Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Responsible Party?

We sign a bunch of forms in the beginning of the school year.  One form happens to be allowing your child to use the computer and access the internet.  The school has a LOT of stipulations on that paper, including what email accounts your child can use.  It also states that they will be monitored.  You know your child  needs to research things for projects, and it's not like you are just letting them in a room to play around because it says right there that certain sites are locked out of their use AND the teacher will be there doing what you would normally do at home.  So HOW IS IT that a child can find pictures of the opposite sex they find attractive, copy and past up to 10 on a page, print up to four pages of this type off using the school printer right there in the room, then find time to write love notes all over it....ALL DURING CLASS HOURS.  Okay, so slap a kid on the hand..."Do not do this during school hours."  Otherwise the research and comments are normal for their age.  So what happens when the teacher finds the FINISHED product and takes it to the parent saying "this is what your kid did all computer lab!"  Who should you really get upset at when they bring it to your attention.  One of my thoughts was "glad to know my child is normal!  Whew!", next was "what a waste of school time" and the third and most irritating was "you are complaining to me about how my child used their time?  WHERE WERE YOU!?"  Research, copy paste 4 pages, print, write.  That is a LOT of time for no one to notice the child was NOT on task, don't you think?  So who was it REALLY that was not on task?  Sorry, in this case, it is in fact the teacher.  And if you had paid attention to your emails from a week before Mr Teacher, you would know that this child has a learning difficulty, they don't understand what you are teaching, they get bored, they do other things.  If you would address this situation first, the child would get excited about learning and would be using the computer for REAL work rather than something to pass the time.  But again, it comes down to you, Mr. Teacher to doing your job.  We parents can't come to school and do it for you, so we keep you informed, we give you options, we tell you our concerns, we sign your stupid paperwork.  YOU have to do the rest.  You are not a glorified babysitter, you are a TEACHer.  So, if you can't do it, your school has the programs and the people that can.  All you have to do is take the ball the parent got rolling for you, and keep it ROLLING.  Don't waste the parents time but showing us things the kid did while you were wasting THEIR time.  Stupid move on your part.  So yes, I will talk to my child, let them know that being curious is completely normal, but not during school hours.  Better?  I did my part.  Now go back to your computer, find the emails I have sent you for weeks now, and get going on finding a way to teach my child that they will understand.  Otherwise I will be coming to sit in your class and write down all the things you do during the school day that wastes my child's and my time.  (Still wondering what you were doing, Mr. Teacher, during that computer lab?  A half hour worth of copy,paste,and print, and you really never noticed?  What were YOU doing?!  How about adding your report to the one you gave me for my kid.)

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