MY KID'S TEACHER

My Kid's Teacher | May 4, 2003 | Luis Gonzalez

[Luis Gonzalez]

Just before going to bed tonight, as I kissed my oldest boy good night, he perked up and reminded me of the note his teacher had sent home on Friday. I assured him that I would read it, and tucked him in.

I knew that the note was about the upcoming School Book Fair, he attended his first one last year, and it was a great experience for him. It was the first time he was trusted with money to spend all on his own.

He is a First grader with Third Grade reading skills, I was an avid reader as a kid, and every time I see him sitting with a book on his lap, I feel like I'm walking on air.

I went downstairs and looked for the note, I wanted to see what was expected of him, and how payment for the books would be handled.

I have copied the note word by word below, the note written, and sent home, by the person who is teaching my boy to read and write.

I have left the particulars out for obvious reasons.

I am sending the note to Tallahassee, and asking for this teacher's removal.

[Freedom2specul8]

that looks so clintonian!

[potlatch]

Some schools have taken the doors off the stalls because of 'things that go on behind a locked stall door'!!!

[potlatch]

Perhaps the solution would be to offer to tutor her at night.

LOL, LOL! Sorry, but that really struck me funny. I could just see the teachers face when you offered to do that!!

[bluefish]

You are complaining about "permission" for adults (University Students) to use Ebonics in an environment that is of no concern for your Professor friend. The students do not need permission. More interesting is your reaction:

What's that sh!t all about?!

I imagine you fail to see the irony in this.

[supercat]

Shine your " light " on that first sentence again! The word " on " should be IN . You can't have a Book Fair ON a room.

Given the odd capitalization in the original sentence, maybe the sale was at the center of the Book Fair on the Media.

You say " ran ", when it should be RUN ? Just becuase you and others speak incorrect English, doesn't mean that it is okay to do so.

Don't know if I caught that one. I was probably too busy trying to figure out what tissue boxes had to do with anything.

General rule: "[noun] [container]" means a [container] of a type suitable for holding [noun]. It generally does not mean a [container] full of [noun], unless the [noun] would generally be used within the [container] (as in "sand box", "litter box", "toner cartridge", etc.) In almost every other case, such constructs are used to refer to the container devoid of contents [e.g. soda can, coffee can, soup can, cereal box, cigar box, egg carton, milk carton, paper towel roll, Coke bottle, milk bottle, beer bottle, wine bottle, Altoids tin, etc.]

Rule #1 of successful writing is "be clear". By referring to "tissue boxes", rather than "tissues", the teacher made herself unclear.

And yes, people still do judge others on the way they speak and write.

Rule #2 of successful writing is "Don't make yourself look stupid except on purpose."

BTW, nearly all other "rules" of English are guidelines for how to best satisfy rules #1 and #2. Sometimes people forget those primary rules, and eschew clear but ungrammatical phrasings in favor of incomprehensible but grammatically-correct ones.

[supercat]

I drink it down quickly. I ask you, "Can I have another glass?" Do you...

If I were to ask the waitstaff at a restaurant for another "glass of water", I would expect them to either refill my glass or bring a new glass, whichever is convenient for them. Likewise if I point to the glass (or it's the only one on the table and it's visibly empty) and ask for another "glass". If, however, I ask for another "water glass", I would very specifically expect that the vessel itself be replaced.

[nopardons]

You're correct about the " tissue box " thing; also about grammar and writing.

No, the Book Fair was/is NOT " On " media. It's being held/was held IN the media room. Luis explained what that was. I asked him, becuase it didn't make sense to me.

[nopardons]

You missed the misuse of " can ". It should have been " May I have another glass..." Of course, even clearer, would have been to just ask for a refill. :-)

[Celtman]

There is no excuse for hiring people to teach English when the person has absolutely no credentials to do so.

      What do government approved credentials have to do with competence?

[Thane_Banquo]

Yeah, I noticed that a few seconds after posting. I thought he was referring to the things the teacher said.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"My kids' teacher is their Mama and my wife."

The fact that they are able to set aside any differences, and get along well enough to work side-by-side with your kids is commendable.

[Smocker]

Luis,
You did not say if this was a Public School, I am guessing
it is. As I see it You have 2 choices: a. put the boy
in a private or parochial school, (expensive) or b. homeschool the boy.

Quite frankly I would be just as concerned or more concerned
over the sick children showing up in the classroom, as I would be by the idiot teacher attempting to brainwash your son.

You must realize it is only going to get worse as he gets older, to his detriment.

You know, bc I have mentioned before that I lived in Miami, one of the reasons I homeschool is because I once thought I could be a teacher, after attending FIU for a degree in teaching, I switched majors. The most common question asked by the future teachers in my courses was the whine: "Do I have to know that for the test?" MY decision to homeschool came about because I realized this was the typical future teacher, uninterested in learning and boring, I was going to make damn sure they never got their hands on my own children, if I ever had any.

Now is your chance, Luis, lose the child, or really educate him.

[Flashlight]

...Thank you for your words of support! I do appreciate it...

happy to help. I hate rude, pompous idiots.

...That's funny about your DU posting status! You lasted longer than me. I didn't last long over there because I dared to post!...

Sometimes I wonder if some *real* DU's aren't over here causing trouble by acting like brainless jerks.

[Smocker]

So at the expense of your child's education you aren't going to homeschool or put him in private school because you pay taxes? Come on Luis, what kind of rationale is that?

[OldBlondBabe]

"Send the note back corrected, Luis. Could be good for a laugh or two."

My daughter brought home a paper marked down because she had referred to the plural of monkey as "monkeys". I sent the paper back to the student teacher asking how she would have her spell it. The paper was returned to my daughter with the grade corrected.

Doesn't anyone refer to a dictionary anymore?

My biggest gripe are notes that come home from teachers with a sentence similar to this:

EACH student should bring THEIR own bagged lunch. Each is singular, their is plural, yet they refer to the same...I'm sure there's a grammatical description for this, but I don't recall it. Drives me nuts when I see or hear this error, often in radio and TV commercials!

[yonif]

testing is needed.

[yonif]

Why the hell is she asking you for tissues?

The teacher probably wants to have a new supply of tissues to use after she is fired.

[yonif]

She'll probably be promoted to Assistant Principal.

LOL

[yonif]

I am a product of many school systems.

Kindergarten - USA public school
1st to 5th - Israeli elementary school
6th Grade - American school in Israel
7th Grade - USA public school
8th Grade - American school in Rome, Italy
9th Grade - American school in Israel
10th and 11th grade - International school in Beijing, China
12th grade - USA public school

currently at Connecticut College.
--
What do you think about that?