September 12, 2014
It is about time
A school in Virginia has banned Chapstick. We know lip balm is a gateway drug to hand cream and moisturizers. Some users even end up on Vaseline. It is about time the authorities cracked down. You see, I know the dangers. Here is a little known blog fact: I am addicted to Chapstick. I carry one in my pocket at all times (the blue one if you have to know, but I will use the plain if I have to). I use it constantly. If I do not have a coat of petroleum wax on my lips I go into a panic.
My addiction aside, I can only ask what are these people thinking? Is it a requirement to be a school administrator or school board member to lose all common sense upon taking the job? Perhaps frequent commenter and blog friend Hey Teacher knows the answer.
I probably shouldn't comment as I am guessing all my internet activity is monitored to make sure I am focused on education activities 24/7. School Administrators are indeed an odd breed but I am guessing not much different than any other overpaid overseer. It was someone's good idea to pull all of our corporation's middle schoolers out of class this coming Friday so we can be bussed to a neighboring school to attempt a Giunness world record for the most people doing Zumba at the same time. This is part of national anti-obesity week(this is not Michelle O's idea). In addition, our building will have 25 subs that day due to core teacher training. Cluster #%£€ in the making. I'd give more examples but I have to get lesson plans together so my new principal can see that I know what I am going to teach. I'm guessing all you folks in the real world already have your work plans for the week typed up and ready for your boss.
ReplyDeleteI gotta tell you, HB, that I too am never without a blue chapstick in the pocket. I'm totally addicted.
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain to me why teacher training takes place on school day instead of, like, during summer break?
ReplyDeleteSame reason you don't go in on Sunday for whatever training you get. I know that is a wise acre answer but that is a bargained item in our corporation. Some corps. porbably do have training in the summer and I'm guessing that attendance isn't 100%.
ReplyDeleteGeez, in what language is porbably a word? I'm gonna get a bad evaluation because Siri thought that was what I wanted to say.
ReplyDeleteI don't consider "Thursday" and "Friday" to be analogous to "Sunday", though :) Kids ought to be in school M-F. Teachers can be trained some other time. Yes, of course you're correct about the negotiated dates, but as is usual in these sorts of things, what is negotiated is to the benefit of the educators, not to those who need to be educated.
ReplyDeleteI read the comments to this post and laughed, in a good way, because I have spent the past two weekends attending mandatory sales training for my part time gig. I have been a salesman for more than 20 years with a great deal of success.
ReplyDeleteI bet Hey Teacher would rather be in class teaching students than sitting in training too.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, my wife is a recently retired teacher. I often wondered why they had mandatory training on subjects they have been teaching for years. Most of it was a new way to teach, math, reading, science or any other subject that some company sold to the school district as the next hot thing. The lesson plan thing is just more political bullshit. If the district wants lesson plans let the overpaid ex teachers who bailed on the classroom and are now some sort of administrator do the damn things. I am old school, teachers are paid to teach not babysit or raise someone else's children because the parents can't or won't do the job.
ReplyDeleteJames Old Guy
Joe,
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Walking into the classroom and saying Good morning/good afternoon in some goofy accent and then getting down to business is what I signed up for. I did not sign up for having my every move scrutinized and squeezed for some kind of data that will prove my students are ALL learning and are supposed to ALL learn everything ther is something really wrong with the system. Yes, I believe ALL students should be given the tools to learn but if that student chooses to throw the tool down, break the tool, try to eat the tool or shoves the tool somewhere unexpected even though he has been told NOT to do those things but it is ok because he has an IEP then I just have to throw my hands up!
Well, that felt good.