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Monday, October 23, 2006
How About a Massage?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Speaking of making teachers feel appreciated …
The PTA at Atherton Elementary School in DeKalb started a tradition last year treating teachers to massages, paraffin treatments and aromatherapy as part of an event they call “Staff Spa Experience.”
“It’s a community job to make sure our teachers remain passionate about teaching. If they know parents are behind them 100%, our children will benefit greatly”, Atherton PTA President Kathi Robinson said in a press release. “Every child deserves a teacher who’s attentive, happy, and smiling.”
It’s not completely clear from the release, but it looks like a local massage therapist and other community members volunteered their services. A catering company donated healthy food. The goal was to help teachers feel relaxed and appreciated.
Teachers, do you like this idea?
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The Totally Disengaged … Youngster
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When I first started Get Schooled, I used to add a terse line to each new post. “Stay on topic, please!” Problem is, sometimes a lot of good stuff comes out when someone posts off topic. Like this fascinating dilemma posted under the “essential question” thread.
A parent writes:
“My 7th grader attends a Dekalb County School, and despite ability, is failing all of her classes. When I ask her teachers for help, their responses are curt and dismissive: “I teach the class every day. What more do you expect me to do? Or, “She did not do the assignment. I do not give make up work. There is nothing more she can do.”
I send my child to school every day, and she knows to behave herself at school. My problem is that she hates the school and will not do her work. Watching her fail is like being told to stand idly by while she plays in the middle of 285 during rush hour. The only thing her school does is send me failing progress reports every three weeks. They send few graded papers home. They do not respond to e-mails. Conferences are unproductive. From sparse, seldom updated teacher websites, I know of only rudimentary requirements. I know, for example, that book reports are due monthly. But I cannot find out what format the report should take, nor do I know how they are graded—or even that my child is not doing book reports (they are done in class) before I get the progress reports the teachers are required to complete. The same is true for science projects. I know of them, but not when they are due or if there are intermittent steps in the project that must be completed at various stages before the final project is completed.
Does anyone know how I can get her teachers (and the school administration) to actively partner with me to help me help my totally disengaged, disinterested youngster? Without accountablity for my child’s lack of progress, her teacher seem content to do no more than record her continued failure.”
Lots of folks have already chimed in on this one, but if you haven’t, please do so. Keep in mind this parent came here seeking help…
