Genesee Hills Elementary School
In Praise of the Pencil
A few weeks back, Monkey came home in a tizzy. “I’m out of pencils again,” he announced. Nonplussed, I told him there were under three weeks of school left and that I was pretty sure he could make-do with his nubs until June 20. He started at me with contempt. “Are you serious?” he questioned. “I have exams! I need pencils! Ticonderogas. Now!”…
School Is Not the Time To Make Friends
In 1976, we had so many opportunities to practice civility. It was okay to have a little chitter-chatter time built into our day. The classroom was where we learned our academics, but we also practiced our social skills. These days, I would imagine that most administrators would tell parents that there is simply not time for idle chitter-chatter. In fact, a few years ago an administrator told me that “school is not the place for children to make friends.” She argued that kids needed to get involved in extra-curricular activities to make friendships. That teachers needed to make the most of classroom time to prepare their students for standardized tests. That teachers have more to teach than ever.
In 2010, I would argue “the civility piece” has fallen out of the curriculum — along with idle time….
Lessons From Mrs. Church
I loved Mrs. Church, my 2nd grade teacher, from the very first day of school. Among other things, she taught a unit…