School Stuff

Today I had my first day of substitute teaching. I got an awesome 2nd grade class in a great school - I couldn't have asked for a better experience!! Really the only thing I was nervous about was my pregnant bladder and not being able to leave the kids - but it worked ;)

I will say that I truly loved it and the day flew by!! However, I think I would've loved being a teacher 10 years ago or so when I could've done my own lesson plans. The crazy stupid stuff that is Common Core Standards is not my scene. What teachers are expected to cover in a day is doable - IF (and that is a giant IF) you are in a room full of students that grasp the material on the first go round. But holy shit - trying to cover a full 3 page lesson plan (in 10 point font people) if kids don't get it, impossible! Now, when we got to math and kids weren't getting it, as the substitute I had the luxury to say we are taking a break and turning it into a game. It was super successful, but I would be behind as a teacher if I did that every day - and with the massive stupidity that is Common Core math, it would need to happen.

I have to take a minute and explain my position on education right now, in case my kiddos ever wonder. I disagree with a lot of the Common Core that is driving the public education system; however, it's such as everything in life, cost v. benefit. I prefer to have my children in a social setting where they learn how to deal with not being the center of the world and working in a real world setting that involves conflicts and failures - so I choose not to homeschool. I simply can't, nor do I think I would ever choose to, afford a private school education below the college level - so we send our kids to public school. Now, having to work within the flawed framework that has become our public school system, I do the best I can. And for us, that was moving and making our money stretch to put our children in a school ranked in our state at 51 out of 954. And that has made all the difference in the world. I will say that my issue with Common Core is more surface irritation - because I am blessed enough to have the kids that get it the first time and thrive on speed and quick routine - I can understand why parents that have kiddos that learn differently would feel otherwise. But for now, we just deal with our annoyance with Common Core by filling in the gaps - and one of those gaps got completed this weekend . . . 

After some practice and working in her workbook on weekends, Miss Marlie can successfully write in cursive . . . 

Because that is one thing that has been eliminated from elementary education . . . Next up to be taken out, reading an analog clock - it's already been diminished to a very small lesson. In a room with 15 2nd graders today, 1 could read the non-digital clock on the wall . . . And my girls may very well be the one in their classrooms . . . Because we mastered that skill in kindergarten for both of them :)

So I will continue to substitute in elementary school on days when Jayson is home, but not too much, because I can't miss my days with my boy . . . 

They are waaaayyyyy to important - and they are numbered . . .