Sunday, August 06, 2006

First Impressions

A brief summary of my first impressions of Cody's teachers and classes for this year.

First Period--Career Discovery: This class is one in which students will explore various career options. It's is kind of an overview of what jobs are available out there. I kind of wish we'd had a class like this when I was in 7th grade. The teacher is Vera Anne Saulters. She has a B.S. in Business Education, but only three years teaching experience. I think she must have gone back to school, because she seemed older than your average college graduate. She seemed quiet, but pleasant, and when Cody told her he'd already decided what he wanted to be (a pilot), she responded that he could help her teach that unit when she got to it.

Second Period--Band: His band teacher is Mr. Presley whom we'd met last year. Unless he moves or something, Cody will likely have him all the way through 12th grade, as he is the teacher for the bass instruments. He has a great sense of humor, and the kids all love him.

Third Period--Science: Science used to be one of Cody's favorite subjects, but he seemed to lose interest in it last year. His teacher is Leigh Ann Melton. She has a B.S. in Education and also has only 3 years of teaching experience. She is young, bubbly, and vivacious. I liked her.

Fourth Period--Art: This will compete with Band as Cody's favorite class. Kelsea Walkley is the teacher. She has a degree in Architectural History & Theory and is certified in Art & Gifted Education. She has three years teaching experience. What I liked best about her was that she admitted that she made a mistake and apologized, instead of trying to cover it up or gaff it off.

Fifth Period--English: This class will likely be our biggest problem. The teacher is Allison Ashmore. She has a B.S. in Education and 29 years teaching experience. She spoke in rather a dull monotone, and said that they would do a lot of writing. There in lies the rub. Cody hates to write. I expect trouble from him in English. But hopefully Mrs. Ashmore knows how to read and write herself. His 6th grade English teacher sure didn't. I'd never seen so many spelling and grammar errors in any teacher's communication in my life.

Sixth Period--Pre-Algebra: Cody seems to be looking forward to pre-algebra because the teacher said she would challenge the students. This will be a first for him. He has never been challenged in school before, and is in pleasant anticipation of the change. Emily Hatcher is the teacher. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education, and has 4 years teaching experience.

Seventh Period--Social Studies: Cody's teacher for social studies is Mr. Louis Matriciano. He has a B.S. in Political Science/Urban Planning and an M.S. in Secondary Education. He has 10 years teaching experience. Upon first glance, he seems the typical nerd--skinny, glasses, wears a tie, but he really is cool. He has a great wit and a good rapport with the kids. He also separates the boys from the girls. The boys sit on one side of the room and the girls sit on the other, with an empty row of desks between them. Kind of like they did in the old days. You know, back when the U.S. had a 95% literacy rate.

Well, that's my first impressions. The first day of school is Wednesday. It'll be interesting to look back at the end of the year and see if any of those teachers lived up to my expectations. Cody has a lot of young teachers this year, with relatively little teaching experience. I can't wait to see how they handle him. He has stymied teachers with a lot more experience.

And so it begins...

10 comments:

frotoe said...

Wow! School starts early for you, huh? Our district does not begin until the week after labor day! We always start late, though and end in late june. I wish they'd change that here. Sounds like a decent bunch of teachers, though.

Bag Blog said...

Public School starts here next week. I think I am going to start my art classes again next week too.

I told my husband about Cody's grades, and he said, "Sounds like Cody is not doing his work." My husband would know, because he is one of those really smart people who did not make good grades - he had the same views of things as Cody does. The good news is that my hubby did well in college making a 4. without bringing home much work.

Do you read Sandgram? He is a pilot in the reserves. He has a recent post on becoming a pilot. Cody might find it interesting. He also has a very funny sense of humor. sandgram.blogspot.com

Buck said...

...Allison Ashmore. She has a B.S. in Education and 29 years teaching experience. She spoke in rather a dull monotone...

Sounds like Miss Wormwood!

Becky G said...

Down here, school usually starts the second Wednesday in August and lets out the third Wednesday in May.

Lou, your hubby hit the nail right on the head. Cody just does not do his work. I'm hoping he gets motivated soon. I read that entry in Sandgram you mentioned, and it was good. I e-mailed it to Cody.

Buck, Miss Wormwood! I always felt so sorry for her. Cody is more like Calvin than is good for him! Cody usually gives his teachers fits, and when I try to amke suggestions, they respond that they have the education and they have the teaching experience and their methods work. To which I usually respond something to the effect of "Then why are you still calling me telling me he won't do his work?" If they take that attitude with me, they are on their own.

Buck said...

...they respond that they have the education and they have the teaching experience and their methods work. To which I usually respond something to the effect of "Then why are you still calling me telling me he won't do his work?" If they take that attitude with me, they are on their own.

A corollary to your statement would/could be "Yeah, and I'm Cody's MOM." "Mom" trumps "teacher" each and every time your child's welfare is the subject... Just sayin'!

:-)

Becky G said...

Unfortunately, most teachers don't see it that way. They tend to have a very condescending attitude towards moms. After all, teachers have the education and training. How could a mere parent possibly know what is best for her child? An unfortunate, but all too true fact of the modern education system.

Perpetual Beginner said...

Bleh. I had that same problem with Robbie in kindergarten. "I'm the teacher. I know how to handle your child better than you do." Okaay - then why is a child I have little problem with at home ending up in the principal's office multiple times a week?

We ended up pulling him out halfway through the year because he was developing ulcers (at 5!). Plus his reading skills actually dropped while in kindergarten.

Next year, different school, different (and wonderful) teacher, no problems at all.

Becky G said...

Cindy, I soooo know where you are coming from.

In Cody's first school, his teachers all told me that he was ADD and that I needed to drug him. Despite the fact that he was well behaved at home, church, sports, scouts, etc., etc., they insisted that he, and not the school, was the problem. I even took him to a psychiatrist in first grade. Her exact words were, "If that is an ADD child, I'll eat my hat." She then told me not to worry about what his teachers say, because the average teacher wouldn't know a true ADD child if one hit her in the face. Even after I reported this to the school, they still took the attitude that he was ADD and I was refusing to have him treated for it.

When I switched schools, his behavior didn't change but suddenly he wasn't ADD any more. Fancy that...

Perpetual Beginner said...

Yep. Robbie's first school wanted him tested for ADD too. His pediatrician about fell over laughing when I mentioned this to him.

Gee, why would a fluent reader be misbehaving in a class that requires 6-12 letter sheets (Trace the letter S a dozen times, and things like that) a day before he's allowed to read anything?

My SIL (a Special Ed teacher), comments that most teachers have zip idea what to do with very bright/gifted children, and even less idea what to do if those same children also have LD or behavioral/social issues, which they frequently do. Robbie's kindergarten teacher evidently felt that because he was bright, every instance of bad behavior was deliberate provocation on his part, rather than boredom, or immaturity.

Best of luck with Cody's teachers this year!

Becky G said...

Boy you hit the nail on the head here. Cody isn't the problem. He just doesn't like sitting still all day filling out stacks and stacks of dull, repititious worksheets that look exactly like the ones he'd filled out the day before, which looked exactly like the ones he'd filled out the year before!

He is extremely smart, and has tested at post high school levels since third grade. He was reading chapter books in first grade and novels in second grade. His teachers just don't know what to do with him, or how to challenge him. That doesn't mean he is ADD though.