At Montessori, a teacher gives a lesson, and then, when the children comprehend the lesson, she has them practice it immediately so that they principles they’ve just learned “set.” Public school, so far, has been different.
Now that they’re in public school, the children bring me homework, complaining that they have no idea what to do. Once I’ve corrected the grammatical errors that render the questions incomprehensible, and the children can actually understand the question, they still can’t do the work. Why not? The teacher hasn’t actually taught a lesson on the matter at issue in the homework, or the lesson was taught first thing in the day — which is a lifetime for children. And in the latter case, they weren’t given the opportunity to practice immediately, which is the way to “set” a lesson, even for adults.
Once they struggle through this rather pointless homework, they take it back to school, where it’s marked incorrect. Once the demoralization is complete, they are then either taught the lesson for the first time or taught again how to the lesson. In either event, the lesson is taught in the abstract, through a lecture, with the hands-on practice coming hours later, at home.
The children bitterly resent having the “learning” process center on their ignorance, rather than having it be an adventure in learning something new. I find myself grateful that I’m an intelligent person, since I’m spending a ridiculous amount of time teaching them things that the teachers apparently either haven’t gotten around to or are incapable of communicating lucidly. My time teaching, of course, is entirely separate from all the rewriting I’m doing to make things intelligible.
I continue to be unimpressed.
Filed under: Education
I feel your pain.
We had a similar incompetent 2nd grade teacher for my daughter last year, in a public school system that receives high marks. Were were frequently baffled by homework assignments that had no previous explanation, typos, etc.
Not only was she a lousy teacher, but an inconsiderate, unprofessional ass. I was scheduled in October to meet her at 7:30pm for a parent-teacher conference. I arrived at 7:25 to a closed door with a sign that says ‘Please knock to let me know you’re here.’ I knocked at 7:25. I knocked at 7:30. I knocked at 7:35. I knocked at 7:40. No response. Finally, at 7:45, I just opened the door and went in (you couldn’t see if anyone was in the room). You would have thought I walked in during a delicate surgery. The outrage! I was asked to ‘Please wait, I’m still with this other parent.’ No apology for not acknowledging my presence for 15 minutes.
When my time finally came (20 min late), I complained to her for being inconsiderate, but it fell on deaf ears. I decided, since it was early in the school year, not to push the issue — I’m sure my daughter would have suffered for it.
Guess what her reward was? She was voted Teacher of the Year by her peers at the school.
No wonder Johnny can’t read.
I might suggest you contact the school’s principal to set up a meeting about your unsettling experience *based on your own children’s case so far.* See whether you are discounted and shuttled aside, or taken seriously, treated respectfully, assured that your children’s education is the main priority, and offered evidence of their trying to better things *for your child* (including the ultimate option, at your insistence, of switching to a different teacher). To tackle this problem sooner rather than later may actually be a good idea, because how long do you want to go on like this: all year? Talking to the top dog will give you a big insight into how your priorities mesh or don’t mesh with theirs. It might be better to find out sooner rather than later. You will get nowhere trying to reform the entire school system, but if you go in based on concern about your own child, it is possible they will try to work with you.
I don’t learn things by lectures, I learn things by figuring out it by myself when I have the problem and the answer before me. Once I figure out how it works, I can do all similar kinds of problems.
Either you know what the lectures are talking about, or you don’t. If you don’t, then either you are intelligent enough to understand it on the fly, or you sit there wasting time. If you are that intelligent, you could figure this out for yourself in a third of the time.
If you do know what the lecture is about, you can better spend your time doing the homework rather than listening.
A bra ca da bra . . . I see home schooling in your future.
I agree with Zabrina. You need to set up a conference right away. (I would always try & start with the teacher but sometimes it was better to begin in the principal’s office.) This “could” be a simple problem of transitioning from Montessori to regular public school & therefore, fairly easily addressed. Yet, all the recurrring grammatical errors in the teacher-written questions would bother. Once or twice, maybe… but consistently?
Since your kids are new to the school, you haven’t had the previous year to get to know WHO THE GOOD TEACHERS ARE & request them for the following year. Could you have been stuck with the poorest teachers? If you keep your kids in public school, BW, you’re going to have to learn how to play the game. I was library mom one hour a week which allowed me to get to know the inner-workings of the school. I learned the names of the better teachers;the school librarian became my “best friend” & resource.
Unfortunately, you may have been spoiled by the Montessori experience. It shouldn’t BE that way, but CA public schools, even in the very best districts, have waaay too many incompetent, uncaring robo-teachers — who do not teach, let alone facilitate or “set” anything.
Since I’m “old” to my community, even though I’m “new” to my school, I’ve been lucky enough to get all the scuttlebutt. I learned, therefore, that the teacher who has problems with simple grammar rules is one of the most beloved. We got a very good assignment when we got her. I think the main problem is going from the summit, which is how I view the Montessori approach to education, to something less than that. No matter how good the public school, is the whole factor approach to education — the one size fits all mentality — is going to dismay me. I’ll either have to adjust or go back to biting a very, very burdensome financial bullet.
Well, since this is the “coveted” teacher, then maybe, in the bigger scheme of things, it will all work out. (Early childhood ed IS a different animal.) Be ready, however, to become a part-time teacher, yourself — as YOU will probably end up being the bridge to transition from Montessori to the regular ps classroom.
The solution seems easy – skip the homework. Having spent a few years whinging about elementary school teacher’s homework, I have found the best result is found by completing the following stpes (and public education is all about steps, understanding steps gets grades, understanding on the otherhand might take some time)
1. when given “the note” about expectations in the classroom, take note of when homework is due, and how many children are in the class. Set your duties and expectations – lets face it there is a HUGE difference between 20 kids and 30 kids – and let your children’s teachers know what you are realistically expecting that you can achieve at home e.g. I promise exactly 0 homework for children under 10, and write a letter saying no punishment for no homework. I figure if everyone did this we could all have 30 minutes more to spend at the pool (way more important than algebra for a 6 year old no?)
2. Your public school is unlikely to nuture the talents that YOUR child has. So yes home schooling (even if that means arranging a pianao lesson) is your dibs. Embrace this and when you spend money on extras think to self – its still cheaper than private education and grin.
Some people pay $10 000 + p.a. for their unsatisfactory education. Be happy yours is free
And hey how does all this gel with your lamenting about parenting being easier in days past. Don’t believe the hype. You can have a shitty education and succeed just fine 
And I agree with Trish! You will always have to be your child’s advocate, no matter what school he/she attends, and some years, and with some teachers, you have to put a lot more work into the job, both agitating at school to make sure your child gets what he/she needs, and working with the child at home–sometimes running interference for your child against unrealistic homework expectations by the teacher, and sometimes leaning on your kid to grind through the hard stuff, so they don’t learn they can just avoid what they don’t understand or don’t want to do. You do want them to learn how to tackle and win over a challenge, not just do whatever is fun. But only you know BEST what your own child, at any given age, is capable of handling.
Nobody knows your own kid like you do. That’s where you become the advocate when the school’s or teacher’s goals are not right for your kid.
I have found that approaching the school from the stance of “trying to find a good fit for my child’s learning style” has been a productive way to find agreement, cooperation, and help with some creative solutions. This seems to be the vocabulary the school can understand and try to deal with. Fortunately the individual (charter) public schools my kids have attended here do see their goal as helping each child find a good niche so they can succeed. But it really takes an alert parent to be there when the kid gets lost in the shuffle. It is only the squeaky wheel that gets attention in the overstrained system.
Volunteering in the school is an excellent way to get the feel for the place and hear the underground evaluations of who’s who.
And if it’s any consolation, I am never 100% comfortable with my children’s school situations. I am always wary, monitoring, grousing, worrying about something that is less than ideal. Part of it is my nature, and part of it is just school, any school. Even if I were homeschooling (and that is always my bottom-line fallback position at any moment!) I would still be worrying that it wasn’t good enough, or that something was lacking.
If this teacher is the “coveted” teacher, maybe it’s just a transition problem for your child and for you. But only you can tell what your gut is telling you about all of this. Go with your gut. And when in doubt, speak up about it and ask (nicely). You may be surprised at how helpful public school people may be. Anyway, I hope so in your case.
Oh yes, I got one of those misspelled, grammatically incorrect notes from the teacher come home here, too. I copyedited it in front of my kids, expressing great surprise and sadness that a teacher could be such a rotten speller and not know basic English! In other words, I used it as a teaching moment! At one time I never would have thought to undermine a teacher that way, but after ten years of dealing with the public schools it’s clear that too often the public schools are not doing their job, and at times are even happy to undermine the parents, so now as far as I’m concerned, it’s every man for himself. I’ve had to teach my kids to analyze and criticize their own teachers, since certain of their teachers deserve it. But as I say, it’s just another “teaching moment.”
I have been involved with corporate training and development for over 20 years. In addition, I raised two boys who both attended the public school system. What you describe is common throught the U.S. My advice is to pull them out now and put them in a private school that follows a compentent instructional system or home school them before its to late.
Oops, I didn’t mean I’ve taught my kids to “criticize” their teachers! I have taught them to be respectful, and to appreciate what their teachers are trying to do. I meant to say I’ve taught them it’s okay to think fairly but critically about a teacher or any authority (i.e. not to think of them as, well a god). But of course, my kids are much older than yours. I wouldn’t advocate getting into that with a Kindergartener.
A beloved and “coveted” teacher is not necessarily a good one. You need to find out more about what this school’s priorities are, both for children and for teachers.
But be prepared to be labeled a troublemaker.
As I said earlier, the worst second grade teacher in our public grade school was voted ‘Teacher of the Year’ by her peers.
She had a terrible stuttering problem, sent assignments home before teaching the lessons, assignments were also riddled with typos…
Try to complain, it falls on deaf ears. They (the teachers/principals) all support each other, back each other up.
What I’m really ticked about right now are many, many early release days or days off school during the upcoming months for ‘in-service’ training for the teachers.
I ask you, what do they do all summer? How’s about keeping our kids in school, allowing us to avoid using sick days or vacation days, and getting them out of school a few days earlier in the spring?
Because I’ve worked with schools, I can tell you that, at least as to some schools,in service days are about the teacher’s bonding (they’re collegial exercises, in other words), and about improving diversity. They’re always about improving diversity. In community, which is white and upper middle class, that’s tough. No wonder they have so many meetings.
Why is diversity so important?
Kids can be taught about the different peoples and cultures of the earth without teachers taking time out of the classroom to meet and complain about how tough they have it and how little they get paid.
How about a diversity in skills and knowledge taught in schools. We can start with classes on psychology, mix in martial arts, and complete it with “how to start a fire with two sticks”.