getting a lot more than a child minding service.  We teachers not only educate your kids, but we care for them and about them.  We educators strive to give your kids a safe, positive learning environment in which they can thrive.  Instead of seeing this as a violation of privacy, see this as a show of care and dedication.

I hope this exhibition of anger does not intimidate other schools from following Clifton Park’s fine example.

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Posted in Nutrition, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

Breast-Feeding Benefits Academic Achievement

December 21, 2010

Findings from a recent study in the journal ‘Pediatrics’, show that breast-feeding infants for at least six months appears to give kids’ an advantage in school.

This is not a new finding in itself.  However, what was of particular interest, was that boys appeared to benefit the most.

The researchers, from the University of Western Australia in Perth, have followed 2,868 children since the early ’90s. The study showed that, at age 10, boys who were breast-fed for six months or longer scored higher in math, reading and spelling compared with boys who were breast-fed for less than six months. Girls who were breast-fed for at least six months showed a small improvement in reading. The researchers controlled for other factors that could influence school performance, such as family income and education and how often the child was read to.

There were two reasons given for the link between breast-fed babies and academic performance:

1.  Breast milk is rich in long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids that are critical to brain development. It’s not clear why boys showed the largest gains from being breast-fed, but the authors explain that male babies are known to be more vulnerable in infancy than females. They speculate that breast-feeding “accelerates the rate of maturation in boys.
2.  Boys may also benefit more from the mother-child relationship facilitated by breast-feeding. “A number of studies have revealed that male infants are more reliant than female infants on maternal attention and encouragement for the acquisition of cognitive and language skills,” the authors wrote.

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Posted in Child Development, Teaching boys | Leave a Comment »

We Can Do More!

December 20, 2010

Teaching boys especially, requires greater investment and further innovation on the part of the teacher.  Boys are falling way behind, and there is no point sitting on our hands.  We can’t let it get any worse.

According to figures obtained by the BBC’s Today programme, one in 11 boys begin secondary school with the reading skills of an average seven-year-old.

Educational experts point out that once children reach secondary school age, it can be very difficult for them to catch up to the reading levels of their peers.

Speaking to the BBC, education secretary Michael Gove said it is “unacceptable” that children leave primary school without adequate reading skills.

“We want to ensure that those schools where children are not being taught to read are tackled,” he stressed.

Teaching kids to read is a fundamental role of the Primary teacher.  Since I joined the blogosphere, I have encountered brilliant blogs from all around the world that has informed me, shared ideas and strategies and opened my eyes to new technologies to introduce to the classroom.  This kind of collaboration has such a profound effect on teaching and learning and has helped me become a better educator.

That’s why I think we can address issues such as those quoted above together.

Let’s work cooperatively in trying to improve literacy and numeracy, allow our students the opportunity to express themselves and think creatively and let us ensure that both girls and boys are achieving.


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Posted in Literacy, Teaching boys | 2 Comments »

A Quarter of 4-5 year-olds Obese!

December 19, 2010

Some very disturbing figures released recently in the UK show that 23.5% of four to five-year-olds are overweight or obese.

Unfortunately it only gets worse in the following years:

One in three (33.4 per cent) of children in their final year of primary school (aged 10 to 11).

In the 2009/10 reception year, 13.3 per cent of children were classed as overweight and 9.8 per cent as obese.

But in Year Six, the final year of primary school, 14.6 per cent were overweight and almost a fifth – 18.7 per cent – obese.

Slightly more boys than girls were either overweight or obese in both age groups.

It is easy to dismiss these figures as an outcome of poor parenting, but schools have the opportunity to become far more proactive.  Schools can intervene by educating both child and parent and offer healthy choices in cafeterias.

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Posted in Childhood Obesity | Leave a Comment »

Are Our Kids Growing Too Fast?

December 19, 2010

Is our Education system too harsh on our kids?  Is it structured to hinder natural growth?

According to the feedback from parents and Principals in WA, children are rushed to adapt to situations and environment before they are ready.  They feel that children are not ready to start high school in Year 7.

The survey by the WA Primary Principals Association also shows 85 per cent of parents do not want Year 7 moved from primary to high school at public institutions.

WAPPA president Stephen Breen said parents feared their children would grow up too quickly if forced to attend a high school so young.

I had no idea that Year 7 is still considered primary school in WA.  In Victoria it is high school.  As for the argument that children are too young to make the transition from primary to high school at the end of Grade 6 – I think it has some merit.  ‘They are young and the transition is a big one.  I do, however, believe that it is incumbent on the Grade 6 teacher to help build up their students’ maturity levels to a point where they can thrive in their first year of high school.

I wonder if the same type of issue applies to education systems around the world.  Is this the case?

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Posted in Child Development | 2 Comments »

Hijacking the Curriculum for Political Correctness

December 15, 2010

The proposal to include the traditions of other religious faiths as part of the formal school curriculum must be summarily ignored.  The curriculum does not, and has never contained any religious content before, why tamper with it now?

Keysar Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia may want more students to have awareness of Islamic festivals, but fiddling with the curriculum is not the way to go.

As someone of neither Christian nor Muslim faith, I have absolutely no problems with schools acknowledging festivals from different religions and cultures, but that doesn’t mean they have to insert them in the curriculum.  And you can’t compare Islamic festivals to Christmas, as Christmas is a holiday celebrated by non-religious as well as religious people.

It is also important to note that after finishing reading about Mr. Trad’s history and long list of controversies on his Wiki page, I am deeply concerned that a man of his reputation is allowed to represent his people, especially under the banner of a “Friendship Association of Australia.”

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Posted in Political Correctness | 2 Comments »

Positive Images and Our Kids

December 13, 2010

Schools must do all they can to integrate the teaching of healthy foods into their curriculums.  There is nothing more powerful for a class full of impressionable kids, than to see their friends chomping away happily on fruits or vegetables.  A program, that engages and gives kids cooking and food tasting experiences whilst also teaching them about healthy eating is pivotal to curbing morbid obesity later in life.

Whilst peer pressure is usually a negative thing, watching a classmate take part in healthy behaviour has a profoundly positive result on a child.  That’s why a program such as Food for Thought trialled in New Zealand schools looks a winner.

The initiative will see schools in the district implementing new, interactive health and nutritional education courses that aim to improve the health of the community.

Qualified nutritionists teach children the importance of a balanced diet, reading and understanding nutritional information panels and how to prepare healthy meals.

Children are given the opportunity to visit the supermarket to buy ingredients for a healthy class lunch, which they make back in the classroom.

I hope programs like this one spread universally. 

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Posted in Body Image, Nutrition | 1 Comment »

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