Get Schooled

By fred

November 19, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this

Every year I had a collection of toys that I had confiscated from students who were playing with them during class. They were never taken the first time that they were seen by me, that was a warning, but the second time they were mine. I told the students that a parent could come and get the toy or call me and I would give the toy back. However, since I taught mostly 8th grade, the students were usually too embarrassed to tell mom and dad that their toy had been taken away. So every year, I would add to my collection of finger skateboards, whoopee cushions, micro machines, snakes in a can, severed fingers and so on. I throw them all out the day after school ends when I am cleaning out my room (except for the snake in a can, that was too cool). I never had any complaints from students or parents as I always offered to give the toy back, but only after a talk with the parents.

By bearcasey

November 19, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this

Nah… let the brats keep their toys. We need someone to serve up the fries and toys at McDonalds.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this

Fred,

You are on the right track, just need to consider a bit of recycling.

If teachers would take a moment they could actually help other children by donating these confiscated items y’all collect every year. (save the snake in a can) :)

Here’s a general list of places you may find will accept them.

Day care facilities, church nurseries, preschools or early childhood family education programs

Children’s hospitals

Police, sheriff, fire and emergency medical services (EMS) departments often need stuffed animals on hand to comfort children in frightening situations.

Stuffed Animals For Emergencies (SAFE) accepts stuffed animals in their work with these and other emergency organizations.

Women’s, children’s or homeless shelters, or programs such as Project Night Night

Refugee or other social service agencies

Teen mom support programs

Animal shelters

Donation centers like Goodwill, Salvation Army, Lupus or Courage Center, VVA, Kidney foundation, etc.

Some will even come to your home and pick up your items. You might even get them to pick up at school and have teachers toss everything into one box to be picked up at the office

Then there’s always

Missionaries traveling to impoverished areas (check with your local churches)

Emergency (war, famine, epidemics or other disasters) relief programs.

By Joy in Teaching

November 19, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this

I have the same philosophy as Fred about the pile of stuff that I take up from students. Very few students take me up on having their parents come get their treasures, though.

I actually recycle my taken up treasures the next year for “prizes” to students who excel at specific assignments and the competition gets fierce at times.

Probably the coolest thing that I ever took up was a wind up walking “carrot” one year after Easter from an 8th grade boy. I admit that I didnt’ recycle that one…and my cats still enjoy it very much.

By gwinnett educator

November 19, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this

I also teach 1st grade. I do not collect the toys the first time I see them. I tell the students to put them back IN THEIR bag and if I see it again, it’s mine. Normally, I give them back at the end of the day, unless the child is a repeat offender. The parents of repeat offenders have to come for the toys themselves or the student has to wait until the end of the school year.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this

Here’s a couple of specific places you can dispose of confiscated toys

American Kidney Fund Pick Up Service

1899 Metropolitan Pkwy SW, Atlanta, GA 30315 Phone: (770) 441-2220

AADD (Atlanta alliance on developmental disabilities)

call 404-761-6247 to schedule a pick-up by phone

By cj

November 19, 2008 10:31 AM | Link to this

I’m the same way, one warning and then it’s mine. I have a “May” basket, and at the end of school, if they remember, they can have them back. Everything else that’s in decent shape goes to Goodwill.

By TheBlogger

November 19, 2008 11:06 AM | Link to this

Excuse me - but the question that we should be discussing isn’t what teachers do with toys in schools. The real question should be….

WHY DO PARENTS ALLOW THEIR CHILD TO TAKE TOYS TO SCHOOL?

Again, we (society) shouldn’t expect schools to do everything. At some point, parents must accept some level of responsibility.

By SallyB

November 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this

I did the May Basket, too.
But there was one other way my students could get back their property..{..I say property because in middle school it was not always a toy. Sometimes a Playboy magazine, etc.} A parent could come in at any time and ask for it, which gave me an opportunity to discuss the issue with the parent. I do have to say that I did have a principal once that told teachers we were not allowed to take a student’s property. Didn’t want any complaints from parents.

By SallyB

November 19, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this

I did the May Basket, too.
But there was one other way my students could get back their property..{..I say property because in middle school it was not always a toy. Sometimes a Playboy magazine, etc.} A parent could come in at any time and ask for it, which gave me an opportunity to discuss the issue with the parent. I do have to say that I did have a principal once that told teachers we were not allowed to take a student’s property. Didn’t want any complaints from parents.

By V for Vendetta

November 19, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this

Very true, The Blogger.

As someone who deals with the slightly older set, the rules imposed upon us in regards to what we can and can not take up are completely asinine. Because older students tend to have more expensive toys, chicken $hit admins are afraid to confront parents on the issue of a collected toy. I can think of a specific example that happened to me a few years ago (right after the toy in questioned came out).

A student was playing his Sony PSP in class. Obviously this is completely against the rules, disrespectful, and, in his case, a perfect example of what kind of upbringing he had. I confiscated the “toy” (he had already had warning about phone/ipod/etc in the past) and took it to the admin. I had enough sense to know that I didn’t want to be responsible for a $300 piece of electronics. The admin freaked out, asking why I had taken it up. I calmly explained he was a repeat offender, that the admin KNEW that, and he should learn a lesson. I refused and left the toy with the admin.

If it is CLEARLY stated in the rules that such a device is not allowed in class, will be taken up if seen, and can be picked up at the end of the year, I don’t see what grounds the parents have to stand on. I can understand phones, but the PSPs, Nintendo DSs, iPods, etc. have no place in the classroom.

Want to play it on the bus? Go ahead.

Want to listen in between classes? Be my guest.

But if I see it in class, it’s mine. Seems simple enough.

By Lee

November 19, 2008 11:26 AM | Link to this

“WHY DO PARENTS ALLOW THEIR CHILD TO TAKE TOYS TO SCHOOL?”

I don’t know Blogger. Maybe we parents didn’t realize teachers couldn’t handle something so simple as dealing with a child with a toy.

A child with a toy. What is the world coming to?

Of course, when you have principals who think a Tweety Bird keychain is a deadly weapon, that should have been our first clue…

By Florence Mitchell

November 19, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

Any object that distract studen from instructions shold be removed. Parents should enforce school policies. If a child does not follow the rules the toy should be taken and given to the Salvation Army.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this

Florence,

Any object that distract studen from instructions shold be removed.?????

I’d be willing to bet, with the apparel some young ladies wear, you’d get 100% agreement from the HS boys.

Blogger??

Kiddin right? You want parents to pat the kids down before loading them on the bus?

By V for Vendetta

November 19, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this

Lee and JimD,

No, but I would like a parent to act like a parent. There was NO doubt in my mind that if I ever got caught with a toy in a situation that required a teacher to take it up, then the punishment I received at school would be nothing next to the punishment I received at home. My parents were very clear on the subject.

But that was back when parents weren’t their kids’ friends, weren’t letting kids “find their own way,” and used a belt to met out punishments rather than harsh language. Imagine that.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this

V,

as it should be. in loco parentis means it falls upon you when kids are in school.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this

BTW V,

I am proud to say I am my childs friend—-his best friend.

A true friend allows one to grow, to mature and to learn from mistakes that won’t harm them our anyone around them. They support them when right and listen to them when they are wrong. They laugh together, they cry together but most of all they are always there for each other.

Damn, a friend almost sounds like a parent don’t they?

By Lee

November 19, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this

Toys in school is really not the issue here. The issue is that between the hours of 8am - 3pm, schools (teachers and administrators) are responsible for what occurs on school grounds. In loco parentis means that you are the adults, act like it.

Above, we have two separate posts that gave examples where administrators abdicated their responsibility in dealing with the problem.

But somehow that’s the parents responsibility???

By Tony

November 19, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this

School is a place to come for learning. The teachers and administration run the school, not the children. Toys and playthings are not appropriate at school for many reasons, not just because of the distractions they cause. Having one of the expensive toys stolen by another student is a much bigger disruption than the playing of the game. It baffles me why parents (Lee are you reading this?) would even remotely think it is okay for kids to bring toys to school. Sometimes its hard for us to know who the real adults are.

In our school, when toys are collected, the parent can pick it up. If it is collected again it goes in my desk and stays. By the way, we collect very few toys. Thankfully, we have a large number of parents who agree that kids come to school to learn. Let me take this opportunity to thank them for their support.

Thank you to all the suggestions of ways to recycle the collected toys.

By Tony

November 19, 2008 1:09 PM | Link to this

Being a parent is not mutually exclusive with being a friend. Friends actually help each other make appropriate choices and grow responsibly, too.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 1:27 PM | Link to this

Tony,

Point is that kids are going to bring stuff to school that they really shouldn’t. Parents have no way of knowing when this is going to happen but teachers will almost always know when it does. So how can one lay this off as a parental deficency?

Mine was told from an early age that if he took anything to school and it was either taken away by a teacher or pilfered by another student that it was his loss. Did he test the waters anyway? You bet he did! But he paid the consequence for failing to head the warning. I feel I did my part as a parent and that the teacher did her part as a teacher. He learned a valuable lesson without being patted down every day (losing faith in a trust) and without being punished by me for his stupidity.

By Tony

November 19, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this

jim d - I agree with you. As I said, when our school is fortunate to have excellent parent support when the kids do something like you describe. Our teachers usually issue a warning, call the parents and that’s the end of it. I have had on rare occasions the angry parent because the nintendo was collected a second or third time. The parent would insist we had no right to confiscate the item and would defend the child’s so-called right to possess whatever he/she wanted. When teachers act appropriately in situations like this and confiscate the property, it is very difficult for me to stomach the criticisms that are hurled at us. Generalizing the confiscation of games and toys into the “Tweety-bird” chain incident to assert that teachers are out of control is what pushed my buttons on this issue.

My children, like yours, tested the limits. That’s part of how they learn the lessons of life. Natural consequences are often more powerful than the ones we artifically impose.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 2:16 PM | Link to this

I don’t know Tony,

In all fairness, Reading back through the blog I must have missed Lee stating teachers were out of control. What I’ve read in his blogs is that it is a teachers job to be the adult when kids do dumb stuff at school.

By TheBlogger

November 19, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this

Lee OMG! Are you serious? You must be one of those parents that are the cause of so many misbehaved students in today’s classroom. Do you seriously think that it is okay for a parent to allow a child to leave the house with a toy to go to school? Are you really serious?

After reading a number of your posts, I fully know that you are the parent that allows your child to do whatever, to run wild, and then you turn around and blame the schools and teachers because your little devil fails or misbehaves or whatever. Here is a little clue:

Why don’t you learn how to parent your child? Why don’t you teach your child the difference between right and wrong? Why don’t you teach your child basic manners? Why don’t you teacher your child to follow the rules and to respect adults in authority? Why don’t you teach your child the important of a good education?

YOU need to do those things BEFORE you dare say anthing negative about a school or teacher!

YOUR child’s behavior IS a reflection of YOU the parent. When your child acts the fool, it clear shows the type of parent YOU are. When your child brings a toy to school for everyone to see, everyone sees that YOU, the parent, allowed YOUR child to leave the house with that toy.

Are you really such an IDIOT to not get something as simple as that?

By Jeff

November 19, 2008 2:46 PM | Link to this

jim:

After having come from a school where ALL students were ‘patted down every day’ let me say quite honestly that this BUILDS trust, not destroys it.

Indeed, you KNEW to expect that within 10 feet of walking in the door, your dress code would be scrutinized - and our dress code was far more stringent than the base schools’ - you would be told to empty your pockets, and you would be searched with a wand metal detector.

That this happened exactly as you were told it would, every single day came to be something you could count on.

And for most of the kids that were at that school, it was the first thing that had happened to them that morning that they knew they could trust to happen.

Strong discipline will take a kid in an alternative school and make him a productive member of society.

Lax discipline is what got him to the alternative school to begin with…

By jim d

November 19, 2008 2:48 PM | Link to this

Damn, Lee,

I’m not really sure what it was you said to knot up so many panties today. But WTG!

By jim d

November 19, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this

Blogger,

Do you seriously think that it is okay for a parent to allow a child to leave the house with a toy to go to school

Chill dude! I guess we need a law requiring parents to strip search their kids before turning them loose on a public school.

By Leah

November 19, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this

In high schools, the “toys” are iPods, cell phones, mp3 players, PSPs, etc. We are told that we are allowed to confiscate these items, but, we are responsibility if these items get lost or stolen. So, since I didn’t want to replace someone’s iPhone - I wouldn’t take up these items. I would call home, and try to discuss the issue with Mom or Dad, but, unfortunately, sometimes Lee would answer the phone!

By jim d

November 19, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this

Jeff,

Fortunately not all schools are protected with barb wire. You do of course know the difference between respect and fear—-right?? Well maybe not!

By Jeff

November 19, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this

jim:

The real question is, Do you??

After all, once the kid leaves the alternative school, it has no power over him in any real sense. Therefore it is not fear that still drives him to follow a new path, but respect for the lessons he learned and the people who taught him.

Indeed, in my own experience, the principal became my mentor, a man that to this day I regard nearly as highly as my own dad. And I haven’t been a student at the alternative school in nearly a decade!

By Lee

November 19, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this

Wow. Some of these comments are pretty damning as to the extent of how low our public education system has sunk.

I seem to recall taking balls, gloves, and bats (toys, if you will) to school in my day. The girls took dolls. We played with these toys at recess - which, by the way, we got three of during the day.

And I guarantee you that if I took my ball and glove out during class and began tossing it up in the air, I would be on the receiving end (pardon the pun) of a good butt warming.

Today, at least two different bloggers have posted about sending kids to the office and nothing was done. But somehow, in some of your twisted logic, that is the fault of the parent.

Oh yeah,

Blogger, you need to lay off the caffeine. Might I suggest limiting yourself to two cups of coffee in the morning?

Tony, sorry that the Tweety Bird incident pushes your buttons. I use it as an example of the gross incompetence that seems to permeate through the school systems of today - and I will continue to do so.

By TheBlogger

November 19, 2008 3:53 PM | Link to this

Lee and jim d

Yes, I get VERY angry when people accuse teachers and/or schools of “not doing their job” when it isn’t their job to parent the child - that is the job of the PARENT.

As a tax payer, I am sick of forking over more and more of my tax dollars to pay for “education” of your brats because you won’t parent - which forces the schools to do the parenting. Your brats not only consume my tax dollars but also the time of the teachers that needs to be teaching my child.

Then, the “parents” like you scream bloody murder when the schools make any attempt at all to discipline your brats.

If you (all parents) would simply teach your kids the proper way to behave to start, all of these issues would go away.

Lee - As you put it, the “gross incompetence” of the schools won’t show at all in dealing with your brat(s) if you would teach your little devil to behave properly to start with (follow rules, etc.). The school’s reaction to your brat is ONLY caused by your brats action. Fix the action and there will be no reaction - competent or incompetent.

By Jim d and Jeff are trolls

November 19, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this

Our two resident trrolls are back. Jim the failed teacher with ADHD and Jeff the busybody whose son is protecting our rights to blog! What a couple of 24 carat maroons.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 4:37 PM | Link to this

Lee,

I’m afraid we have a few teachers here today that were not very knowledgeable of their motivations for going into teaching.

The fantasy of teaching perfect children who sit quietly, obey, and listen to every word uttered in class is an unrealistic expectation.

I believe Many of the problems in public schools are a faailure of understanding the fundamentals and applications of the basic building blocks that create a positive learning environment for students.

it might be said that the same characteristics that make excellent parents make excellent teachers. Heaven help a few of these teachers if they are parents and god forbid ssome of them ever having children.

Kids do dumb stuff, that is often how they learn—too bad some teachers can’t learn from the dumb stuff they do.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this

Dear Blogger,

Feel free to contribute to my brat’s education, make the check payable to me since he isn’t in the system. wasn’t in the system for several years and I’ve more than paid for his educational costs incurred while he was in the system.

I will gladly accept help with tuition.

By Lee

November 19, 2008 5:13 PM | Link to this

I agree Jim. It really scares me that some of the posters on this blog may actually be “molding the minds of tomorrow.” I’m sure that when Laura lobbed this softball out here today, she didn’t expect the vitriolic responses we have seen here today.

Here’s what I have learned today:

1: Teachers are not responsible for anything that occurs in the confines of the classroom.

2: When the classroom behavior issues get so bad that the teacher finally takes action, the principal is not required to take action, nor, in many cases, does he/she act.

3: When all else fails, blame the parent.

It’s not all bad though. There were some reasoned responses by folks such as Fred, Gwinnett Educator, Joy in Teaching and others.

By catlady

November 19, 2008 5:14 PM | Link to this

I explain my rule about toys out during class. I give one warning. Then I take up the toy until the last week of school. Parents can come up to the school if they wish, but the principal will have to release the toy to the parent, not me. They are locked up in the vault with the permanent records.

By catlady

November 19, 2008 5:24 PM | Link to this

Lee, what I t hink you may not be thinking about is that your child is not the ONLY kid in the room. Multiply the disruption of a toy times 20, or thirty. Then try to conduct class? Over and over and over again. Some schools say no toys at all at school at any time. Most places are more moderate—no toys during class time.

Expensive toys mean expensive thefts. Think about it.

Suport your children’s education. Support discipline.

By jim d

November 19, 2008 5:38 PM | Link to this

Yeah Lee,

I really enjoyed Florece’s blog regarding removing Any object that distracts students.

Tight jeans have always been my distraction.

By V for Vendetta

November 19, 2008 5:41 PM | Link to this

JimD, I think it’s great you consider yourself your child’s best friend … NOW. The fact is, you CAN’T be your child’s best friend as he/she is growing up. The sincere hope of every good parent is that the lessons and respect you instill in your children will be understood, appreciated, and redirected back to you in the form of friendship and love … once that child is old enough to understand. This usually happens when he/she leaves for college or is in college. To believe it happens any sooner than that is to be ignorant and naive.

Lee, you point to “damning” testimony from teachers on this blog, but your list is not without its flaws. As catlady said, when you multiply the problem by thirty, especially at the high school level, having toys in school can be more than a little disrupting. Your argument citing the examples of the bat and balls is also flawed. It’s easy to reference the educational practices of the past—the “good old days,” if you will—but the fact of the matter is that this is the present and such things are no longer allowed. To a certain extent, I agree with you in that it’s a shame kids can’t cut loose and have a little fun, but that’s not the topic at hand. As I mentioned before, when you multiply the problem by thirty and the cost of the “toy” becomes something to the tune of $300, the problem is quite large.

See if this placates you and JimD a bit: No, it is NOT the job of the parent to pat the kid down every morning just to make sure he/she doesn’t have any “toys.” However, it IS the job of the parent to teach the kid basic manners, respect, and discipline. Perhaps the kid chooses to bring his iPod to school but, as a well behaved kid should do, he chooses to listen to it between classes and it doesn’t make an appearence during instructional time. Congrats, you’ve done your job and we can both be happy.

But that’s not the case with most kids, is it?

By jim d needs his meds

November 19, 2008 5:59 PM | Link to this

jim d - Don’t you get a break on Junior’s tuition with your AARP card? You are clearly a crabby, bitter old man who hates the fact that he couldn’t and wouldn’t cut it as a teacher! You have such a negative attitude about teachers, yet, you can tell us how to do our job on a daily basis. Why didn’t you just homeschool your “best friend” (gag me) instead of sending him out to the public school system? Oh yeah - I remember - you let him make his own decision about his education because you’re his “friend”. Whatever! I’m friendly with my children, but, at no point do I consider myself to be their friend. It is my job to help nurture them to become responsible, productive citizens in society - and friends don’t do that!

Do I pat them down everyday? No. But, I tell them that their “toys” shouldn’t be in school. Furthermore, they understand that if the “toy” gets confiscated, they won’t see it again until it becomes out of style! That’s my job, not the teacher’s. I operate from both perspectives; and I parent my own children and teach the ones at school. If I’m suppose to parent your children too, please send me their SSN so I can file them as dependents on my taxes…

By Lee

November 19, 2008 6:58 PM | Link to this

Holy cow,

Is there some type of filter on these blogs that posts the inverse of what I typed?

…. cause I sure as hell would like to know where I posted that I thought kids should be allowed to disrupt class and that I don’t support discipline.

Maybe I should type s-l-o-w-e-r.

By luvs2teach

November 19, 2008 9:44 PM | Link to this

Wow…this got really ugly. I almost wasn’t going to post, but something got a hold of my better judgement.

IMHO, and ONLY in IMHO…

What should teachers do when kids bring games to school and play with them in class?

Like others posted, I warn once - I remind them “I can’t take it away if it’s out of sight.” Sometimes I’ll make them go put it in their lockers. After a warning, I will take things away for the day - I have a supply closet in my room where I can lock things up safely.

With 125 students, I don’t have time to waste calling some 13 year old’s parent about the toy - I just tell the kid to come get it at the end of the day - of course, I usually “forget” to turn the thing off, so the batteries run out by the end of the day - sorry. Little toys like tech decks and bouncy balls usually don’t get picked up, but I teach a unit about the physics of toys, so I save those for that.

One toy that annoys me because it’s a safety issue is a laser pointer. I love to keep those though because I do a unit on laser lights. Toys aren’t the only distracting items though - old year books and sports shoes catalogues are also major distractors.

Teachers, if you take the toys do you give them back or do you end the school year with some games in your desk?

I’ll give them back to the student if the student remembers to get them. Otherwise I keep them, trash them, or give them away, depending on the quality.

The thing about this thread that really bothered me is the total misunderstanding of what’s going on in the classroom clashing with a misunderstanding of a parent’s “life lesson” teaching style.

First, if the child is playing with something (and for me, in 8th grade, it tends to be their phone, a PSP, or an mp3), then they are not paying attention in class. That to me is most important - you cannot learn without paying attention - CAT/MRI brain studies have shown that we truly don’t multi-task - our brain switches off and on areas of actvity as we switch between activities.

My rule for my personal children was that those things don’t belong in school - and if I had to keep them in my possession to keep them from ending up where they didn’t belong, then so be it (rarely happened). I was not above going through my kids bookbags - they have a right to privacy only to the point where trust is broken - then all bets are off. Now 18 and 21, they have turned out to be decent human beings and are well on their wy to becoming fully contributing members of society.

It was clearly spelled out in the student handbook that these things didn’t belong in school, and I chose to teach my children to follow the rules. This was before I was a teacher, too.

Second, and something parents may not consider, is that the toy isn’t always a problem for just your child. Nine times out of ten, when I catch a kid with “contraband” it’s because there is a little gathering of interested kids surrounding him, off-task, or because someone takes it, “just playin’,” and won’t give it back.

There is also the problem of loss or theft. I won’t do anything about a missing toy - too bad, so sad - and I wouldn’t have expected any of my kids’ teachers to deal with it either.

Finally, some say “everything’s all right in moderation” - well, problem with that is that kids don’t know squat about moderation. There are studies coming about the adolescent brain and how badly it makes decisions. Sometimes parents need to step up and make the decisions for their kids - guide them to being able to make them for themselves - too much laissez-faire-parenting leads to too many lazy kids, IMO.

Lee, that $%&@ Tweety-Bird was on a ten-inch chain that *fit the definition of a weapon as written - the chain was the issue, nit the stupid plastic bird dangling from it - which could do some damge if whacked at someone’s head hard enough. The zero-tolerance nonsense was clamored for by scared parents post-Columbine. Lee, you see it as evidence of administrator incompetence - I see it as symptomatic of a society that cries for a law to protect itself everytime something scary happens, but then has whiny “victims” saying the law wasn’t fair when they clearly break it. That child was no victim; she broke the rule, and I don’t care if she was ignorant of the law - in the state of Georgia, that’s no excuse.

Remember, this is the same county where students fed their classmates a poison cake make of play-doh and bleach - nothing is innocuous in the hands of someone hell-bent on misusing it. For every incident you bring up, I can bring up a matching incident of something as innocent as that stupid Tweety-bird (on the 10-inch chain) being used as a weapon (combs, pencils, and notebooks, to mention a couple).

By love my 4 kids

November 20, 2008 1:23 AM | Link to this

My home school is filled with toys, books, art projects, computers, and video games. My children have learned to do their work with all of these things in their natural environment. When their work is done, they just get out of their seat and go play. So far, their academics have not suffered, but have been enhanced.

By jim d

November 20, 2008 6:50 AM | Link to this

Lee,

Typing slower won’t help. I’m convinced the only thing that would is if the schools were to confiscate a few computers. ;)

By DB

November 20, 2008 6:57 AM | Link to this

Absolutely, schools should confiscate toys that are being used at inappropriate times — and that includes cell phones. The “cost” of the items is irrelevant — ANYTHING that a student deliberately brings into a classroom that distracts them and the people around him from learning should be eliminated. Make it clear up front that an item will be confiscated and destroyed at the first offense, and all those iPods and PSPs will suddenly disappear. I do not care if it cost $200 — if you knew you weren’t supposed to have it in class, then too damn bad. Explain it to your parents, how you NEEDED to text your boyfriend in class.

Good grief, if your boss walked in on you expecting you to be churning on a deadline and instead found you sitting there playing an PSP instead, you’d get your butt FIRED.

Let’s face it, the kids KNOW they are doing something wrong. A teacher (or parent) who lets them get away with it is sending the wrong message — and with a student’s rudimentary thinking: If this rule is flexible, gee, I wonder what other rules can be challenged … ?!

By jim d

November 20, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this

Lee,

What I find rather interesting about this topic is some of the teachers negative attitudes.

Most teachers know a little bit about the Pygmalion effect, or the idea that one’s expectations about a person can eventually lead that person to behave and achieve in ways that confirm those expectations. They at times would rather blame parents than to assume any responsibility for failing to provide consistant positive reinforcement in the classroom, claiming it is entirely a childs upbringing that they have no part in and want no part of.

Teachers are human, believe it or not, and as such we all tend to form expectations of and assign labels to people based upon such characteristics as body build, gender, race, ethnicity, given name and/or surname, attractiveness, dialect, and socioeconomic level, among others.

Once we label a person, it affects how we act and react toward that person. With labels, we don’t have to get to know the person. We can just assume what the person is like. That being said, I can assure you that if a teacher believes a child is a discipline problem—he will be.

Perhaps a re-evaluation of what influence a teacher has on their students is in order.

By Mikaela

November 20, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this

Oh my goodness! What perfect timing! One of my students, whose parents just emailed about his low grades came in today with a Rubrik’s Cube. I knew that this was going to be trouble, because this child has the attention span of a gnat. I told him to put it away as soon as he walked through my door. Of course he didn’t, and as I was walking around to check the students’ progress on a specific assignment (I teach in a computer lab) - he was on a website learning how to solve the cube. I took the cube from him and told him that he could get it back from me at the end of the day. I also emailed his parents back, and explained what had transpired.

So, I’m sure some of you would accuse me of stifling his creativity, or not allowing him to be a kid, blah, blah, blah - but, “Johnny” has a 53% average in this class and needs it for graduation! By the way - he was supposed to graduate 2 years ago.

And - love for my 4 kids - your situation is different. Not only are you teaching your own children and can discipline them the way you see fit, but, you probably don’t have 28 children to teach, 5 of which have IEPs and 504 plans to allow for modifications and differentiated instruction.

Anyway - thanks for letting me “vent”!

By TheBlogger

November 20, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this

jim d - You are a joke. You said that you have learned today that “Teachers are not responsible for what goes on in their classroom.” ?!?!?!?!

WTF? Teachers have been posting multiple times on this blog that they are sick of dealing with kids bringing toys to school. Translation: they are dealing with the issue at hand and are being responsible. What planet are you on?

In addition, teachers are sick of parents ALLOWING kids to bring these toys to school when everyone involve knows that they are not allowed. If parents cannot get their own offspring to do the right things, how in the heck can a teacher ever hope to?

How much clearer can this possibly be for ANYONE on ANY planet?

You and Lee state in later posts that teachers supposedly make students bring toys to schools because we somehow impose our will on them to break rules? WTF???? Are you kidding me? Do you guys even read the garbage that you write?

Give me a break!

By jim d

November 20, 2008 10:15 AM | Link to this

Blogger,

Who is really the joke?

“Teachers are not responsible for what goes on in their classroom.”

Lee’s comment—not mine. See November 19, 2008 5:13 PM

“If parents cannot get their own offspring to do the right things, how in the heck can a teacher ever hope to?”

Being a bit of a student of human nature I am positive that even if you don’t feel that a child is capable of greater achievement or improved behavior. If you were to simply act as if you hold heightened positive expectations of them, you might actually be convincing to the child and perhaps even to yourself.(something you do have control of) I’ve seen it work, outside of the classroom, with the very kids that give teachers gray hair.

Don’t you think that it would be more constructive than going to a blog and Bit*hing about poor parenting?(something you have no control of)

By TheBlogger

November 20, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this

jim d-

Yes, I was wrong on one point - it wasn’t you that typed that comment, but rather Lee.

However, I am very sick of seeing and hearing people complain about schools and teachers when they are only reacting to the p**-poor behavior of the students - and they are the result of poor parenting.

To correct or fix a problem, one must first identify the source of the problem - and it is clear that the source in this case is poor parenting.

It is true that schools and teachers must deal with the results of this source and their offspring. And, IMHO, they deal with it the best they can.

However it is WRONG to complain about schools and teachers in this case when they did not create the problem to begin with! And, in fact, those same poor parents enable their brats and will inevitably blame the schools/teachers.

Rule: no toys, etc. in schools unless part of the lesson. They distract from learning.

Problem: kids bring ipods, etc. to school anyway.

Source: parents purchase the toys, give the toys to the kids, and then allow the kids to take them to school.

Result: schools/teachers remove toys from the classroom.

Complaint: how dare they take the toys from my child.

Does this make sense to anyone with any measure of sense at all?

By Sarah

November 20, 2008 12:28 PM | Link to this

I actually took up a Bart Simpson comic book that one of my students was reading instead of their lit book. Parents, I know that you can’t search your kids before they go to school. Fellow teachers, maybe the blame goes to the kids.

By TheBlogger

November 20, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this

Sarah Yes, the kids are to blame. But the origination of the problem is the parents. Parents buy the stuff. Parents raise the kids. Parents (should) teach the kids to follow rules.

By luvs2teach

November 20, 2008 12:59 PM | Link to this

“Once we label a person, it affects how we act and react toward that person. With labels, we don’t have to get to know the person. We can just assume what the person is like. That being said, I can assure you that if a teacher believes a child is a discipline problem—he will be.”

By the same logic, if a parent believes that a teacher is the problem, then it is…maybe we all need to do some reevaluating. Perception is not always reality.

By jim d

November 20, 2008 2:44 PM | Link to this

Agreed Luv,

And some of actually do make an effort to meet and get to know our childrens teachers. I personally met everyone my child ever had.

Blogger,

You’re just “sick”? C’mon now be honest. You’re really sick AND tired—right?

By love my 4 kids

November 20, 2008 10:58 PM | Link to this

Well, here’s a great self-help book for parents and teachers of out-of -control kids:

http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=81340

By TheBlogger

November 21, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this

jim d - As usual, when your argument has no leg to stand on, you pick some obscure word to make fun of. Typical of you.

You (and many parents) argue and argue that schools shouldn’t have the responsibilities of parenting over the students. You argue that schools should just teach the basic Rs. You complain if schools try to teach ethics, morals, values, etc. “Oh no - it is the government taking over our lives!”

But, you also don’t want to blame parents when parenting isn’t done and the kid runs amuck. It isn’t the parents fault, right? It is just a ‘wild kid?’

Can’t have it both ways….

By jim d

November 23, 2008 5:59 AM | Link to this

Blogger,

Have you ever considered honning a sense of humor?

By TheBlogger

November 23, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this

jim d-

I have a great sense of humor. That is, when something is actually funny….

You resort to humor when your logic or faults are pointed out? That’s how it works?

By YES

November 24, 2008 10:02 AM | Link to this

Yes, yes, yes, teachers should confiscate toys — But there HAS TO BE A SCHOOL POLICY ON THIS.

The administrators MUST put into writing a policy allowing teachers to confiscate toys, and dictating how toys are to be returned.

If each teacher is forced to create his/her own policy, this will only backfire on a teacher.

And the administrator MUST stand by the policy!!!!!!!!! Nothing is worse than being a teacher, confiscating a toy that was preventing teaching from taking place, having the parent throw a fit, and having the administrator tell him/her to return the toy………In front of the gloating parent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Jennifer

December 13, 2008 7:53 PM | Link to this

We are allowed to confiscate anything that is being a distraction. Take the fingerboards for example, I see it out the first time, I warn the student. The second time, I grab it from the student and place it in my desk. When the kids are at lunch or leave to go home, I throw away the toy. I had to do that with a Rubik’s Cube before. I do not believe in letting the parent come and get the toy because in our school handbook it doesn’t have any policy where the teacher cannot keep the toy. My students have been warned a lot and now are aware of my toy taking skills, and the first time I see a toy, it’s confiscated and kept with me or thrown away. If the toy is an expensive toy, I send an email to the parent about what happened. Toys are not tolerated in my classroom and will meet Mr.TrashCan if they are seen by me. I am not worried, it’s just the way I teach and I confiscate anything. I do NOT throw away electronics, but I don’t return them unless the parent says so and comes to retrieve the electronic. If those kids want their toys instead of having it with me, they better keep itg out of my view, not take it to school, or keep it away from the class as being a distraction. :)