rowdypanther12 said:You popped up at just the right moment.😁 Can someone please tell me if this is supposed to be a required reading for first graders that they need to finish entirely?
Because some teachers assign this entire book as summer reading.😁
On another note, I was looking over a first-grade math quiz recently and was completely lost.😂Terms like "dividend" and "divisor."😂 It’s not that I wouldn't want to help (and I really would), it's just that I wouldn't even know how.😁
Depends on the teacher. Some read it aloud in class with the kids, others just pick a few chapters—either based on what the kid wants or they specifically tell them which parts to hit—and say "read this at home and answer these questions."
If a kid can grasp and learn what a minuend and a subtrahend are, you certainly can too.😉 I mean, the terms are literal; subtrahend (the number you're subtracting) minuend (the number being subtracted)... though honestly, I never actually test for that or grade based on it. As long as the kid can subtract accurately and quickly, we're good. Knowing the specific names for the numbers is nice for an A, but it's not a dealbreaker.
Linda Price5 said:But can you actually understand them, given how you phrased that? 😁
I don't get the question. 🤔 You think I don't know what species, genus, or family means? Yeah, I know it's just how you classify living things—animals, plants, fungi, whatever. It goes from broad to specific: kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. I remember all that from high school and college, even if it isn't my field and I don't deal with it professionally. Besides, they don't even teach that level of detail in elementary school. They just stick to basics like migratory versus resident birds, or domestic vs. wild animals and endangered species.
Linda Price5 said:Don't you think demanding that a freshman master all those classifications is a bit much? 😕
No. I'm not talking about technicalities. A six or seven-year-old should at least know an ant or a bee is an insect, a shark is a fish, and a lion is a cat. I don't expect them to grasp biological classifications or families... But they shouldn't be calling a bee a bird. I've definitely seen that happen before 🙂
All this talk about students being overwhelmed by too much material is total nonsense. I can personally vouch for that. In my 11 years on the job, I’ve seen the exact opposite. Every year, textbooks actually cut back on the sheer volume of data, and there's more time allocated for practice and review than ever before. As for grading, we still have way, way too many straight-A students in our elementary schools—especially in those first four grades. It’s mostly just parent pressure on teachers and administrators to make sure their kid gets top marks. Then comes the inevitable shock and disbelief when those kids hit high school, where the standards and the workload are actually rigorous.
Personally, I’d scrap traditional grading entirely. Just stick to percentages and descriptive feedback to show where they stand, but tighten the hell up on the actual criteria used for assessment.☕
Just lurking here for a bit... purely from a professional standpoint (I'm a teacher) and gathering intel for next year when I'll be back to teaching first graders after a four-year break.
To be honest, I'm nervous 😛. After all this time, facing a whole new batch of kids and parents... getting to know them, seeing how they "operate," figuring out what they actually want and need, and then trying to squeeze all that into the standard state curriculum is a massive responsibility and exhausting work.
Especially since I see every year that grades are becoming more and more important to parents (and I’m specifically talking about parents, because in about 10% of my classes, the kids are the ones who actually give a damn) while they put in less effort or simply don't know how to prepare their child at home before they even step foot in school.
So you end up with a 7.5-year-old in your class who doesn't know a single color or shape 😲, can't list their family members, can't explain the route from home to school, can't spot seasonal changes in nature, or identify basic animal genders/species... basically, they can't connect concepts and real-life events logically. That is the responsibility and duty of the parent or guardian—not to teach them to count perfectly to twenty or read flawlessly (they'll learn that in school), but to build that foundation. Of course, a kid like that will end up at a disadvantage compared to others and get bad grades—which isn't their fault—and they'll likely lose any drive or motivation to learn.
I'm against letter grades or numerical grading in the first four grades (especially for electives and social studies), but arguing about it is pointless because that's just how the current laws are set up 🙄
But seriously, I have to appeal to parents: spend more time preparing your child for an independent life and learning. Don't just dump everything on preschool, school, or the TV... every year we get worse generations because they've lost the ability to connect what they learn in the classroom to the real world.
I haven’t seen any real difference—aside from some negligible stuff like height, weight, or maybe slightly better handwriting—between a kid who’s 6 and a half versus one who’s 7 and a half. And I’ve spent 10 years working in elementary schools here in the States. Delaying enrollment only makes sense for the difficult cases, specifically kids with special needs. For a "normal" kid? It doesn't. It’s just parents acting on a whim, thinking they know best when they aren't objective and definitely aren't experts. Somehow, the system just gives in to them 🤷 . Not to mention how doctors and school districts handle these delays. They often cave under parental pressure or just play politics based on school policy, like managing class sizes or the number of kids in a grade. These decisions are basically just calculated moves .
Regarding the whole thing about buying worksheets, workbooks, tests, and stuff through the school and the fees involved ... At the first parent-teacher meeting, we let parents know what educational materials are needed. We show them the catalogs where every single item's price is clearly listed. We decide together what actually needs to be bought—what’s essential, what’s optional, or what could potentially be photocopied (even if that's technically illegal) just to save everyone some money. The price parents pay is the catalog price. What we as the school pay is that same price without sales tax. Depending on school policy, that money either goes to the teacher, into a general fund, or covers things like field trips or gifts for Saint Nicholas. And trust me, it’s not like a teacher can get rich off this. It’s more of a headache to collect the cash, dealing with people for months who haven't paid for one reason or another, or even dipping into my own pocket (I've done that plenty of times because publishers want their money the second they deliver the materials) and then wondering if I'll ever see that money again. What blows my mind every single year is that the people with the least money are always the first to pay, and there's never any trouble with them... most of the time you're fighting with the ones you know have the cash! Look, I'm not a charity. Why should I pay for someone else's kid's supplies out of my own pocket? 🤷
As for "free education"—it's free in the sense that you aren't paying for the knowledge we pass on to your kids (which you'd definitely pay for at a private school, where it would cost you something like fifteen thousand dollars a year), but you do pay for the tools used to teach that knowledge (textbooks, field trips, etc.). If you want to know why it works that way, take it up with the government. As educators, we have nothing to do with it. I agree that calling education "free" is presented poorly. It isn't truly free—once you buy the textbooks and pay for various field trips, you're easily out a few hundred dollars a year. 😢
I honestly don't see the issue with buying materials through the school. No one is being ripped off. If parents bought these worksheets themselves, they'd end up paying even more at a local bookstore 🙄. I always give people the option to go find the stuff themselves if they want to, can, or have the time, and in eight years, nobody has ever actually taken me up on it. 🤷
Laura—if I have to write an essay about making bread, I’m siding with the teacher. I'll defend my profession if that's what it takes.
Both tasks fall under language arts and creative expression. They’re mandatory grading elements. The kid's job is simple: watch the movie or follow the event closely, then retell it, either in writing or out loud. It's about how you or the kid interprets the film's theme.
He didn't like the second pair of sleeves... but that's no excuse. A kid can't just write whatever they want and expect it to be okay, regardless of how things are going at home. He should have just written it straight: "In the movie it was like this, but my situation is totally different." Honestly, the teacher was being really fair by not slapping him with a failing grade right away just because he didn't turn in the assignment.
Regarding that whole drama with the neighbors... some people treat their pets like actual members of the family. They feel like they’ve lost a relative when one passes away. I don't get the point of all this noise. Of course it hit them hard. Sure, they're grieving, but they aren't losing a human being. It's just not the same.🤷
Look, when it comes to these school trips, every parent has every right to keep their kid home for whatever reason they want. It’s their call. At the start of the school year, teachers are supposed to lay everything out—the planned trips, the rough costs, the schedule. That's the time to speak up. If you don't like the plan, tell the teacher and hash it out then. Simple as that. Nothing beats a bad workday like having to wrangle a massive group of kids on a "field trip" while being solely responsible for their safety. 🙄Honestly, whenever I hear people whining about how teachers are "making a killing" or using their paychecks to travel halfway around the world, it drives me absolutely insane. It's ridiculous. 🤮 I’d love to take all those self-righteous parents and stick them in a classroom for a single day. Let them see how "easy," "fun," or "relaxing" this actually is. Sure, we have good days, but don't you dare disrespect our profession or what we do for a living.
I’m a teacher and I take my students on trips like this all the time... I honestly don't get why your kid isn't just going for free due to financial hardship (you're always entitled to one free spot per class under these programs)—if there are multiple kids in that situation, the cost gets split among everyone so the price drops for everybody.
And look, I've had plenty of times where a kid couldn't afford an ice cream or a McDonald's meal... I'll always lend them the cash, or a friend will. If the other kids notice or if the kid mentions I gave them money, I make it loud and clear to the whole group that their parents just forgot their lunch money and I'm just lending it to them to be paid back later. It's the only way to stop the bullying and the jealousy from the other kids. Obviously, I never ask for money, but the kids usually end up bringing it in after a few days... and honestly, the ones who actually need it are the ones most likely to pay it back, more so than the kids who have money but their parents just didn't send any pocket change for the trip.🙄
1. Spent 4 hours sitting in the OB-GYN waiting room 😠 (I guess I should be grateful, last time it was 5 hours)
2. Terrible first CTG reading 😠😠 (The repeat one turned out fine)
3. My husband whining the entire time and throwing a fit about having to wait with me—even though he just sat there like a statue scrolling on his phone, even offering to leave since there was a chance I’d be stuck here for a while... 🙂
4. My mom basically broadcasted to anyone who would listen that I’m going into labor this Sunday, so now everyone is blowing up my phone with "support" and unsolicited advice🙂
Yesterday really caught me off guard. I wasn't mentally ready for the whole labor thing when my doctor told me they’re inducing by Sunday at the latest. 😲
I totally lost it in the office. Just bawling like a little kid—you wouldn't think I'm already at 38 weeks, let alone 20. 🙈
It’s driving me insane. I just finished doing my toenails, and then I immediately roll my office chair right over one of my toes and smudge everything. 😠 🙂
I’m seriously about to lose it. Honestly, I feel like crying like a toddler over this. 🙄
The amount of dust, lint, and hair I just found behind and underneath my washing machine is unreal 😲 😠 I got hit with a sudden cleaning mania and forced Jason Lee2 to pull the washer away from the wall just so I could wipe down the floor and that area 🤮 Tonight, I’m planning to do the same thing in the bedroom—lifting the mattress and the bed frame to vacuum underneath. Honestly, I'm already dreading what I'm going to find 😱🙂 And it's totally my own fault. I could have easily kept living in the delusion that dust doesn't accumulate back there and there was no point in ever cleaning it 🙈
Great, looks like there's even more of us 😢 Everyone got hit with a warning notice in the mail today. Probably why I couldn't get through on the phone for nearly an hour—everyone was busy calling them and telling them where to shove it 😛
Michelle Nelson4—look, see if you can check with that lawyer friend of yours. Do we actually have any rights here? Are they allowed to just automatically renew an old policy and send out pre-foreclosure warnings without sending a bill or any kind of notification first? 😠
Though, I bet those scumbags covered themselves legally. If you look at the fine print, it says if the policyholder doesn't cancel at least 60 days before the term ends via written notice, the contract is considered valid for another year under the exact same terms 👎
Also, I told my grandma I wanted to cancel the contract starting in July, but damn it, there’s also this clause about a three-month notice period where you're still obligated to pay the premium!
So it turns out I'm stuck paying until at least September. Then I'll be stuck paying for the whole year because I won't be pregnant anymore by next month, which means I'll have to pay for all the exams and copays all over again...
Okay, I’ve calmed down a bit, but honestly, I thought I was going to have a total nervous breakdown.
And it wasn't even just about those damn $117—we'll get to that—my mom actually sent the money to those idiots already after she called me while I was sitting there losing my mind and crying hysterically 😛—she thought something was wrong with the baby or me, but once she realized what was actually happening, she felt so relieved she just paid them immediately!
What really gets me is how Medicare treats us like we're some kind of illiterate cattle, as if the government isn't already trying to squeeze every last cent out of us 😠 👎
I am so incredibly pissed off right now I’ve been crying so hard I thought I was actually going to go into labor from the stress!!!!!
A notice showed up today at $117 about unpaid premiums for my private health insurance—I’m totally 😲 . I went straight to check the contract/policy I signed back in February 2010, and it clearly states it runs until February 2011. That was when I paid my final installment. I didn't renew the contract (meaning I didn't bother going back to the agency to file a new signed agreement like I did the previous two years) because I'm pregnant. Since all pregnancy-related services are covered for free under the standard plan, I wanted to save some cash.
I called those idiots immediately and told them I settled every single debt up through February 2011 when the one-year term ended. Some arrogant old lady on the phone just laughed in my face and said: "Ma'am, did you even read the fine print on the back of the contract? If you didn't explicitly request a termination in writing before the expiration date, we automatically renewed it for another year!"
Screw this country and screw me for being stupid enough not to read that. And screw the arrogance of these government bureaucrats and everything else... Now I have to scrape together money for these damn $117, even though we're basically just dragging things out month after month and moving money from one empty pocket to another... 😢
Dear Medicare and our great nation: you get a massive :2up: from me!
It’s driving me insane. I'm pissed, I'm frustrated, and honestly, I'm just exhausted... looking at my bank statement today and seeing that my mortgage payment jumped up from last month to this one $66 😲 😢 I get it, most people are feeling the squeeze too, but that doesn't make a damn bit easier to swallow... especially since there isn't a single thing I can do to fix it...
Great, good for you. We can reach an agreement on certain things—that’s just how I roll. Sure, it gets under my skin, but at least life isn't boring. 😛
Everyone has their own priorities. Some people care about comfort, some care about their kid's name, others care about something else entirely. Same goes for how people get what they want. I don't have any issues with manipulation, but clearly, you do. 🤷 A hundred women, two hundred breasts. 😁
According to him, everything was "unnecessary." He wanted me to borrow stuff or just wait until the baby actually showed up! Eventually, I had a total meltdown and laid it all out for him. I told him he clearly didn't love his own kid and didn't care about me one bit (yeah, I know, sounds harsh 😛), and then I threatened to move back in with my parents for the rest of the pregnancy and let him figure his life out on his own.
So, one day I just called him up and said, "Fine. I'm going to the bank tomorrow to take out that high-interest payday loan, and since my parents are coming into Chicago tomorrow, we're going shopping for everything the baby needs."
He flipped a switch instantly. He pulled cash from his savings (he always keeps a stash) and even drove all the way to Oregon to pick up baby gear. 😉
Honestly? You just have to make them feel guilty. Threaten them. Cut off all the perks of being married—from the sex to the cooking and laundry. Give it a shot. You've got nothing to lose.