Thursday, April 08, 2010

PET PEEVE #23



Teachers that expect huge-ass projects to be done by kids and in turn ends up being a "Parent Project."
Look at that thrilled face.


Believe me. I'm all for being involved in my kids projects and helping out here and there. Need help with sentence structure? No problem. Need some felt to glue to your art board? You bet. Need to rent a video about World War II history. Done.
This project is called "Living Museum." It really is a neat project. Um.....if you are 15 years old (not 10). Kids are expected to study a person in history IN DEPTH and learn everything about them, write, type and memorize a five minute speech as if they were that person. Then they are to dress up like this person and have props and boards and posters and plants and framed pictures and....and....and.....They work on it for months.
Then the kids (PARENTS) set up this monstrosity in the gym and students and parents peruse throughout the day and listen to the speeches.

Leroy cried for 2 days before his presentation. His stomach hurt and he was absolutely miserable poor little guy. Not to mention OUR stress as parents.

It's over now.....

Until Izzy hits 5th grade. I may have him start it now. First grade's not too soon to start is it?


9 comments:

Candice said...

I didn't even have to do that crap in college. If I did, I would have happily told my professor to take that zero and shove it up his ass if he expected me to dress up.

Poor Leroy!

P.S- That pic is hilarious.

elle said...

OMG! That is an AWESOME photo. This project supports the conversation I overhead at the Merc where three moms were lamenting the grades they received on their "kid's" project. and I quote, "can you believe I ONLY got a B on that project?".

Anonymous said...

Leroy did a wonderful job: knew his subject; and was very interesting. I too feel like it is too much for 10-11 year olds.

gene said...

i LOVE the expression on his face! our kids' middle school has an annual international day/night like that. This year my wife and i (oh, and our son) learned that there is NigerIA AND NigER. yea. who knew???

Jodi said...

Izzy really knows how to have a good time. Maybe if you'd let him wear his favorite shoes he would have felt more comfortable. I just love your kids.

Do you think that eventually, (after the years of couseling to repair his damaged psychie) doing the speech will give him more confidence that he can accomplish something even though he isn't comfortable at first doing it?

Just wondering...

Margaret (Peggy or Peg too) said...

I'm sorry I know Leroy is in pain here but that pic is hysterical.

Poor kid. I am so thankful I went to school in the stone ages where I didn't have to do that shit at age 10.

tallulah said...

Candice - I would totally expect nothing less than that from you!

Elle - Hahaha!

Anonymous - I'm glad you thought Leroy did a good job. I put the fear of MOM in him!

tallulah said...

Gene - Geez~who knew?

Jodi - Because Leroy has Asperger's, he never talks unless you threaten to take his privledges away. But this? Downright torture.

tallulah said...

Peggy- Yes, there are perks to going to school in the stone ages. The thing I hated most was engraving my school papers on those stone tablets. That was a bitch! ;)