Consequences

It's not what I wanted.

I had a girl tell me this boy was telling her something inappropriate.

This was after another teacher reported he had his arm around another boys neck. 

The answer from the powers that be was, "There is a history between the boy and girl --mostly on social media." And concerning the issue between the boys, "There is a difference between intent to hurt and horseplay." 

Our incident forms are major and minor. But 3 minors equal a major. We are not allowed to send them to the office without a filled out form. The powers that be, decide consequences -- if any.

I am assuming this is typical in most schools?

Hierarchy of a recess incident

kid tells IA on the playground

IA tells teacher who tells IA to write up an incident report

Incident report may or may not go to office depending on severity

Incident report goes to Dean of Students who is at school 2.5 days a week

Dean of Students investigates when she has time, and may or may not call the children involved down to talk. This could happen days if not more than a week after the event. 

The adults may or may not learn what comes of that conversation.

The climate of many schools is the same. Nothing happens so kids continue the behavior. Nothing happens, so kids stop reporting. Nothing happens, so adults stop reporting. Noting happens, so kids retaliate.

Tonight I was included in an email to the 2 teachers and learned the boys fate. He actually has a consequence this time, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It is deserved. But I get the feeling the consequence was reluctantly given. 

I understand. The powers that be are so far removed from the incident, that unless marks are left or a parent phone call is anticipated, nothing is that big a deal.

Except it is. Every "no big deal" wears away and wears down the structure until you realize there is a gaping wall where solid rock used to be. There have to be boundaries, and the boundaries need to be solid, so all involved can count on them. That doesn't mean zero tolerance, it just means that no means no and stop means stop. It means the consequence is clear, concise, and equally applied. 

Making excuses because of kids' home lives or abilities or our belief that if only the government gave us more money, public education would be better, is not the way to improve education. Bean bag chairs, mood lighting, and coffee bars are not how we improve education. Changing curriculum every year and giving every child a screen device for education is not how we improve education.  WE in education have to stop marinating in chaos. Only then can we say we are doing what is best for our kids. 

Child rearing experts say children need consequences and those consequences should be as close to the offense as possible and be related to the fixing the damage caused. Let's start repairing education by making it at least one place that says what it means and means what it says. A place that sets expectations and lets the kids know we have faith they are capable are living up to them. We owe it to them.

Pod People

We were short subs today so I was tapped to sub in one of the 4th grade classrooms. As a sub, the excessive use of technology was wonderful. They basically went from one app to another. Literally the only writing they did was 2 pages from their math work books and during their 20 minute writing period. That is it.

As an observer and a future education activist I have so many problems with this.

We are a 1:1 district and have been for 6 years now. So for all of you who wish you could be, let me tell you -- be careful what you wish for.

When we started -- the initiative was voted in in March or April. Devices were ordered over the summer and teachers got theirs about a week before the students came to school. At that time, K and First got Ipods; 2, 3, &4 got Ipads; and 5-12 got lap tops. FREE apps all around because there wasn't money for any apps. The free apps for Ipods by the way, went up to the letter E.

It was that way for 2 years, then they gave K&1 Ipads as well.

Free apps -- that's what we use. Special permission must be received to get a paid app and then you have to justify why you need it.

We have no actually trained IT person. We have a 26 year old business major who knows about computers.

We have blocked nearly everything in the name of safety-- and requests to get to a video or website has to be obtained from the administration before the IT department can install it.

The amount of people on the network was underestimated and the first couple of years there were many times it just didn't work. We have since gotten our own server and upgraded at least once if not twice.

In order to justify the expense of having the technology, staff are "encouraged" {sic: forced} to use technology as must as possible.

WE must prepare our students to be 21st century learners is the marching order. "Research shows....." followed by all the studies proving  showing evidence for why everything must be technology based.

We were actually told, " kids don't need to know the answer, they just need to know where to find the answer."

But there are studies showing how the excessive use of technology is leading to behavior disorders. Studies show that kids are losing fine motor control, and the core body strength to sit still. Studies show that an increase in recess time-- rather than balance balls, experimental seating, and Go Noodle --could alleviate these issues.

Kindergartners are capable of making a video presentation and monkeys can be trained to drive a car. Neither means they know what they are doing.

The kids today were fairly well behaved and quiet as long as they had MobyMax or Brain Pop in front of them. But as soon as they had to enter the world of the living and breathing they lost it.

Parents use technology as an electronic pacifier that allows them to not be bothered. I understand how hard it is to be a Technology Parent Pioneer. I can write more about that in another post. But as educators we are complicit in the society that is being created.

We say it is because technology is the world of the future. There are those who firmly believe they are doing good promoting this future.

I am not one of them. And it is not because I am unwilling to change. Life is not about immediate gratification. Love, happiness, and a thirst for knowledge are not acquired as quickly as a genie granting a wish. But in the world of technology you can find the "cheat" that answers the problem in your text book. You can play games until the only things in the world are you and your electronic device and you think you are having fun. The world is even becoming one where you can't meet someone in the real world but can through an app?

And for all the people who are pushing technology... because we have 1:1 we have e-learning days... No more make up snow days because they can get assignments through google docs. This may sound fabulous but how long will it be before they think that if kids can be taught as well with google docs, Study Island, and Brain Pop why would they need buildings, IAs, custodians and eventually so many teachers? If a teacher can put a lesson video on line for her class, why couldn't that same video be used for the entire district?

You may wish for technology because you don't have it. You may have technology and actually be using it in moderation and responsibly, but here, this is what technology is. We have been recognized for our whole hog approach.

 If you strive to get technology for all,  make sure you ask what the vision of your administration is. Be sure the best interests of your kids are at the heart of that vision and not the accolades,  glory and career advancement of the adults.

Because right now certain people are wearing a crown while kids are becoming emotional pod people who know where to find the answers to questions they don't know how to ask.

Communication

The full moon isn't until Sunday.

 I checked because today definitely had that "full moon" feeling to it. Kids picking at each other and retaliating when that someone picks back. You know, general crankiness. But driving home from picking older son up from college, I started thinking about communication and the lack of skill in communication.

Kids at school have fewer and fewer skills in relation to communication. They want what they want and they want it now. I realize this has always been true to a degree, but they have eventually learned that there is give and take in life. This is no longer the case.

Today, in school, they have "turn and talk" but it has to be on the topic at hand. Kids have to utilize technology at school and parents choose to use it as a babysitter for their children and a way of self-medicating for themselves. Children no longer discuss books, they respond to a prompt concerning what they wrote. There are no conversations around the dinner table or while driving in the car. Even a 5 minute ride to school in the car has children watching the built in TV instead of engaging in conversation.

Recess is a thing of the past and those schools that do have recess have a short amount of time. We intervene at the slightest hint of disagreement because we are worried about escalation that will lead to someone getting hurt. There is always a parent who will call and complain if their child gets a scratch, so we impose rules with lawyers, not children, in mind.

Parents orchestrate their children's lives out of necessity of time and a society that has actual stranger predators who seek to do harm.

When are children not monitored by an adult who halts difficult situations?

And now we have adults who are on college campuses who refuse to listen. We have celebrities and politicians and pundits who believe whoever talks loudest wins the argument. They want what they want when they want it. Everyone is so busy yelling and repeating themselves and getting into the role of indignant and oppressed that they don't stop to hear the words the other person is speaking.

Are the choices really WIN or lose for most things? Is there no middle ground on most subjects? How will kids learn how to communicate if there are no role models on how it's done? If it takes a village to raise a child, then this global village better start listening at least half as much as they strive to be heard.

If anything is a matter of life and death the need to communicate effectively is it.

Inside recess again

North Eastern Indiana
We have had to stay in for recess due to:

Cold temperatures: +15 wind chill is the  minimum and it gets colder than that often especially since our school occupies what used to be a corn field.

Ice: Not often but there are times it isn't with the salt and sand.

Rain: I actually accept this as a legitimate reason to stay in.

Today we added a new reason.

Wind: It was gorgeous looking outside but the office deemed the wind too strong. To be fair, we did lose power because somewhere a tree fell on a power line. But I still would have loved to see the Ks running out their Wild in the wild, wild wind.

So, I guess wind is on the list of things that ruin recess. And next week the cold returns.

Wish we had that retractable dome playground. 😆