Posts by Jacob Lopez2

northerntiger9 said:Don't laugh—but we’ve completely overlooked something that is actually essential these days. I’d love to see it integrated into computer science classes—not necessarily as its own subject, but just part of the curriculum. 😬 It is infinitely easier and faster to type when you actually know how to do it properly, rather than picking up bad habits early on that are a nightmare to fix later. Is touch typing still taught in business schools at all? It seems strange that nobody thought to expand this further; after all, everyone uses a keyboard now, not just secretaries. 😬

This isn't funny at all. I say this constantly. There are so many opportunities, yet so few competent people. One of the older folks (who does absolutely nothing with computers now) was using typing tutor software back in fourth grade under a different teacher. But they didn't practice nearly enough to actually master it properly.

Computer science curricula try to cover everything, but they never stick to anything. It’s infuriating.

We have twenty-five-year-olds starting jobs who can't handle basic Office applications—PowerPoint, Excel, Word—any better than I could when I was teaching myself twenty-five years ago. It's ridiculous. Everyone wants to learn how to code, yet nobody bothers to pick up the practical, everyday skills that actually matter.

All this constant chatter about the importance of computer science is utter nonsense when my kid’s regular CS teacher spends half the class playing touch football with them or just letting kids surf the web aimlessly. Even the students have been complaining to their homeroom teachers that they aren't actually learning anything. It is a complete waste of precious instructional time. I honestly don't understand what the principal is doing; shouldn't she be actively supervising the faculty? These instructors aren't even providing grades! The homeroom teacher claims she has reported this multiple times, yet absolutely nothing ever changes.

And what is the point of even having full-day school schedules if we can't find any quality educators to actually teach?

We didn't have grades from first through fourth grade, so we just managed fine once we hit fifth grade; I don't recall any massive shockwaves back then.

It honestly feels to me like they’re demanding way too much from kids in the upper elementary years these days. By fifth grade—if not even sooner—they're expected to put together projects, give presentations, and conduct actual research, which is stuff we barely touched on in high school and didn't get serious about until college.

Basic fundamental knowledge is almost entirely ignored when it comes to grading. You should have to study just as hard for second grade as you do for fifth, but if you miss a single point, suddenly you're looking at a C or a D.
That’s how we were taught, and it wasn't until we were in university. I have no idea which schools are handing out failing grades to everyone, but in my district, they certainly don't hand out grades for free. In fact, the grading is actually harsher than what anyone would reasonably expect based on actual knowledge.

nimblelynx7 said:Exactly my thoughts. I don't see why anyone is rushing. Waiting a year isn't going to ruin anything, and it might actually mean getting a better deal.

I strongly disagree with the notion that you can always just "catch up" later. In the lower grades, physical disparities are glaringly obvious; if a classroom is mostly composed of six and seven-year-olds, an eight-year-old is going to tower over everyone, which creates massive issues with social integration.

Furthermore, staying in preschool for an additional year usually means the entire group shifts together, and by the time they finally move up with the younger kids, those children have already physically outgrown the curriculum entirely.

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John Palmer9 said:Quincy:

I guess maybe things are getting a little bit fruity around here. kaže: It’s all just drama, as usual. I guess it feels like you go straight from daycare to prison; life's pretty much over.🙄

Times have changed quite a bit, I suppose; families used to be much larger and more multigenerational back in the day, with grandparents and extended relatives all playing some kind of role in raising the kids. Nowadays, it seems like parents just lean on the local public schools for everything, though those institutions seem mostly interested in being strictly academic, almost as if they've decided that providing any kind of guidance or moral upbringing isn't really their responsibility anymore.

If a school happens to have two first-grade classes, I guess they could just quietly agree behind the scenes to designate one specifically for kids who need a bit more support. It might mean there wouldn't be any real need to delay their start at school, maybe.

Everything has to be official and there has to be paperwork for every single thing. How are they supposed to agree on which class gets the specialized group without making it public?

At the end of the day, these kinds of classroom setups already exist in various schools. A friend of mine works at one such school, and she says working in a room where every single child has special needs is absolutely terrifying.

Character building starts at birth, not when a kid turns 6 or 7.

And from my own experience, a child who isn't ready at 6 won't magically be ready at 7 or 8 either; that extra year doesn't change a thing. It is a matter of character, not maturity.
It’s just like getting used to daycare—they won't truly adjust until they are actually there for the full day, rather than just sitting there for a few hours over several months.

Kenneth Brown5 said:So, my daughter spent half the semester reading the exact same novel three different times—does that strike anyone else as totally bizarre given her mountain of other schoolwork and extracurriculars?
Basically, it was assigned reading, but the teacher kept the specific requirements a total mystery.
Like, she’d finish the book, then halfway through the month, the teacher would drop a random assignment on them, forcing her to go back through the pages just to hunt down specific quotes for some poster project or whatever.
Then, in the final week, they finally specified how many examples they needed, and since she didn't have enough from her previous passes, she had to dive back in yet again.
I’m not going to get into the specifics of what she actually had to find, just so she doesn't recognize her own story.
Has anyone ever dealt with anything even more chaotic than this?
Kids should be getting lost in stories for fun, not treating reading like a repetitive scavenger hunt for homework.
And honestly, it's tough knowing when to step in when you feel like these assignments are just making them lose interest in everything.

Yes. Some teachers definitely take it too far. In my kid's case, they tear these books apart for hours on end. Honestly, they should make it easier on themselves next time; if there are extra research tasks, just tell them to use a search function if there's a PDF available. Most of these books are online anyway.

I’ve officially hit 40, and frankly, I haven't even seen a doctor about it yet.

Susan James said:Quentin Tarantino

So, I was thinking about what the whole point of school reading assignments actually is. We’ve all been there—sitting in a classroom, staring at a thick novel, wondering why we’re being forced to trek through hundreds of pages of text just because it's on a syllabus. Is it just about checking a box to pass a class? Or is there something deeper to it? Personally, I’ve always felt that those assigned books serve as a way to introduce us to perspectives we might never stumble upon on our own. It's like a guided tour through someone else's brain. Even if I wasn't exactly thrilled about the book at the time, looking back, I can usually find one specific idea or character that really stuck with me. I remember back in high school, I had to read this massive classic that I thought was going to be a total snooze fest. But halfway through, I found myself genuinely rooting for the protagonist. It changed how I thought about empathy, and honestly, that stayed with me much longer than any test grade did. What do you guys think? Is assigned reading a necessary tool for building a well-rounded mind, or is it just an outdated way to test our endurance?
A mom reached out to me recently with a bit of a dilemma. She’s struggling with how to help her kid tackle their required reading assignments, especially since the student is having a really hard time staying motivated. We're talking about trying to get through a book that's around 100 pages long, and the lack of interest is making it tough for them to actually grasp what's happening in the story. It’s one of those situations I see quite often—where the sheer task of sitting down and focusing feels overwhelming for a kid.

Quentin Tarantino

Maybe I totally misread the situation—that hundred-page reading assignment wasn't exactly a walk in the park, but oh well!

I’ve been wondering lately—specifically regarding elementary school kids—do you think these kinds of creative activities actually encourage them to read more? I'm curious if giving them more hands-on, creative assignments helps them grasp the books they're reading on a deeper level.
What’s the actual point of reading assigned books for school? I was thinking about this the other day while sipping my coffee, wondering if we ever really stop to ask why we're being handed these specific novels. Is it just about checking a box, or is there something more to it?
I've been wondering about that myself lately—why is it actually there in the school at all? It feels like one of those things we just accept without really questioning the logic behind it.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how much parents tend to hover over their kids' homework lately, and honestly, I think getting too involved can actually do more harm than good on several different levels. I remember back when I was in middle school, my mom used to sit right next to me while I tackled my math problems. She had this habit of pointing out every little mistake before I could even finish the equation. At the time, I thought she was just being helpful, but looking back, it really killed my confidence. Instead of learning how to work through a tough problem, I just learned how to wait for her to give me the answer. When parents step in too heavily, they often accidentally strip away a child's chance to build independence and critical thinking skills. It’s all about finding that sweet spot—being there for support when things get genuinely overwhelming, but letting them struggle just enough to learn how to solve it themselves. Overstepping might get a better grade on a Tuesday night, but it doesn't prepare them for the real world.
You know I’m generally pretty against this kind of thing. Honestly, I feel like it might even be working against my kid right now, but I really believe there will be some long-term benefits down the road.

I don't really see the harm in a mom just sketching out a circle and cutting it out perfectly if her kid has already done everything else. Honestly, sometimes things just happen—maybe the kid or the parent didn't realize how much precision was actually required for this specific project, or maybe they were just racing against the clock and running out of time. It’s not the end of the world!
If a mother has to spend her own time reading the required book, summarizing it for her child, and then sitting there explaining all the parts the kid didn't quite grasp, that points to a massive failure in the education system. For a teacher to actually realize a student is struggling with reading comprehension or just lacks motivation for the assignment, the child needs to show up to class having actually done the work—not just showing up with a half-baked version because Mom had to do the heavy lifting.

I’m honestly not much of a fan when it comes to those DIY creative projects, especially when it involves things like remote nursing work.
Honestly, I think schools should just let kids do whatever they want. If they want to draw all day, dance around, act out plays, or even try their hand at writing novels inspired by picture books—go for it! As long as they’re doing it within the school setting, it's all good. This is especially true for those after-school programs; that’s the perfect time to let their creativity run wild.
During those first two grades, I think it's a great idea to let kids read their required books during after-school care. It would be such a relief if they could finish up their reading there, so when they finally walk through the front door, they don't have to worry about schoolwork for the remaining 15 hours of the day. That way, they can just focus on playing freely until it's time for bed.

How wonderful that would be.

But obviously, the American school system doesn't work that way. Beyond the mountain of material and homework they churn through both in class and during after-school programs (I’m not talking daily, but occasionally a parent asks what they did, and my kid can show me everything in ten minutes), they are also constantly assigned long-term projects that aren't due tomorrow, but much later.

Furthermore, the teacher mentioned at the PTA meeting that children are still expected to read before bed—after spending 8 to 10 hours at school—and that we should constantly quiz them on math, just casually, while driving or walking.
We don't do that because sometimes we actually want to relax. It is absolutely unbelievable to me that the fundamentals for first and second grade cannot be mastered within regular school hours and after-school care.

Speaking of required reading, the younger ones in second grade have this Bookmeter thing they sometimes fill out at school, though sometimes they don't have time and have to bring it home.
These are various assignments used to sneak in reading requirements, but some questions are incredibly ambiguous or clearly written for one specific edition (and we all know fairy tales aren't identical in every book), yet the teacher insists on only accepting the answer the publisher clearly intended...

My mom’s schedule is a total mess because religious studies was scheduled for the first two hours in the morning and then again during the afternoon block. In the mornings, she can’t even show up until the third period, and in the afternoons, she isn't allowed to leave campus, yet they provide absolutely zero designated space for her to sit down, relax, or actually get her homework done.

I didn't hold back at the very first PTA meeting; I marched right up and demanded they address this nonsense, pointing out how ridiculous it is that students don't have a place to work for a full hour and a half, and reminding them that it's not just three of us, but eight students who aren't attending those classes. While the teachers didn't make any grand promises to fix the systemic issues, they did listen—because within just two days, we were handed a brand new schedule.
Now, religious studies is set for the last two periods in the morning or the first two in the afternoon. It looks like they simply reshuffled the blocks to be more logical.

It works perfectly for us, though I sincerely hope no one else was left hanging, since this kind of disorganized scheduling is unfortunately all too common.

Larry Walker24 said:A student isn't allowed to leave campus, so don't mess around.

If something happens to the kid, who's to blame? The school? You?

I haven't heard anything more idiotic in a long time. Is the school responsible if a kid gets hurt on their way to class, or if third period starts instead of first? Stop encouraging this kind of sheer stupidity.

rowdypanther12 said:The main argument is child safety, and honestly, it’s probably because they shouldn't be acting out or causing trouble around the school grounds 😁

Ha ha. They don't give a damn about how those kids actually get to school or where they wander off to afterward.

rowdypanther12 said:If they actually let students leave school early where you live, that's pretty great.

Exactly. We'll see how that plays out. But honestly, I fail to see why they wouldn't be permitted to leave! By that ridiculous logic, students should be forced to show up earlier if religion class is scheduled for first period, or stay late if it's at the end of the day.
What are the actual arguments here?

silentmason4 said:What actually happens to kids who skip out on religion class when it’s tucked right in the middle of the school day? Like, is the school required to provide them with some kind of alternative programming, or are they basically just left to their own devices to wander the halls and do whatever they feel like?

It really depends on the specific school district. There isn't some universal mandate. In our area, the younger kids usually hang out in the library, while the high schoolers pretty much figure things out on their own.
Exactly, those block schedules are great because if the class falls at the start or end of the day, they can just show up late or head home early.

My fifth grader has a morning schedule where he only has two classes first thing, so he'll just head into school later. When it's scheduled mid-day, he’ll probably just stay home since he has enough time to grab lunch, rest, and get his homework done before heading in. For the older kids, it's easy as long as they aren't relying on their parents for a ride.

Though, looking at what mom2be wrote, that logic is completely nonsensical. If my local schools operate that way, we're going to have a serious problem, but I doubt it. It's a school, not a correctional facility. It makes zero sense to essentially punish students just because they aren't attending religion class.

What exactly makes this different from the identical topic that has already been thoroughly discussed?

I don't see any hypocrisy whatsoever in teenagers defending the same behaviors adults engage in; bad habits take root early, and it is far better to intervene before they become permanent.
And let’s be clear: cigarettes, alcohol, and similar substances are devastatingly more harmful to a developing body.

What truly baffles me is this extreme pendulum swing—moving from utter shock and disbelief to total acceptance overnight without even having a real conversation about it.

If I were in your shoes, I would be giving regular lectures on the physiological damage smoking does to a young organism. Not to mention the revolting smoker's breath, the stench, and those disgusting yellowed fingers and teeth.
Perhaps those images might act as a deterrent. Perhaps not, but at least I would know I had fulfilled my duty as a parent.

There is a very high probability she'll end up crushing on some guy who immediately loses interest the moment he kisses her and catches that stench.

unnamed

Larry Gonzalez83 said:Honestly, I’m too embarrassed to even talk about this outside... It’s not some poser move at all. Far from wanting to encourage it, I’d actually be happiest if none of this was happening... but I just can't look the other way.

There is a massive middle ground between ignoring the situation entirely and standing on a balcony smoking with my 14-year-old daughter while she casually lights up one cigarette after another.

It just seems to me that you accepted this reality far too quickly. Just take a look back at your very first post.

She’s going to smoke outdoors anyway, since she started doing it just to fit in with her friends, and I see absolutely no point in encouraging her to smoke inside the house too. You’ve swung from one extreme to the other overnight. One minute you couldn't accept that she was smoking—which is perfectly logical—and now you're handing her cash for cigarettes and smoking right next to her on the balcony.
She is still a developing child, and you really ought to find some other way to bond together instead of revolving everything around smoking.

But hey, if this makes your lives easier, then fine.

Exactly. That’s certainly not doing them any favors.
And because of this, kids are just flocking to Snapchat. So, there you have it...

mellowskipper said:Of course I would react. If someone were sending her filth, threats, or insults, I'd take screenshots and report it to the police immediately.
In any case, there was that Viber group for dummy corp (the little one's name). What some people were posting in there... honestly, that's not just a matter for the police; those people probably need professional help.

Sent from my PRA-LX1 using Reddit

But why are you reading things behind her back? You have a child, and now you're claiming this kind of filth shouldn't be written. That people can go to jail for it. Are you expecting her to tell you if things escalate, or are you expecting her to stop talking to people like that?

I’m assuming she’s over 12 if she’s even messaging people, and if she’s actually participating in this garbage, then it affects her too. Real communication matters more than snooping through her messages.

And if she isn't mature enough to realize she shouldn't be talking to people like that, then I would just shut down her chat privileges entirely.