The homework tonight is read pages 32 to 33 and answer the questions on page 35. Also do the even numbered math problems in chapter three of your math book. And remember to start the outline for your mid-semester project.
So much to do. So little time to do it.
Parents receive an email at home that conveys the homework assignments for today.
Parents pick up where the teacher leaves off.
The school's mission statement: We will teach your children. We will educate your child.
The school takes on this mission. This responsibility. This obligation.
The parents are obligated to leave their kids with the school. The school is obligated to teach the kids.
And what if the child isn't taught? Doesn't learn? Fails?
Can the parents have a meeting with the teacher?
A parent - teacher meeting?
And ask: Why?
Yes... well...
Unless the obligation to teach and educate has been cleverly flipped from the teacher and the school.
Over to the parent and into the home.
The cunning flip.
HomeWork.
_________________________________________________
A parent - teacher meeting happening right now.
Let's listen in...
Parent: My child isn't doing well in school. My child says he hates school. My child doesn't like going to school. Why does my child hate school? Why does my child not like school? Why does my child feel bad about not getting all the school work done? There's just so much work to do. It seems so overwhelming, so impossible to finish. And it seems like my child's self esteem is suffering. Suffering in the name of education.
School teacher: I completely understand. Let me ask you a quick question: Are you, as the child's parent, helping in a positive way with your child's homework? Supervising the homework? Encouraging completion of all of the homework? Doing the homework yourself? Did you receive my email? You know, I send you a homework email everyday.
Parent: Oh, my. How clever of you.
School teacher: Yes. Homework is really a linchpin in traditional education. Homework keeps alive an illusion. The illusion that the obligation undertaken by the school, to teach the child, is too big. Too much to do alone. Parents need to participate. To share in the accountability. Parents need to reduce the size of the school's obligation by helping at home, sharing the work. Parents need to shoulder the responsibility of teaching. Of educating their child. It's a lot of work. It's too much work for one institution. And... and this is important, the very most important part: If something goes wrong, the child doesn't do well, the child fails or some how isn't educated, the school cannot be blamed. The school cannot be found at fault. That would seriously hurt the grand tradition of the school. We just cannot allow such a thing to happen. And, so, we have.. homework.
Parent: Yes. Of course. And I want to do my part.
School teacher: I just knew you would understand.
_________________________________________________
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
I'll be your best friend...
Friend, friends, friendship.
Support, support groups, get togethers.
Absolutely integral to our life. I need help. I need someone to talk to. What can I do for you? How can I help?
There's movies made about friends. Toy Story comes to mind. Ferris Bueller's Day Off shows Cameron and Ferris helping each other.
We have music. Jeremiah was a Bull Frog, was a good friend of mine. Simon and Garfunkle did a nice job singing Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water.
This wonderful lady, mom, homeschooling guru, community leader, homeschooler of three boys. Introduced last blog. Initials: AF. She's a good friend to our family. She gives hugs. And great advice. She knows her stuff.
When we first pulled Jack out of traditional school, AF helped us. In many ways. Guided us. She also made a comment that has haunted us. AF said we would make and meet many new friends in the homeschooling community. Which we have. She also said, to Jack's mom directly, "You will lose a few friends. You'll lose a friend you would never expect to lose. A close friend." And her words disappeared into the air.
Did you ever see the movie, My Cousin Vinny? There's this scene about a broken water faucet where Marisa Tomei says to Joe Pesci, "... dead on balls accurate." Pesci repeats, "Dead on balls accurate?"
Accuracy is a good thing. Usually. Especially when recalling the past.
Tough to be accurate when foretelling the future.
Jack's best buddy in school is Billy. For years. They play together. Create music together. With drums and guitars. Create video games together. With both their names on the finished product. Will be in business together in the not too distant future. Partners. Friends. Best friends.
Jack's mom and Billy's mom, Jenny are also great friends. Coffee together. Talk together. Help each other. Don't consider differences. Trust one another. Jenny and Jack's mom, buddies.
We took Jack out of school to homeschool him. About three months ago. Since then Jack has not seen or talked with Billy. Since then Jack's mom has not visited with Jenny. Jenny answered a text, finally. After many, many texts. Phone call messages have gone unanswered.
After three weeks or so, Jenny answered that she is Soooo Busy. And Billy is away... visiting...
And so AF's words reappear, come back out of thin air, "You'll lose a friend... a close friend." .
Jack's mom and dad discuss Jenny and Billy. Discuss what AF said.
We come to realize a down side of homeschooling.
Jack's dad: AF said... you'll lose a friend.
Jack's mom: "Yes, But did she have to be so goddamned, dead on, accurate?"
Tears.
A friendship dying.
_____________________________________________________________________
But wait. There's more.
No time for crying. We have breaking news.
A special graduation party is coming up in a couple of weeks. Billy will be there. Jack will see his best friend for the first time in three months. Don't know about Billy's mom attending. We hope she will.
_____________________________________________________________________
And now, finally, a Jack update: Jack is doing great over the last three months. Becoming more independent. Motivated. Realizes he is capable of so many things, even without a teacher standing over him. Much happier. Experiencing freedom. Being free.
____________________________________________________________________
Still, after all is said and done, it hurts to lose a friend.
____________________________________________________________________
Support, support groups, get togethers.
Absolutely integral to our life. I need help. I need someone to talk to. What can I do for you? How can I help?
There's movies made about friends. Toy Story comes to mind. Ferris Bueller's Day Off shows Cameron and Ferris helping each other.
We have music. Jeremiah was a Bull Frog, was a good friend of mine. Simon and Garfunkle did a nice job singing Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water.
This wonderful lady, mom, homeschooling guru, community leader, homeschooler of three boys. Introduced last blog. Initials: AF. She's a good friend to our family. She gives hugs. And great advice. She knows her stuff.
When we first pulled Jack out of traditional school, AF helped us. In many ways. Guided us. She also made a comment that has haunted us. AF said we would make and meet many new friends in the homeschooling community. Which we have. She also said, to Jack's mom directly, "You will lose a few friends. You'll lose a friend you would never expect to lose. A close friend." And her words disappeared into the air.
Did you ever see the movie, My Cousin Vinny? There's this scene about a broken water faucet where Marisa Tomei says to Joe Pesci, "... dead on balls accurate." Pesci repeats, "Dead on balls accurate?"
Accuracy is a good thing. Usually. Especially when recalling the past.
Tough to be accurate when foretelling the future.
Jack's best buddy in school is Billy. For years. They play together. Create music together. With drums and guitars. Create video games together. With both their names on the finished product. Will be in business together in the not too distant future. Partners. Friends. Best friends.
Jack's mom and Billy's mom, Jenny are also great friends. Coffee together. Talk together. Help each other. Don't consider differences. Trust one another. Jenny and Jack's mom, buddies.
We took Jack out of school to homeschool him. About three months ago. Since then Jack has not seen or talked with Billy. Since then Jack's mom has not visited with Jenny. Jenny answered a text, finally. After many, many texts. Phone call messages have gone unanswered.
After three weeks or so, Jenny answered that she is Soooo Busy. And Billy is away... visiting...
And so AF's words reappear, come back out of thin air, "You'll lose a friend... a close friend." .
Jack's mom and dad discuss Jenny and Billy. Discuss what AF said.
We come to realize a down side of homeschooling.
Jack's dad: AF said... you'll lose a friend.
Jack's mom: "Yes, But did she have to be so goddamned, dead on, accurate?"
Tears.
A friendship dying.
_____________________________________________________________________
But wait. There's more.
No time for crying. We have breaking news.
A special graduation party is coming up in a couple of weeks. Billy will be there. Jack will see his best friend for the first time in three months. Don't know about Billy's mom attending. We hope she will.
_____________________________________________________________________
And now, finally, a Jack update: Jack is doing great over the last three months. Becoming more independent. Motivated. Realizes he is capable of so many things, even without a teacher standing over him. Much happier. Experiencing freedom. Being free.
____________________________________________________________________
Still, after all is said and done, it hurts to lose a friend.
____________________________________________________________________
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