Mom Is Teaching

If you have children, chances are you’ve suffered from sleep deprivation at one time or another.  And, if you are like me, you enjoy reading books where parents spill their guts regarding their own problems. 

Anyway, if you would like to be part of a webcast held exclusively by mommy blogger Jennifer Waldburger, a pediatric sleep specialist and therapist.  She is the co-author of The Sleepers Condition.

So, go here and sign up and don’t forget, November 12 at 2 Eastern Time…we can always use some advice on sleep.

Ok, remember, I had to spend time with one kid at the doc’s office this week and then I spent my afternoon at the dentist, lots of magazine reading time.  This is a continuation of the last one but I broke it up because, well, I just have too much to say on this one article.

So, I’m still at Ladies Home Journal and I’m reading, Learning Guide:  Kindergarten.  And, they have the nerve to say:

“In the classroom - Teachers will show students how to:

*  develop small motor skills by cutting, pouring liquids, tracing, molding clay, coloring pictures and writing their names

*  follow directions, describe objects and events, share tools, and play in a group

*  label and express feelings such as anger, frustration and sadness with words instead of actions

*  tell time to the hour on analog and digital clocks; identify coins; recite personal data (birthday, address, phone number)

*   count and write numbers from 1 to 10; count objects in a set, divide objects into halves

*  explore basic science - plant growth, magnetism, freezing and thawing —ideally with experiments

*  learn about the community, often with local field trips (firehouse, post office, library); stud the child’s family

Ok, I’m going to have to agree here and then I’m going to have to explode in confusion.

First of all, in our neck of the woods, the small motor skills were tested prior to him starting kindergarten and were expected to be at least close to mastering the cutting, tracing, molding clay, coloring and writing of their names.  The pouring of liquids is problem the only one the poor little tots get a break on.  It’s like, hey you are 5, now grow up you little snot-face kid.  UGH

Secondly, they are expected to follow directions prior to getting to kindergarten, lest you get one of these nasty little yellow bee’s every day like we do (yellow being the color directly under purple and today we should have got more like a green which is way further down the chart). 

I do agree that kindergarten is the time to learn to describe objects and events, but sharing tools and playing in a group, geeez, I don’t like to share my toothbrush stuff all the time now but I assume that the teacher might can do these things.  And, as for playing in a group, how many introverts does it take before the experts get the picture that some folks just don’t like all the hoopla.  I’m not one of them, I’ll full extrovert and apparently so is my Yellow-bee-receiving-non-stop-talking son. (Post about today’s yellow bee on my personal blog that I would love some advice on).  But, anyway, I’m ok with this one.

But, now, “tell time to the hour on analog and digital clocks; identify coins; recite personal data (birthday, address, phone number)” come on, my son knows how to tell time, but according to his teacher, he is the only one in that room that does and he only knows because…he is a bossy by nature and thinks he is the boss, so he tells time to keep everyone on their feet around here.  The identifying coins is a joke, all he knows is one dollar bills (or bigger) and the personal data he was suppose to know when they tested him. 

I’m not even going to go into count and write numbers 1 to 10.  We just (in October of a August to May school year) finished writing to a 100 and I’m already sick of it.  Surely 1 to 10 was learned before now?  

The last two, I just as well leave those to the teachers because I hate the hassle and the mess.

Ok, can anyone tell that I’m in a disgusted and dimwitted mood.  I’m hacked at my child (please read on personal blog and comment), so don’t mind me, I just write here.

Ok, how many of you have read Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish’s book The Case Against Homework?  Hands up so I can see them, nice and high!

Now, that passion that they have, that’s exactly the passion that I am about to employ on my son’s school over this idea of using physical education as punishment.  Or taking it away as it is.  I don’t need, nor does the teachers, principals and other administrators, to be told how important exercise is.  I am an over-weight-adult-onset-diabetic sufferer because I hate to exercise.  I loved physical education.  I have a degree in physical education.  I know the nutrition aspects as well as the importance of exercise.  I get very offended when I go to the doctor and they try to explain these things to me when they know I am a college educated person with a degree in physical education.  They have to know I am simply deaf and not dumb.

Anyway, missing P.E. because of some infraction that occurred in the classroom is about to make me go nuts on some folks.  Yes, when I taught physical education, it was tried on me too.  I did not allow teachers to withhold students from my class because they misbehaved in the classroom. 

Do you think the math teacher would have been happy if I had sent the students to math class but sent a note that read, “I am keeping Susie in from Math today because she was misbehaving in my class, I hope you don’t mind”?

Oh, yea, I can see classroom teachers all over the place rolling their eyes and wishing me to be deaf and dumb.  Or thinking that indeed, I may be both.  My point is, I fought this fought all the way to the superintendent once as a teacher and I’m ready to fight the fight again as a parent. 

For now my son has only missed one 5 minute time out of physical education and one full class of physical education.  I blame this on the P.E. teachers because that’s who allows it to happen.  It is not my place however to talk to them about this.  The teacher knows my position on it and it is going to be with great passion that I go to the administrators of the school with this issue.

I know this leaves the homeschoolers out of the subject a little for now.  However, I am curious if you take away your children’s play time for not completing assignments or other infractions?  Or is this just a public school phenomenon?

Please, I am very curious and very very upset.  Opinions please?

Remember, I’ve done my time as a parent, I’ve done my time in the public schools as a teacher, I’m currently doing my time as a parent of a child in a public school, I’ve owned a daycare and I’ve been a daycare parent….I think I’ve run the full gamete of educator positions with the exception being a homeschooler and I prefer to think that all that “stuff” we do each day with the “3.95 year old kid that is not potty trained”* is partially considered homeschooling.  If not, I am quitting, I’m tired of counting already but he really makes me angry wanting to learn his brothers site words…just kidding, I’m proud of his desire to learn but man, it is harrowing and that’s what scares me the most about homeschooling (but not getting into that again here, shut me up.)

So, with that, I’ve found a little guide at Ladies Home Journal regarding What Teachers Want Parents to Know.  I am totally assuming that this is public school teachers….and I’m sure you will as well.

1.  Read to your children.  (Ok, duh)

2.  Share family news with your child’s teacher.  (I try, I did tell her about the possible vision problems we learned of yesterday)

3.  Give your children chores to do at home.  (I did this without thinking of it as chores simply because I’m selfish and I refuse to pick up every sock, towel and pair of underwear that don’t make it to the laundry hamper.)

4.  Share organizing ideas with your child.  (Child number one is like his mother, an organizer by nature…the “3.95 year old who is not potty trained”?  All we know at this point is he is stubborn.  BAH)

5.  Follow up on teacher’s recommendations.

Ok, so out of all of those, notice I didn’t comment on number 5?  Why is that?  Because as much as I respect my son’s teacher, the work she sends home is way below his skill level so we don’t necessarily do it “her way”.  Secondly, on parent night, I asked her if she had noticed a very important problem with his “sounds” regarding the letter “T”.  Her reply was no.  How could she not notice that when he is asked what sound that letter makes, he says “sssssssssss”? 

I don’t mean that necessarily in a bad way, except, he has to be Dibeled and the more letters that slip through the cracks, the less he does.  He has benchmarked out of kindergarten and well into first grade, I’m not worried, but I do want to make sure these issues don’t get missed.

If you are looking for more tips, check out the article and see what you think?

How many of you would like to argue this point right here:

The problem is, many parents don’t make sure the extra work actually gets done, according to a 1999 study by Public Agenda, a New York City-based public-policy research group. That’s unfortunate, because “Kids need to get the message that an education is worth working for,” says Diana B. Herrera, who teaches gifted students at Henry B. Gonzalez Elementary School, in San Antonio.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Because I cry 50 % Way to Go and 50 % Bah.  It needed more explanation.  My parents made me work for my education and I learned how important an education was/is.  However, they did not monitor my homework, NEVER.  NOT.AT.ALL. 

So, go ahead, discuss it!

* regarding “3.95 child who is not potty trained - he has no disabilities except he is stubborn as snot!

I was in the doc’s office waiting on our turn.  It seems we are all suffering the allergy crap from this remodeling stuff.  Anyway, while perusing through the magazines, I came to Ladies Home Journal and lo and behold, right there, in black and white, I found……….

Help for Mandatory Testing by Annemarie Finello

Now that got my attention.  Apparently folks have seen the light, just not the right folks.  In 2000 - 2001 Resolutions, the NEA spoke out by saying that “standardized tests” should only be used to improve the quality of education and instruction for students. 

Ok, sounds reasonable. 

Then, they go on to say that testing is opposed when used for the following reasons:

• Used as the criterion for the reduction or withholding of any educational funding
• Results are used to compare students, teachers, programs, schools, communities and states
• Used as a single criterion for high-stakes decision making
• They do not match the developmental levels or language proficiency of the student
• Student scores are used to evaluate teachers or to determine compensation or employment status
• Programs are specifically designed to teach to the test
• Testing programs or tests limit or supplant instructional time

Ok, I’m buying that too…the question is……has this happened?  As I sit here nightly and listen as my son repeats “non-sense” words for his next Dibels test (in January or maybe early December, I am frightened plain out of my pants at the thought of my little cherub being subjected to those tests.

You see, I was a nerd, those tests didn’t bother me, they didn’t make me anxious.  It really is a good thing that I learned sometime in college that I simply do not do well with “color the bubble that best corresponds to the question” type tests. 

Some kids aren’t that lucky.  Some kids get over-anxious, some get really sick.  That’s just nuts.

So, how can you help your child, here’s a few quick tips.  I’m just summarizing so you can read the entire article at the link above.  But, a few ways to help are:

Don’t become too invested in the testing

Know your child

Watch what you say

Be sure your child has no undetected learning disabilities

Make sure your child is prepared

Have your child get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast

That sounds reasonable as well.  What do you pubic school advocates think and how do your children do on standardized tests?

For the homeschoolers, can you see any effects negative or positive when your child either goes to college or returns to public school, regarding how well they do, how well prepared they are and how physically, mentally and emotionally prepared they are? 

Do you think that it is any different than public school children?

While you are here, try this on for size……

Our local paper keeps pretty close tabs on both educational systems in our area (both the county and the city).  And, as advertised, there will be a board meeting this afternoon.  One of the reasons for this meeting?  To discuss the fact that we have schools in our system who still do not meet AYP.

That drove me to go in search of my evaluation papers from when I taught biology in a school that was under evaluation and the two year probationary period to “fix” it.  I tried scanning them but you can’t see them, they were duplicates and I got the back page of 4 so hey are hard to read.  But, it was miserable.  Not just for me, but for the children.  Yes, the school had an enormous drop out rate, yes the school had a serious drug problem and yes, many students were struggling with the graduation exam.

But, miserable?  Yes.  The school system at that time operated on a block system.  That meant, for 96 minutes, each teacher had the same 25 to 30 children in a room and were expected to administer instruction for 96 minutes.  So what, that’s there job is what some of you are thinking, I know.

But, the fact of the matter is, 96 minutes is along time to give instructional material in biology.  The math teachers?  They loved it and the students in math did so much better with that system.  But, many other classes became a waste of time.  I saw many English Literature classes reduced to movies day after day.

However, once “the committee” which as I’ve mentioned before consisted of a group of retired teachers, arrived, everyone was under surveillance.  There was no way I could give 96 minutes of instruction in biology and expect the students to keep up.  Yes, the ones who were above average intelligence and the ones who were willing to work more at home could do it, but the general student, no way.

Within that 96 minutes, instruction was all that was allowed.  You could give a class room assignment as long as you continued to work through the assignment in an instructional manner.  In other words, you couldn’t give the assignment, wait 15 minutes on them to do it and then go back to reviewing it.  It basically wasn’t an in-class assignment at all.  It was more lecturing. 

Then, homework was expected to be assigned every night.  Friday night and holidays included.  The same evaluation form was used no matter what day of the week they came into your classroom and trust me, they came twice a week whether you liked it or not. 

One such example would be that the week of homecoming, “the committee” was in the school.  The schedule for the week had already been re-arranged numerous times to accommodate the fact that homecoming activities were getting in the way of instructional time.  However, I was the lucky one on one of these homecoming days in which the children would report to the class for that block, they would remain there for 15 minutes an then they were having some type of school wide activity. 

I was severely penalized and the information was turned into the administrators that I didn’t use the 15 minutes I was given for instructional time.  What I did in fact do was call roll (and you know, with the anticipation of a huge activity, how in the world?????), I asked for homework from the night before to be turned in (which again could not be reviewed out loud as a class activity as part of the instructional process) and I made that night’s homework assignment.  That probably took between 10 to 12 minutes of my 15 and I let them sit for the remaining 2 or 3 minutes.

I was penalized and turned into the administration.  Now, with the administration also being scrutinized heavily, they were kind enough to explain the situation to me and let it be. 

Might I add here that I was only there for one semester of the year while the regular teacher was out on maternity leave……why waste their time and money on me when they could have been working with the teachers that were going to be there year after year, semester and semester? 

I don’t know but I do know it has made me sick to my stomach just typing this out.  I am in on way saying that the schools that are failing don’t need to be managed and check out, but to the misery of everyone involved, it was ridiculous.  And, the thing about the whole process;  before it was over, the students knew that when that person from “the committee” was in the room, the class would be conducted differently and eventually would quit fighting it because all the teachers were making amends for it the other 3 days of the week.  How much help is that?

After writing about “Unschooling” the reference was made to a school I had never heard of before.  So, I set out with my testy little research fingers and here’s what I found.  I found that the Sudbury Valley School boasts “Individuality and Democracy:  A Way of Life”. Now, if that doesn’t sound a lot like what I tried to describe in my last post, then you need to re-read it.  I’ve yet to dig into the site deeply, but that’s where I’m headed now.

So, if you wanna go check it out yourself, you can go to Sudbury Valley School and start reading.  If you are a bit lazy, you can wait on me to read it but then realize that what I tell you will be laced with a lot of opinion.  So, have it your way, you decide.

If you have decided to give it a whirl yourself, here’s the link’s I’m reading, you can read them to if you don’t already have an understanding of the concept and then we can compare opinions notes.

If you find more links along the way that you think I’ll find of interest, by all means, please send them along as I am interested in learning.

So, here’s a couple more I plan to investigate:

Wikipedia

Sudbury Public Schools

Sudbury Primary School

Sudbury’s Country School

Now, again, if you have some good links, please send them my way.  I’m reading and taking notes….I’ll get back to you tomorrow (hopefully) on this…….

In the meantime, please feel free to discuss so I can learn.

This is a great tale of learning about spiders, a trip to the zoo and you got it, no public school in sight.

I’ve blogged for a while.  I’ve been featured in the local paper and on a blog or two, a website or two but my blogging has never led me to anything like this next exchange…until now.

Last night, I posted this Ok, Is it Just Me? regarding my son’s class going on a field trip and the parents being told that they could not go. 

Today, I received this email from, none other than, the field trip hosts:

Hi Jerri-Ann,
I came across your blog from one of my Google-Alert emails (it alerts me any time Alabama Ballet is mentioned online). I certainly don’t want to put myself in the middle of your school’s field trip decisions but I did feel the need to address your concern about chaperones. It is our policy that schools provide at least one teacher/chaperone per 15 students and no more than 1 teacher/chaperone per 5 students. We do not have a policy against parents attending. However, we have set these chaperone guidelines so that the maximum amount of students are able to attend. If your school is bringing about 200 students, they should actually have a minimum of 13-14 teacher/chaperones. As I mentioned above, I definitely do not want to cause any additional difficulty for you or your son’s school. If you would like to discuss this further, feel free to contact me at the email address above. We are thrilled to be able to offer these school shows this season and look forward to your son’s school being in attendance.
Many thanks,

 

This is the first time I have had someone to back me up. Someone to come to me over a blog post and say, “hey what can I do to help”.  You know, apparently the bad advertising (and I really didn’t think I made it seem to be the problem of the Alabama Ballet, I thought I made it pretty clear that the school was where my issue started) raised the hair on someone’s neck. 

We shall see how this goes this afternoon when I bring the matter up again.  We are painting paper bag pumpkins and I’ll have plenty of time to inquire with other parents as well as the teacher about this matter.  Never mind that the trip isn’t until February!!!

I’ll keep you posted…and hey, thanks to the Alabama Ballet for the resource and the help! 

I’ve been reading the second part of The Case Against Homework by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish.  And, after sitting in the neurologist office for 4 and a half hours today, you can figure, I made some good progress. 

Anyway, one of the most important parts of Part Two of this book is this, “KNOW YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS POLICY ON HOMEWORK”.  I’m sure you can see that it all starts and ends with that simple bit of information.

So, I came home and went straight to the “handbook”, you know the one they mailed me a page out of because my child was kept out of school and marked unexcused…yea, that “handbook” and it took me about 3 seconds to locate the topic “homework” in the front of the book.

Off to page 37 I go, looking for some information regarding MY SCHOOL SYSTEMS POLICY.  I was expecting something substantial.  Here’s what I got:

Homework

      The classroom teacher shall be left with the authority to determine actual homework assignments consistent with Walker County Board of Education Policies and Guidelines.

So, I am now in search of “Walker County Board of Education Policies and Guidelines” which….as of yet….doesn’t exist.  If this handbook that I’m looking at that is labeled “2008 - 2009 Student Handbook Walker County Schools” is not the same thing as “Walker County Policies and Guidelines”, I’m not sure where else to look? 

I’m no dummy.  This is their way of ducking the issue.  If a parent complains (and I’m sure she (me) will), she will be told that the homework assignments are left to the authority of the teachers within the guidelines of the WCBE Policies and Guidelines which says that the teacher has the authority to decide.

See, if I were a dummy, I couldn’t have even typed that last sentence and expected someone to think it made sense.  Go figure!

Ok, so a lot of what we all have discussed here is a big deal to me.  But, when I mention it to folks around me, they act like I have bumped my head.  For instance, I expect my mother to roll her eyes at me, she didn’t put anything into my education as far as homework goes, nothing ever, I did my own my homework, it was my job, and that’s just how it was. 

And, to be honest with you, that’s how I think about it now.  It’s the kid’s job to go to school.  But how many adults out there work their regular shift at work and then come home and do that same job for another hour without pay.  Does that make sense?  The kid is 5, he doesn’t need one full time job and one part time job.  He needs one job - go to school and learn.  He needs the rest of his time for himself. 

Ok, I know you all already agree with me on this.  But, I got started on it because of the whole, “going to see Cinderella” thing.  Parents can’t go.  So, I asked why.  Verbatim the note that came back to me says,

“K-2 grades will be going on trip.  The Alabama Ballet only allows students/teachers due to limited space. Thanks”

Now, I’m really concerned.  Why?  That’s approximately 200 kids and 6 adults.  How does that sound to you?  Not only that, they want me to put him on a school bus and let him ride over 100 miles one way to do this.  With no seat restraints of any kind. 

Yet, when I questioned this, others look at me like I’m nuts?  Is it because I’m old?  The other parent in the class that I know is a little older than me doesn’t have issues with this because her son won’t ride the bus.  He is afraid, so he simply won’t go on field trips.  So, she doesn’t even concern herself in the least.  The rest of the parents (and I’m gonna nail some tomorrow at this “help paint paper-bag pumpkin” day) look at me like I have lost my mind.

Now really, is that not a bit odd or is it just me?

Ok, I’m summarizing this one.  This one basically says that the Alabama Department of Public Health wants to see all the blue slips on file at the school.  If I am willing to let them see my child’s blue slip, ok, if not, then I have to sign this note and send it back.  Come on, really.  Once I gave the doggone thing to you them, what difference does it make…ugh. 

Now, I know why they  need us to bring so much freakin paper at the beginning of the  year, because the waste it on stupid crap like this.  Here’s the kicker. 

Let’s just say, for instance, that you have a child in 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade, you will get a copy of this letter 6 times.  No, they can’t just send the letter home with the oldest or youngest child, they make copies and your one family gets 6 copies.

That’s true for things like monthly menus.  You get six copies of it.  Not one, but six.  Why?  What the heck is up with wasting the tree’s?  The menu is printed in the local paper every Sunday in the first place.  That wouldn’t cost a dime in paper for the kids see if their parents get a paper. 

And, if they don’t get a paper, on Monday morning, the Sunday’s paper is left at school, they could cut it out and take it home.  But, nope, they make six copies for one family and send them home.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I have to share because I also had to write notes back to the school…..sorry, but please, chime in and tell me what you think.  I don’t want you to think I’m doing this to bash public schools, I want to know is this normal?   If you homeschool, is this part of the reason why you started homeschooling.  If your kids go to public schools, do you get these kinds of letters EVERY DAY, and does it not bother you?

One thing before I start, the deadline for paying for the first field trip hasn’t even got here yet.  My kid’s is paid but the deadline isn’t until Friday.  And, then today, we get this…….take notes….there’s a quiz at the end…

*********PLEASE RETURN TOMORROW**********

October 7, 2008

Dear Parents,

We are planning a field trip to see the play, Cinderella, on February 20th.  We will be going to X University in Birmingham. 

We need to know how many students will be attending this trip.   Due to limited number of seating, parents will not be able to attend.

We feel this will be a great experience for our students.  Please let us know whether or not your child will be attending.

Thank you!

Kindergarten Teachers

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. How much is this trip going to cost?

2.  I need to know that before I can tell you whether he is going or not?

3.  Why can’t I go?

4.  Who is going to chaperone besides the 3 teachers?

5.  If there is limited seating, you can add my seat in with the count when you do the kids since we are doing this so far in advance, right?

6.  And, speaking of that again, how much is this trip going to cost?

7.  And, are you telling me that I can’t go to a public function even if I pay my own way?

8.  How well do you think that is going to go over?

9.  Do you realize you are telling me you are taking 60 5 year old children with 3 teachers to Birmingham (90 miles one way) to see a play and no one else will be going to chaperone? 

10.  What happens if someone kidnaps my kid and you don’t even realize it?

11.  And, you still say I can’t go along?  To a public place?  If I provide my own transportation?  And pay my own way in?

I filled out the form by putting “maybe” in the slot that said, “My child will be attending this trip” and asked why I can’t go along under the circumstances I mentioned and if that is still the rule, no my child will not be going.

Add to that the fact that my child rides in a seat belt in my automobile all the time, and you want me to let you put him on a great big school bus with 59 other kids and 3 adults AND NO FREAKING SEATBELTS OF ANY KIND?

I must stop, my blood pressure is going to cause my head to explode.

I need your thoughts, please, not just the homeschoolers opinions, I want your opinions, don’t get me wrong, but I want to know what the public school students are doing.  What are those parents thinking.   How are they handling this?  Please, tell me!

It was a form letter but one that is obviously used quite often as it was constructed as follows:

School:_______________________    Date:__________________

   (handwritten name and date)

Dear Parent:

This letter is to notify you that head lice have been found in  your child’s class.

By working together, we can effectively manage and control head lice outbreaks this school year.  Please check your child for head lice daily for the next several weeks.  To check your child, start at the back of the head at the hair line and slowly part small sections of hair while looking closely for small pearly eggs (nits) attached to the hair near the scalp.  The eggs are not easy to remove and do not flick off like dandruff.

If signs of lice or nits are noted, please treat right away with a lice killing product.  Carefully follow the product instructions for treatment of head lice.  The attached Parent Information Sheet (which had nothing attached by the way) provides more information and may be helpful to you.

If you find no lice or eggs (nits), DO NOT TREAT.

If you have any questions, please call me at __________(phone number hand written)

Sincerely,

________________

Principal

(signature copied from somewhere else and transposed on the paper)

________________

School Nurse

(left blank, who is the school nurse? Oh, yea, we don’t have one)

Attachment

(which again, doesn’t exist)

Wonderful start to my already TMJ crappy week.  If I make it to that orthodontist appointment on Wednesday or Thursday without staying inebriated, it will be a miracle.  And, then, then, if the doc dares to brush me off, I might be forced to spit on him…with inebriated breath (just kidding- I’m taking percocet instead of using the alcohol).

How many of you remember me discussing the silent lunch ordeal?  It’s here if you wanna read it.  I have to add what happened after the fact.  I told his teacher on Friday morning that he was spanked for getting in trouble.

She, in turn, tells me that Ditto Boy was being sincere.  He did not understand what had happened.  This means he was punished and he was clueless.  Now, I know that’s unacceptable if you are an adult, but I feel like total crap now. 

See, he told me he didn’t know it was silent lunch.  And, I called him on it assuring him that his teacher was very clear when it was silent lunch and when it wasn’t.  I asked him if he wanted me to turn around and go back to the school to talk to her.  And, he got upset and said no.

I thought that was truly an indication that he was trying to get out of more punishment.  When, in fact, he was right. On Friday when I picked him up (most everyone checked out early to go to the local football teams homecoming parade), she told me that she talked to him about it and that he really was confused.

Apparently I was too.  The entire class did not have silent lunch, but because Walker and another little boy were too loud, they were moved to seats away from one another and given silent lunch.  However, they didn’t comply with the rule at that point.  (This is where his teacher assures me that he did not know he was on silent lunch, he just thought he was suppose to be moving away from his friend). 

And, since he did continue to talk, he lost his 15 minutes of PE.  And, he lost 30 minutes of play time at McD’s with his brother AND he got a spanking.  Now, tell me I don’t deserve the Mother of the Year award!  Bah!