assistant's commentsComments On: Everything Articles Blogs Journals Photos created by: Everyoneassistant Vocabulary18 May 2008 06:41 PM I work with 4th graders for 90 minutes each day. I really wish teachers would go back to having the students work with their vocabulary and spelling words every day. This was something my children did and also students at our school for several years. I really don't know when or why we stopped. When I began at my school 22 years ago the students had an assignment each day and a test on Friday. They knew the words 'inside out' by Friday. They would write the words ten times, they would look up the meanings, they would learn to pronounce & spell each word. Therefore, they could read and understand the words. Questions about Graduations01 May 2008 09:05 PM I do not agree with having Kdg & 8th grade graduation. This should be left for the special time of High School & College Graduation. Our 8th graders wear caps & gowns and usually have a reception for the families & an 'after-graduation' party for the students. Also, they have their pictures made wearing the caps & gowns. Easter at School16 Mar 2008 02:56 PM I agree that some administrators do not want to disrupt class time with extra activities, but it doesn't seem to upset them to stop class to assemble for fundraising kickoffs or any money making assemblies. My children always looked forward to those special days when they could have parties. We can not blame the principals/school directiors for all this. Some teachers in our school do want to put out the effort to have parties because they tend to feel that the children will get out of their routine (or out of control). I think we are taking the fun out of the school day, and maybe that is why children get so much school burn-out. After all, the old saying is still true 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" (also an unhappy boy). Public Displays of Affection: How Much is Too Much?16 Mar 2008 02:46 PM My grandmother died when I was very, very young so I don't know about my granddaddy's affections toward her, but I loved to see my step-grandmother and granddaddy. I never saw them kiss, but until he got very sick (age 87), he would walk by her and gently pat her on the head. You could just see so much love in those pats. There are so many ways of showing love and affection without a public display of hugging & kissing. How Much Do You Need to have in Common?08 Mar 2008 03:52 PM If my husband were still living, we would be getting ready to celebrate 38 years of marriage. I do believe that we may not be in control of who we fall in love with, but we are in control of what we do to continue the relationship (end it or marry). I was engaged to someone during my college years. I felt this was the man I would spend the rest of my life with, but it didn't happen. When I had my first date with the man I did marry, I didn't even like him , much less think I would ever love him! My aunt kept telling me that I would marry him someday. About a year later, we had another date, and she was right. I knew I wanted to marry him. Like all marriages, ours was not perfect, but I have no regrets about marrying him. I always thought about growing old with him and celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary. When you lose your spouse, you lose a part of yourself and a heart that is never whole again. Why I Support Tennessee's Kindergarten Cut Off Date Proposal26 Jan 2008 04:50 PM I have been a teaching assistant for almost 22 years (as well as a mother & grandmother of children who attended kindergarten). I worked with at least (sometimes more) kindergarten classes each of the 22 years. I am for changing the cut off date, but I would like to see it changed to June 1st. Kindergarten is not a 'babysitter' as some people once thought back many years ago. It is SCHOOL!!! The children are introduced to skills that were once taught in 1st & 2nd grades. The state as well as the county school system expects the students to read, write, do math, etc just as other grades do. Twenty-two years ago, we worked with kindergarteners in lining up, staying in their seats, raising their hands, learning the ABCs, learning to write their names, learning to carry their trays at lunch, etc. That is not the case now, they are expected to know that and much more (including academics) before entering Kindergarten. Children need extra months for maturity in order to be ready to learn the things that are required of them. The Truth about School Secretaries08 Dec 2007 05:41 PM We have one of the very best secretaries that any school could possibly have. She is more than a secretary. She doesn't just greet visitors and answer the telephone. Barbara goes beyond her job description. She does for everyone in the school. I have never heard her be rude to anyone regardless of the situation. She is always pleasant on the telephone and in person. She is a very good wife, mother, and christian. She doesn't complain nor does she brag about herself or the wonderful job she does. We are so very fortunate that she is our special secretary. Dealing with the Death of a Spouse20 Oct 2007 08:42 PM I lost my husband of 29 years to cancer (diagnosed about 2 to 3 months before death). The illness, death, & funeral were the hardest things I would ever go through, so I thought. Not true for me. The days & nights that followed were much more difficult, when I realized he was gone forever. During the days of illness & death,you generally have family & friends that are around offering comfort. After the death, as the days go by, other people must get back to their own lives, and you are alone. I would go to the cemetery and agonize over what I was to do without my husband, and how I could go on. One day at the cemetery I just ask God & my husband to help me get through this and please take away at least some of the heartbreak. I turned it over to them to help me. And they did!! Everyone grieves in their own way. I also found that writing in a journal in those late night sleepless hours help me cope with the loss. No one person can tell another person how to get over losing someone you love so dearly and has been a part of your life. Everyone means well, but that is a personal thing that each person must deal with their own way. School Learning- October is Fire Prevention Month10 Oct 2007 08:03 PM I am an assistant in an elementary school and a teacher in a church daycare as a second job. I was amazed at the children who did not know their homes had smoke alarms. We are studying fire safety at school & daycare this week. I asked the children about the smoke alarms in their homes. Most of them told me there weren't any. I did question the parents when they came to pick up their children. All of them told me they had at least one and generally more than one. I asked each parent to take their child home and show him/her the alarms. Most parents just don't think about showing the children. I think it is very important for the children to know that we do all that is possible to keep them safe. Instructional Assistants26 Sep 2007 06:36 PM I have been a teaching assistant in the same elementary school for almost 22 years. This is the only job that I have had that I truly enjoy and do not dread going to work. I will admit that I have worked with teachers that I dreaded going into their classroom. They have made me feel inferior. Maybe these teachers did not know what my duties were or how I could help them. Years ago, I did alot of cutting, glueing, and clerical work. Now, I mostly work with children who need extra help, and that is what I really enjoy doing. Assistants can be very helpful to those teachers who want us and our help. We can reinforce what he/she has taught, tutor those who need it, keep children on task, etc. Sometimes it comes down to: if a teacher wants an assistant in the classroom, or if the teacher knows how best to use us. Personally, I do not enjoy just going into the classroom to sit and watch the teacher. I want to know that I have been a service to the teacher and the students. We have other assistants in our school who enjoy the clerical work more than working with children. They enjoy doing the computer and paper work. This is a personal preference and up to the teacher & assistant to decide which duty is more important & helpful to the teacher. If you have an assistant, please remember that he/she is there to help you & the students in your classroom. Most assistants are willing to do what will help you most. |
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