On an interesting note:
I visited the alternative school for Izzy that two of my other children attend. I visited the Kindergarten class on two separate occasions (totaling 6 hours). The last time, Izzy spent the day in the class as a student to try it out for a day.
At the other school, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. a child asked to go potty, he or she was denied. There was not even a time during the 3 hours that they stopped and lined up for a potty break. Some of these children were visibly miserable...holding themselves, not being able to sit still etc. I was mortified.The other school is an inner-city school (if you can call it that, I mean our total metropolis population is smaller than most suburbs of bigger cities). This Kindergarten class has 20, 5-year old students, no EA (Educational Assistant) and no parent helpers in the class. The K teacher is visibly stressed. She has some children that can't even recognize their letters or write their names. The teacher is trying to get the children ready for testing on the IRI (No Child Left Behind Act) and a good portion of the class seemed uninterested or confused. Needless to say, there was a lot of chaos and not a lot of patience to go around. I felt sorry for the teacher and her up-hill battle and I felt sorry for the children that couldn't have their basic needs met because of the pressure the teacher has on her from state and federal mandates.
Izzy picked up on it right away. Not only was he bored with the curriculum but the stress and chaos was apparent to him as well. He actually left the school crying saying he NEVER wanted to visit that classroom again!
Even though I don't agree with some of the methods being used in his current class (i.e: moving your marker if you have to go potty during an unscheduled potty break), at least you have the option of going to the bathroom! Izzy's class is calm, very structured and the children are not being rushed. They are learning at an incredible rate with the help of a full-time EA and at least one to two parent helpers in the class daily.
It is unfortunate that the majority of our teachers (at least in this state) are over-worked and underpaid. Seeing first hand how our children are treated can be a direct result of these two issues. Not to mention the pressures our children have to perform on state tests that result in how much money our state receives based on those results.
It has been an eye opener.
3 comments:
I'm glad you got something to compare Izzy's current school to. Public schools are sadly inadequate on so many levels. I find it alarming that education in the US is so far behind other competing countries, especially China.
I've yet to hear anything about the subject from either Presidential candidate, but I digress.
So do you plan to talk to the principal about the potty punishment? You can't be the only parent appalled by it!
How does Izzy feel about the marker system? Does he seem to pay a whole lot of attention to who gets one and for what?
At this point, the marker system hasn't affected Izzy in a negative way. I have instructed him that if he has to go potty, even when it is not the "appropriate" time, to tell the teacher and then go. He will not get in trouble with me or the school.
Izzy is aware when kids get in trouble for talking or not following directions because even though it is done so discreetly you would hardly notice that anything has happened, Izzy ENJOYS watching others get in trouble. I know, I know....a sick individual indeed.
Ha! Well, I get updates on who got in trouble or family gossip of friends from Bella (like a friend's daddy who can't drink beer because he gets sick, falls in the pool and bumps his head!). I rely on her best friend to give his mom the actual updates on what they learned.
Izzy and Bella would get along famously :)
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