Posts by Kate Cox2

Austin Chavez5 said:I mean, honestly, that probably doesn't even happen because we've got parents all over this 😉

I can't quite put my finger on why, but I hear them constantly making comments about how they feel it's pointless to move forward until they have completely mastered a previous concept, regardless of what the actual school curriculum dictates...

urbanbison70 said:What "nightmare" reading lists?

My first big book was *The Apprenticeship* in 4th grade, and I loved it—read it maybe ten times. Then came *The Train in the Snow*, *The Heroes of Palmyra Avenue*, *Fear on Linden Street*, *The Blue Gull Gang*... all perfect classics.

I don't know what kids are assigned these days, but the people writing books for American schools—God knows what kind of education those people actually had—what they write is appalling. These poems and short stories are so mindless that an adult has to read them five times just to grasp the point, then another five times just to answer the stupid questions. It’s like the author's goal is to write the dumbest story possible... it's tragic.🙄

A few days ago, my niece calls me to ask where Bahrain is located. Try finding it on a map and see what kind of nonsense they're burdening kids with nowadays.😲

I have to wonder, what exactly are they teaching in schools nowadays? And in which grade level does this even happen?

My own niece is only six and a half, yet for two years now, she’s been spinning around a map of Europe, pinpointing everywhere she’s traveled with her parents, where she’s going next, or where her aunt and uncle have visited...
well, whenever the curiosity strikes her! 🤷

urbanbison70 said:What "nightmare" reading lists?

My first big book was *The Apprenticeship* in 4th grade, and I loved it—read it maybe ten times. Then came *The Train in the Snow*, *The Heroes of Palmyra Avenue*, *Fear on Linden Street*, *The Blue Gull Gang*... all perfect classics.

I don't know what kids are assigned these days, but the people writing books for American schools—God knows what kind of education those people actually had—what they write is appalling. These poems and short stories are so mindless that an adult has to read them five times just to grasp the point, then another five times just to answer the stupid questions. It’s like the author's goal is to write the dumbest story possible... it's tragic.🙄

A few days ago, my niece calls me to ask where Bahrain is located. Try finding it on a map and see what kind of nonsense they're burdening kids with nowadays.😲

Oh, I was actually referring to the reading lists for middle school and high school... they weren't exactly "horror" stories, at least not to me, because I’ve always been an avid reader. But if I compare those old classics to what students are assigned to read these days, the older stuff seems much more substantial and engaging. Plus, we seemed to have a quota of maybe one book a month, whereas I personally went through way more than that...
or perhaps we just had an incredibly intense teacher... 🤔

edit—A FIRST required book in fourth grade? How is that possible?? We had assignments starting from the very first year of elementary school... obviously they were simpler, but still!

Kimberly Nguyen said:Hmm... let me get this straight. If the state curriculum explicitly dictates that students need to have mastered cursive by the end of first grade, then there isn't any "if the class is ready" excuse. Period. They have to know it by the time the school year wraps up. And we aren't just talking about scribbles, either; we're talking actual legible handwriting 🙄... though honestly, you can only imagine how messy a first grader's attempt at "fine penmanship" looks when they're trying to use it for the next couple of years
.

Well, in that case, it sounds like some of my colleagues aren't quite hitting the mark...
If the class hasn't fully mastered printed letters yet, they shouldn't be jumping ahead to cursive...

urbanbison70 said:I remember back in my day, we did it letter by letter in first grade. We’d write a single letter a billion times in our notebooks... everyone remembers those endless drills of writing "Isaac" and "Ann." But I distinctly remember my niece was writing full sentences from day one—just copying them from the book—before she even knew her letters because nobody taught her the basics before school started. She was just being a kid, playing, totally uninterested. They skipped the letter drills and went straight to sentences, plus some cursive later on. We never did that.

And honestly, the point isn't us arguing over who had it better. It's that today's parents are sitting down and doing homework with their kids (which, if you ask me, isn't right, but they have to given the curriculum). When we were growing up 20 or 25 years ago, nobody helped us; we were on our own. My mom never even asked what my homework was. Now, parents are fully involved and totally in sync with everything happening at school... I joke with my sister that based on how much her kid is learning, she could probably apply for Wheel of Fortune in a few years. 🤣

Also, btw, I've noticed that for kids today, English is the biggest struggle (way more than math). That tells me the entire approach to teaching reading and writing is fundamentally broken. Back in my time, nobody struggled with English; you didn't even really "study" it, it just happened. If there was ever a struggle, it was math. 🤷

Well, honestly, they’re still doing exactly that today...🤷 at least, that's what I see happening with my colleagues, my friends, and even the kids of my buddies who just started school..
Of course, I suppose if a teacher walks into a classroom of thirty kids and twenty-five of them already know their alphabet, then yeah—they really have to pick up the pace to keep things moving—but you can't exactly pin that on the teacher..

amberranger9 said:I’m actually on the same page as Dobrica here; it feels like the curriculum today is much lighter than what we had to tackle back in the day. The real game-changer for kids now is having access to a second language starting in first grade—something most of us didn't get, at least I didn't. It's well-known that kids soak everything up like sponges before they hit seven or eight, so introducing another language then isn't an added burden; it’s honestly just doing them and their parents a massive favor, giving them a real shot at being bilingual by the time they graduate high school.
As for working with kids at home, I honestly don't even know where to start or how to respond to those posts where people indirectly ask, "Why do I need to help my kid with homework when there's a teacher in after-school care?" or "What am I supposed to review if they're already in school?" I was the top student in my class through the end of high school, but I moved around quite a bit—three different elementary schools and two different high schools across two different states 😁—and believe me, I definitely needed help at home sometimes. I remember first grade vividly; my mom basically sat by my side every single day, forcing me to do my homework because I used to think I didn't need to bother since I'd already learned it in class. I walked into first grade knowing how to write all my letters, but I couldn't actually read... I could only string a few letters together into tiny little syllables. Then there was third grade, when we were learning about the water cycle. I just couldn't wrap my head around it, no matter what. My dad tried explaining it until he was blue in the face, but nothing worked... until he finally took me into the bathroom, turned on the hot water in the tub, and waited for the steam to fog up the mirror. Once the mirror clouded over, things finally clicked. He explained that the water heater is like the top layer that creates steam, which eventually turns into rain... if he hadn't done that, I probably would have ended up in fourth grade still totally lost. From fifth to eighth grade, I kept bugging him whenever I hit a wall, though by then we were getting into physics and chemistry, so I needed a little extra help here and there.
I truly cannot fathom a parent who does absolutely nothing with their child. How can you not see how they're doing with math or writing? Maybe they're actually doing better than the teacher realizes... maybe they're gifted in certain areas or subjects... why wouldn't you want to nurture that potential?
Looking back, I realize how tough it is for teachers; the elementary years are even harder than the later grades. That's when you have to lay the foundation and instill habits—things like finishing homework, neat handwriting, organized notebooks, using clear headings... not to mention all the stuff teachers have to deal with that should have been handled at home, like basic politeness and manners.
Maybe some parents feel it's unfair that a 4 out of 5 is a B, or that a 19 out of 20 is also a B... but they really ought to look at the actual material being taught and study the tests to see what kind of questions are being asked. Most of the time, it's the absolute basics... and I really don't think that kind of grading is unfair.
Unfortunately, teachers today are way more restricted than they used to be. You can't even look at a kid the wrong way without some parent showing up at the school the next morning to demand a meeting. It used to be that these conversations could stay between the teacher and the parent, but that's just not possible anymore. If there's even the slightest issue, you have to involve a third party; the teacher ends up having to explain themselves to two or three different people, asking "why," "how," and "couldn't this have been handled differently?" After a few episodes like that, what happens? The teacher just gives the kid a C to wash their hands of the whole thing, the parent walks away feeling victorious... and meanwhile, the kid hits fourth grade without even knowing their multiplication tables. Why don't they know them? Who cares, right? They've got a calculator anyway... they'll just use that, or their classmate will.
Almost every day, I see some kind of outburst from kids. I once saw a little guy burst into tears because he got a C on a science quiz, and I was just stunned. I didn't get it... it was just science. By the end of the semester, he'll probably have a B or an A in that subject easily. He could even pull off an A without any trouble. But no, he can't study at home because he has three sisters who are all straight-A students, and that would cause too much drama. So, what are you supposed to do in that situation? Is it the teacher's fault for being too strict, or are the parents imposing the wrong expectations?

To be perfectly honest, my memory of elementary school is a bit hazy, but I vividly recall that the required reading list was an absolute nightmare... the stuff kids are expected to read nowadays—or, more likely, just download a summary of from the internet—seems like complete nonsense to me.

Back during the war, I was roughly in sixth grade—we had been relocated to England for a few months and were attending schools over there... they actually moved me straight into eighth grade without even checking what I knew first! I suppose they had some idea of how rigorous our American schooling used to be...🤷
And even then, I was absolutely floored by the sheer nonsense those little English kids were being taught...😲
I truly, sincerely hope that our education system and the level of knowledge our children possess don't descend to that point.🤦

Robin Martin8 said:I’m actually glad this thread was started. My little one is a freshman, and honestly, I’ve been obsessing over how brutal the grading system is lately. Here in the States, they already started handing out grades in those little report cards during the first semester. Now that we're moving into the second half, everything is being logged straight into the official school portal. It’s ridiculous. For instance, he had this math test worth 20 points, and even though he scored a 19, the teacher gave him a B. Apparently, you need a perfect 100% just to get an A. It feels completely arbitrary.
Our grades aren't too bad overall, I suppose, but my kid is just... high energy. He's incredibly restless. We struggle with his focus constantly. I mean, once he finally settles down and actually commits to a task, he flies through it in seconds, but getting him to that starting point? That's the real battle.

First off, every teacher or professor has the autonomy to decide which grading scale they want to apply to their tests. Honestly, missing just one question and getting a B isn't actually that unusual in most American classrooms.

2. Furthermore, if we are talking about an elementary school student, teachers often utilize standardized tests or pre-made assessments that come bundled with specific instructional materials. These sets frequently include a predetermined grading rubric, and the teacher simply follows that established scale... perhaps that is what is happening here?

Kimberly Nguyen said:Look, this isn't about picking sides in some political tug-of-war; we need to be on the side of the kids 🙂 ... As far as I can recall—and honestly, my mom backs me up on this one, even if I might be misremembering slightly—back in my first-grade days, we focused on uppercase and lowercase print plus basic reading ... there was zero emphasis on cursive handwriting ... and grades were all descriptive feedback rather than numbers

And yet, from what I’ve gathered, everyone in the education department seems to be preaching that children don't need to master letters or numbers early on => that's supposedly all handled in first grade ... but let's be real here, we all know deep down that a kid is going to struggle immensely if they haven't grasped those fundamentals already

Well, technically, they don't *need* to know... I mean, I can't recall a time when kids started kindergarten already knowing how to write full sentences—I assume the school system and the way teachers handle the alphabet have just adapted to that reality.
If an entire class shows up with some baseline knowledge, obviously you aren't going to spend ten whole days drilling the letter "A" if everyone already knows it.

A close friend of mine just took over a first-grade classroom where absolutely none of the students knew how to write when they arrived... so they are just slowly easing into lowercase print right now.
The whole first semester was dedicated to large block letters,

since cursive and standard handwriting are actually part of the second-grade curriculum, not the first.

Kimberly Nguyen said:Look, this isn't about picking sides in some political tug-of-war; we need to be on the side of the kids 🙂 ... As far as I can recall—and honestly, my mom backs me up on this one, even if I might be misremembering slightly—back in my first-grade days, we focused on uppercase and lowercase print plus basic reading ... there was zero emphasis on cursive handwriting ... and grades were all descriptive feedback rather than numbers

And yet, from what I’ve gathered, everyone in the education department seems to be preaching that children don't need to master letters or numbers early on => that's supposedly all handled in first grade ... but let's be real here, we all know deep down that a kid is going to struggle immensely if they haven't grasped those fundamentals already

I work in an educational setting with older students, but from what I gather through my colleagues, they only introduce cursive once the class is truly ready—meaning everyone has fully mastered printing both upper and lowercase letters.
And honestly, I hear the exact same thing from my friends who are elementary school teachers.
While I don't recall every specific detail of my own first-grade curriculum, I was absolutely stunned to realize that some kids spend their entire first year just rotating through numbers up to ten and the alphabet...

I actually filled in for a second-grade teacher once, and I was genuinely surprised to see they hadn't even covered the months of the year yet... apparently, that was slated for much later in the term.

To my mind, that feels far too slow-paced... 🤷

Kimberly Nguyen said:It really is tragic when one bad actor causes everyone else to be judged by the same unfair standard... In my experience, the teacher handling the class was actually quite fair with the kids. Honestly, she could have been even stricter, but whatever... regardless, they definitely shouldn't be lumped in with someone like this.

Look, I know all those channels exist. I actually called up a friend of mine—she holds a pretty high-ranking position in the administration—just to get some professional advice on how to handle this... And she told me straight up: sure, you can call in an inspector, but you might just be making a bigger mess of things. She had a nightmare situation herself with a teacher who was absolutely impossible—this woman was ancient and practically terrorized the kids with her attitude... When she tried to report her own case (which, let's face it, was way less intense than what she went through), she was basically advised to just stay quiet and not rock the boat...

Yeah, it's true. Back when I was in school, my parents never had to step in or deal with anything regarding my education... There just wasn't a need. The curriculum wasn't nearly as heavy as it is now, and everything moved at a much more manageable pace. These days? You almost *have* to help your kids because the workload is relentless and the tempo is just too fast.

But man, the grading discrepancies are massive... It isn't just teacher to teacher; it varies from school to school and even town to town. Trying to standardize those grading criteria? Good luck. It’s a total nightmare...

When my brothers and I were going through school, my mom made it an absolute requirement to work on our lessons with us. Honestly—I can't recall the exact reason why... we aren't stupid, so it certainly wasn't due to a lack of intelligence 😁, but whether it was because the workload was heavy or if she was just trying to combat our laziness, I'll have to ask her...
I don't have any kids currently in school myself, but I see that first graders spend the entire first semester just learning print letters and numbers up to 5, and then in the second semester, they move on to lowercase letters and numbers up to ten...

To me, that doesn't even seem particularly difficult, and I honestly don't understand how anyone could call that a "slower" pace...🤷

Jamie Davis17 said:Look, if money isn't an issue for you, just head over to a private clinic. Give them a call, book an appointment, and I suspect you could be seen within just a few days. Please, let us know how it goes!

Well, if I actually decide to pay out of pocket, I’ll just go to my regular doctor in Chicago; she has an ultrasound machine on-site, so she can probably just take a look herself... 🤷

Anyway, does anyone know roughly how much an ultrasound scan like that costs these days?

Well, I think I’ll head over to Austin then, as soon as I can carve out a free afternoon... 😢

Jamie Davis17 said:breast pain can actually fluctuate quite a bit depending on where you are in your monthly cycle.

I would honestly suggest scheduling an appointment with a gynecologist, or even just seeing your primary care physician to get a referral for a breast ultrasound.

Wait, what kind of referral could a regular GP even provide for something like that?

I am currently 28 years old...
I honestly have no idea where I even am in my cycle because things are incredibly irregular and occasionally just stretch on forever. My last one lasted three whole months, and now it has been over two months and I still haven't started my period. And before anyone asks—no, I am not pregnant...
Recently, I decided to try a more holistic approach to get things back on track, so I started taking some PMS relief supplements from a wellness brand and sipping on some herbal teas specifically formulated for women's health.

I can't help but wonder, could there be any connection between those supplements and what's happening?

For about a week now, I’ve been feeling this specific "spot" of pain in my right breast—it's located right next to the nipple (on the right side). It hurts when I touch it; it isn't an excruciating sensation, but there is definitely discomfort.

I have performed a self-examination, but I didn't feel any unusual lumps or abnormalities, and I haven't noticed any discharge from the nipple either...

Should I be panicking here, or is this likely nothing serious?

Thank you 🙂

Is there really nobody who knows anything about this?? 🤷

James Chavez91 said:Regarding Kineza—I noticed they have the five-pointed star version, so maybe they carry the pink one too😁

What was it again... a genuine, bona fide telescope...?

No, that's simply not the case. If you were to actually look through his perspective, you would see nothing but Barbie and Ken. 😬

I have been taking Athyrazol for about five years now to manage my hyperthyroidism. My last three or four blood tests—which covers nearly a full year—have all come back within the normal range, yet I am still maintaining a minimal dose of the medication... specifically, just half a tablet every other day.

Recently, I decided to start taking Enclave PMS Free (an extract containing Vitex and hemp) to help regulate my cycle and boost my fertility. This brings me to my primary concern: could combining Vitex with Athyrazol potentially be harmful?
4
I did stumble upon some notes suggesting that Vitex shouldn't be mixed with any kind of hormone therapy, but I went ahead and started it anyway since my Athyrazol dosage is so incredibly low. I have a follow-up appointment with my endocrinologist in about a month to check on my thyroid levels, so I will definitely be asking them then, but I thought it would be wonderful if anyone here had some insight they could share in the meantime...

I am particularly interested in knowing if there are any potential side effects from combining these two, so if there is a medical professional in the group who could clarify this for me, I would be immensely grateful..🙂

Thank you!

Does anyone happen to know—is there somewhere (and where specifically) I can purchase a children's telescope?

When I say telescope, I am referring to an actual, genuine telescope designed for viewing, not some silly little child's toy that just projects pictures or whatever it is they sell...

And by "children's," I mean I need it in a specific color scheme or aesthetic suitable for a little girl... perhaps pink, purple, colorful, or something along those lines...

Does anyone have any ideas?

Ryan Morris15 said:My cycles tend to fluctuate between 29 and 35 days, so if I hit day 29 one month and then don't see anything by day 33 the next, I suppose I can never be entirely certain whether it’s actually late or just another instance of a longer cycle 🤷
and I imagine that kind of delay could stem from stress, or perhaps some physiological shift you haven't even consciously noticed, among many other possible factors

I am in the exact same boat. My cycles are absolutely erratic; they have even stretched out to 60 days before. My last period was July 15th, and based on any reasonable calculation, I should be significantly late by now, but I haven't heard a peep... and I am quite certain I ovulated. It really should have arrived by now...🤷 but it hasn't, and I'm not feeling any symptoms at all. To make matters worse, I already took a test three weeks ago and it came back negative...

🙂