Jumbo Crayons

[Kiwi]

My school and teachers were fairly generic with my supplies (but that was the late 80's early 90's) the only time I got in trouble was in highschool because of a sticker saying "junkie" that I had slapped on one of my books.

However I intend on being very very "active" in my childrens school life, if a teacher ever tries to pull this "wrong brand" or "wrong scrapbook" bollocks on me, I will tear them a new arsehole. My kids will have plenty of supplies, but I intend on fighting the school system every step of the way as they try and turn my kid into a numberless blip in the system.

How pathetic to refuse an assignment based on such useless blather as the wrong brand or colour!

My time at school ranged from completely sucky to completely amazing!

I was 10 years old before anyone noticed that I couldnt read or write, thats 5 years of school with empty notebooks... I wasnt held back, it wasnt noticed, not at all! In fact I was put into the advanced math class..... until my god mother (a teacher) noticed that I was memorising books that were read to me (I would recite the entire story but wouldnt know when to turn the page) and they had me tested and discovered I was dyslexic.

My mum hauled me into a private school and my reading age went from 6 years to 16 years in 10 months, both times I have attended private schools my education was far better (in my experiance, not in general) and much more supportive. My kids will be going to private school from the beginning.

[powerboy]

I never went to pre-school, and I turned out to be one hell of a great guy, if I do say so myself. I have and use my manners.

[CaroPhoenix]

See, I never went to (American) pre-school, kindergarten or first grade. Between the ages of 4 to almost 7, my family & I lived in Banbury, England and I attended an English school near my house. By the time we got back to the States, I could read and write and it was determined that I'd be bored in first grade.

However, with my daughter, she's in a Special Education pre-school. My daughter doesn't talk, doesn't socialize properly and may or may not be Autistic (she will be tested/evaluated by a Developmental Pediatrician tomorrow). Since attending this pre-school starting in September 2006, she has learned how to sign "help", she has learned to sit in a circle with other children and not move or wriggle, she can now sit and play with other children nicely, she uses pictures to communicate what she wants (her 3 favorite pictures to use are "potty", "juice" and "watch videos"). If my daughter's teacher told me I had to recite the constitution backwards while hopping on a pogo stick and wearing a clown suit, I'll do it, because everything the teacher has told me to do has helped my daughter so much I'm very grateful.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I cannot even begin to describe to you all how desperately I hated school. I hated it so much that the idea of someday sending my own child fills me with great anxiety. I so hope she takes after my husband and not after me. I made good grades untill I got to the point that I just couldn't stand it anymore (more or less around middle school/junior high school)... and after that, I still managed to hold it together enough to graduate, but I hated it with a passion you cannot begin to imagine.

Some petty bird brain causes either of us more anxiety by dickering over the brand or color of a frigging folder, I am saying now I may not be repsonsible for what I do. I bet it won't be pretty.

Another thing that really causes concern for me is the homework issue. One of the things that completely burned me out was homework. I'd spend all day in school, only to have to come home and do more of it? At some point, I just snapped, and refused to do any more homework. I just wouldn't. I'd go so far as to say I couldn't. I mean, we adults go to work, then come home and live our lives. Why do we expect kids to do something we wouldn't do? I wanted to read books and explore the woods and play with my friends for a few measly hours. When do kids do that anymore?

[SongsOfDragons]

Homework should be banned. Kids should be free to play as much as they want when they're not in school, not to have some forced continuance imposed on them when adults can sit back and watch TV. It's not fair. When I have kids, I'm not going to stop them if they don't want to do their homework, unless it's important like revision or coursework for exams and such. If the teachers don't like it they can take it up with me, as I can overrule them!!!

[FormerCallingCardRep]

My oldest went to preschool for two years. It helped her a lot since she was so shy and backwards. (You would never guess it now if you were to see her on stage). My youngest started in a developmental preschool when she was 18 months old. She was a micro preemie and was not even crawling at 18 months. she went there until she was 3 and then moved to a normal preschool setting. We sent her because she was needing to be challenged. The preschool that she attended taught the 4 year old class how to read. (Even though she was reading at 3)

[Reyneth]

Homework should be banned. Kids should be free to play as much as they want when they're not in school, not to have some forced continuance imposed on them when adults can sit back and watch TV. It's not fair. When I have kids, I'm not going to stop them if they don't want to do their homework, unless it's important like revision or coursework for exams and such. If the teachers don't like it they can take it up with me, as I can overrule them!!!

But they don't. They are usually either in some over structured life (4 different sports, music, dance, etc) and have no free time or spend all of their free time on computers or playing video games. They don't play and be active and use their imagination anymore as a general rule.

Homework is VERY important. There are things that there is not time for during the school day. Or it needs to be done outside of the classroom (research, or a project that requires more than basic paper & pen supplies). With the government sticking their heads into education despite not having any real knowledge or experience, teachers do not have time to allow students to fully master a subject because they are having to race on to the next (often developmentally inappropriate) skill that the student MUST pass on the state exam. So the kids need to have the extra practice at home and outside of school or they'll never really learn such things as multiplication or spelling.

And no, you CANNOT overrule teachers. Your child will be held back. You'll be labeled a problem parent. And your child will suffer academically. Way to teach them responsibility that they don't have to do something they don't want to - and to make sure they get a good education.

[Noelegy]

Veering a bit off topic

I was thinking about the whole elementary school lockstep mindset. I don't remember having issues with school supply lists when I was a kid, but I do know that they have gotten much longer and more complicated.

I was in elementary school from 1975-1981, and it was pretty much a nightmare the whole way. I learned to read before starting public school, and I can remember being bored to tears in the first grade as everyone else learned to read...agonizingly slowly...reading out loud with their fingers on the paper. Meanwhile, I was reading at a fifth-grade level and the only paddling I can remember ever getting in school was in the first grade, for reading ahead (not paying attention in class).

We had a system of homeroom teachers and "reading teachers," and in the fourth grade I had a lovely, enlightened sort known as Mrs. Johnston. I don't know if anyone else had SRAs where they went to school, but they were these color-coded folders that had reading and writing assignments in them. Not only was I not allowed to work at my own pace, but Mrs. Johnson would not let me be the first student to turn in anything. It wasn't that she doubted that I was finished; she told me it wasn't fair to the other students for me to be first all the time. So she'd make me go sit back down and wait for someone else to turn in their paper.

I nearly failed the fourth grade due to paralyzing boredom. My mom was a teacher in the same school system, and if she hadn't raised hell about it, I probably would have been held back. There were programs in place for kids who couldn't keep up with the others, but absolutely no gifted and talented programs in place in that school until my mother started one in the junior high.

Mom taught eighth-grade English for years and years, and had a reputation as being a tough but fair teacher, and she was the kind of teacher that the kids who actually wanted to learn something loved. Everyone expected that I'd go into teaching, too, but man, my mom is a hard act to follow! I'd feel that I'd be forever comparing myself to her. She said she got out of teaching when it wasn't fun anymore, when it got to be more about administration and red tape than actual teaching, and that was long before the days of standardized tests ruling over all.

Good teachers make such a lasting impression, but so do bad ones, and I've definitely had shining examples of both kinds in my public school days.

[Noelegy]

Oh yes, and there was the art teacher from third through fifth grade (art education did not exist past the elementary level) whom I remember making me do a Halloween art project over because it wasn't like everyone else's. Then there were the Friday "free art days," where the boys drew trucks and cars and robots, and the girls drew houses and fashion models. I drew unicorns and mermaids and illustrated stories (I can first remember making up my own stories--about Speed Racer--when I was about four), and got in trouble for drawing imaginary things.

I wish I was kidding.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

See, Noelegy, that's another thing that scares the hell out me.

I don't want to be problem parent, I really don't. However, I would not be able to sleep at night knowing this sort of crap was being done to my child.

I am hoping I can find a private school I can live with to send her to. I'm tempted to home school her, but I'd have to find someone to teach her math. I could teach everything else, I think. Lot of the kids I know are homeschooled, and are doing really well. But I would rather find a good private school with a low number of frigging morons on the teaching staff.

Oh, man. Hearing these stories, I just know what's going to happen. I'm going to be sucky.

[SongsOfDragons]

Oh yes, and there was the art teacher from third through fifth grade (art education did not exist past the elementary level) whom I remember making me do a Halloween art project over because it wasn't like everyone else's. Then there were the Friday "free art days," where the boys drew trucks and cars and robots, and the girls drew houses and fashion models. I drew unicorns and mermaids and illustrated stories (I can first remember making up my own stories--about Speed Racer--when I was about four), and got in trouble for drawing imaginary things.

I wish I was kidding.

I think I would have stabbed it with my splintered paintbrush.

[FormerCallingCardRep]

Oh yes, and there was the art teacher from third through fifth grade (art education did not exist past the elementary level) whom I remember making me do a Halloween art project over because it wasn't like everyone else's. Then there were the Friday "free art days," where the boys drew trucks and cars and robots, and the girls drew houses and fashion models. I drew unicorns and mermaids and illustrated stories (I can first remember making up my own stories--about Speed Racer--when I was about four), and got in trouble for drawing imaginary things.

I wish I was kidding.

Sounds like the problems I had last year with my Daughters English Teacher. SHe would mark points off because my Daughter was too creative when given a creative writing assignment

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I have a real problem with the idea of people so profoundly close minded, petty, and just downright stupid being in charge of my daughter's intellectual development.

[Cia]

Sounds like the problems I had last year with my Daughters English Teacher. SHe would mark points off because my Daughter was too creative when given a creative writing assignment

Too creative? How in the hell can you be to creative on a creative writing assignment? That's the whole idea in the first place - geez. The teacher is an idiot.

As for the school supplies no one ever gave me any problems when I was in school and so far my DD hasn't had any probs either. Beyond one little boy constantly asking her if she farted and some kids purposely mispronouncing her name.

[Pezzle]

Holy christ... this is quite a bit different than when I was in elementary school. Diversity was encouraged (well then again i went to elm school in Rahway, NJ). So if I wanted TMNT folders and to use the turtle's bandana color to differentiate subjects, I could do so. If i wanted that neato clear elmer's glue in a fifty gallon bucket, I could bring it so long as i shared.

I could not fing IMAGINE having a brilliant assignment turned down because it was in a mauve folder instead of a cranberry or crimson folder. Especially if it's subject labelled. No wonder the middle school kids are getting dumber (Probably the lowest rung I have on social interaction due to siblings)... they're teaching them that good work is not the proper way, but doing shoddy work in pretty wrapping is fine. "You spelled milk with a w...but that's okay you did it in Copic markers from the whole set I asked you to buy! A+" this is dumb.

- btw if you don't know, Copic markers are expensive professional illustration markers. They are about 4-5 bucks a pop depending on where you get them. I think they are alcohol markers just like Primsacolor though Prismas are cheaper. The whole set includes around 120 markers, including warm and cool grays, tints, tones, blacks, and blending tips. Do the math.