Category: School

Grade-School Valentine’s Day Deserves a Stake Through the Heart

The pointless torture of little kids on Valentine’s Day.

Every year about this time, it’s the same thing for parents of young grade-school students: Time to buy a box of cheap Valentine’s Day cards for everyone in their child’s class so that no child gets more, or less, declarations of love than anyone else. more…

Signs Point to An Awesome First Grade

Now we’re talking.

It’s one of those good signs, no question. The other day, SD was telling me about a new classmate she wasn’t so sure about: “He doesn’t listen to the teacher.” Wait, what? more…

Teaching Is Not the Job for a Wimp. I Am a Wimp.

A special kind of commitment.

A week or so ago, Doc forwarded me a a part-time listing. (As a freelancer, I’m always on the hunt.) The local school district is looking for substitutes, and according to the listed requirements I qualify. I didn’t apply. more…

I’m Moving This Chart’s Clip to Red

SD’s just wrapping up kindergarten and we have come to truly hate the so-called clip-chart system her elementary school uses. Maybe you know this system, introduced in 2009 by a company called New Management as “A Simple Discipline Strategy for Promoting Positive Behavior.” It’s unfortunately been adopted by schools across the country. more…

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