Comments on: Teaching and Learning

By: Yvonne

Yvonne — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:14:36 +0000

Thank you for this post babe. I now know why Ayden HAS to line up all of his Smarties before he can eat them. They get tipped out onto the bench, sorted into colours – always darkest to lightest, and then he eats them one at a time from left to right.

NEVER fails to make me giggle.

Me…. I’d just upend the box and that would be the end of it. He makes such a production out of it that it takes him 30 minutes to eat 12 smarties.

I can’t resist chocolate for 5 minutes. Maybe I could learn something here.

Have I mentioned how much I love these children of mine? Even if their quirks sometimes drive me insane!

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:59:27 +0000

I think you and I would get along rather well IRL. I enjoy it when you write this type of post because I am going through with many of the teachers I work with, what you are going through with your son. It makes me feel like I am not alone in this. Sadly, I hear comments like he’s just stupid or she’s a redhead, of course she’s going to be like that! I kid you not, these are conversations I have been part of and more times than not I have teachers walk out on my because I seem to have the crazy notion that all kids can learn and that it is my job to figure out a way to get to them! Crazy, isn’t it?!
I’m somewhere in the middle of Type A and chaos, but I can honestly say I think I would have been giggling inside at the group lining up the crayons and markers. What a telling demonstration of how they learn.

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:55:10 +0000

Great post!
You’re such a smart cookie.

By: Tweets that mention Mocha Momma » Teaching and Learning -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention Mocha Momma » Teaching and Learning -- Topsy.com — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:25:55 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by mochamomma, spfldbloggers. spfldbloggers said: Post: Mocha Momma – Teaching and Learning http://is.gd/5HxuW [...]

By: Sharen

Sharen — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:58:55 +0000

Thanks for the great post! My son is a very active 5 year old, and wants to be learning, doing and & investigating all the time. This poses an issue with his kindergarten at times, as he is not “behaving” how they want him to do ie: following the directions, doing a craft in order, and countless items that I won’t bore you to tears with. I feel that some want to limit his creativity in every aspect of his day and want him to be who THEY want him to be. I have always advocated big time for him to be able to be free to step outside the box, fly by the seat of his handsome little pants and go with what feels right for him. While reading your posts over the past year, I feel that I have become an even stronger voice for him when they push me to mold him into to someone he obviously is not now nor possibly ever will be. I encourage his teachers to have him be the helper, the leader to the plaground, to help the other children with reading. He so thrives in those aspects, and hopefully if he gets the “every child has the right to fail” attitude from any of his teachers, he’ll hear me whisper in his heart that he can do anything he sets his mind to.

By: elembee123

elembee123 — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:57:57 +0000

I second the comment that the education world needs (NEEDS) so many more like you! Every time you write about your experiences, I just about shake my brain loose nodding in agreement!!

As for the learning styles project, I think it’s pretty damn cool that you did this for your students! Most of my teachers (as well as my kids’) didn’t give two whits about HOW we learned, just that we learned – period. What a frustrating experience!

I am firmly (neatly/orderly) in the first camp. Not sure if it’s the German ancestory (“Eins zwei, Eins zwei” – Think Eddie Izzard) in me, or what…but doing anything involves much preparation, which can sometimes sabotage any progress.

Sometimes I wish I were of the “Fly By the Seat of My Pants” group. *sigh* It might be messier, but I’d probably get a lot more accomplished because I would at least get started. Some wise person somewhere once said, “Perfection is the opposite of done.” I can only say, “Amen.”

Also? Very cool w/ the r-controlled vowels! I’d never heard that term before…so of course, off I went to Google University and checked it out!

Thanks Mocha! Happy New Year!

By: Mocha Momma

Mocha Momma — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:48:36 +0000

Laura, I always appreciate that kind of stuff but honestly I didn’t learn how to be a teacher until I was steeped IN it and it’s a shame now that I don’t do it regularly because I think I’d be so much better! You should intervene NOW. Third grade is the “money grade” here in Illinois because that’s where all the money goes to ensure kids can read by then because it’s hurtful/harmful to struggle after that. Mind you, I’m just encouraging you. I don’t mean to scare you.

Sra, you are probably the smartest person I don’t know. Linguistics w/ an interest in phonology? Daaaaang. I did a quick search that shows exactly what I’m talking about:

http://www.phonicsontheweb.com/r-vowels.php

Because I’m too lazy to write it all out.

Hey! That was a long post for me!

By: Sra

Sra — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:31:12 +0000

r-controlled vowels? I studied linguistics with particular interest in phonology, but I have no idea what r-controlled vowels are.

By: Laura

Laura — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:56:09 +0000

I am frustrated by my son’s school’s one size fits all teaching. He went to Montessori before this and did well. He could read CVC words and do addition, subtraction, and multiplication at age 4. Now in second grade, he reads at a first grade level and struggles with addition. His Kindergarten teacher refused to teach phonics and told him he couldn’t read. Guess what, 2 years later he hasn’t progressed at all. I’m pulling my hair out about it. His dad thinks this school is perfect because it is just like his Catholic school of the 70′s. I wish he had a teacher like you!

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 01:00:45 +0000

Your experience frustrates me to no end, and I have no children. I can only imagine how you felt…

Oy. Just Oy.