Right Wing Ramblings #7: A NATION OF CANDY ASSES

[Todd]

OK – I haven’t verified this one, but I’m passing it along just the same. It’s a message from a teaching student at Southeast Missouri State University. Remember, now, that Schools of Education are the academic slums of almost any University. Anyway – word is that the teaching students at SMSU are being told that when they get out there into the wonderful world of government schools they should not use red ink when they’re grading student’s papers. And why not, you ask? Well, because the red ink just may make students think of blood about blood. If students think about blood they could get upset.

I can just see it now. It’s Tuesday morning and the school psycho counselors are called out to the local elementary school to counsel the students. And just why? Because Mrs. Nussbaum used red ink to grade last Friday’s math text. The tests were handed back Monday and several students started having psychotic episodes when they saw the red ink!

 

[Problem Child]

I'd grade their papers right in front of them using a quill pen dipped in chicken's blood, after I'd snipped its little head off with pinking shears and drained it's blood into the inkwell.

miscreants.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

OK – I haven’t verified this one...

That pretty much sums up my response to nearly everything you've ever said.

 

[cymbidia]

I'm trying to be nice, okay? Todd, this sounds like alarmist crap.

On the other hand, having been in and through a school of education (slum though it was ~grin~), and having had to listen to the incredibly, unbelievably, crazily offensive PC versions of how to handle kids in a classrom situation, i can believe that some teaching school somewhere (think the puppy mill method of producing teachers) came up with this idea to cut down on student angst and so, all those random shootings.

Sad.
Goddamn fucking sad - for all of us.

We need to kick the psychologists over a cliff, institute high expectations for every student, jail uncaring parents, fire bad teachers, reduce the administration at all levels by 50%, and just get on with the job of teaching - red pens in hand.

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Shouldn't they be grading in Crayon...

I mean, you could hurt someone with a pen, trying to make a point and all, you know.

 

[WriterDom]

Re: Shouldn't they be grading in Crayon...

I mean, you could hurt someone with a pen, trying to make a point and all, you know.

well, you could melt crayons down and mold them into the shape of a gun.

 

[christo]

If you write in green ink and you have a Vulcan in your class, do you get fired?

I dunno, this sounds way stupid. Most students write in black or blue ink, so if you want your corrections to stand out, whattya gonna use? There are only so many colors in the spectrum.

 

[Andra_Jenny]

Grade in dissapearing ink.

I remember getting C's in my computer architecture class, which I deserved. Then, I get a B for a final grade, so I go into talk to the professor. It seems after every test, he raised the grades based on student complaints and university pressure. Since he just wanted to do research, he just went along to shut everyone up.

What a system!

 

[roosterboy]

but, but, but, but . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(tries to comment but is terrified that this could easily NOT be bullshit. instead he walks off mumbling and shaking his head)


. . . . . . . . . . . . DAMN!

 

[morninggirl5]

It's not bullshit, it's a pretty common admonition for new teachers. Don't grade in red ink because red is a powerful color and those red x's and letters are damaging to children's self-esteem.

Oh, and also due to a Kansas court case, you can't have the students swap papers and check another student's work. You're violating their right to confidentiality in their school records.



Just passing along the info as it was given to me. My red marker still gives grades (smiley faces) and the kids sometimes check their own papers with red pencils.

 

[Andra_Jenny]

In Kansas,

we also threw out evolution and if two trains meet on a track, neither may proceed until the other has gone so we are not much of an example for anything !

 

[morninggirl5]

A similar case

is going to be heard by the US Supreme Court.

http://fyi.cnn.com/2001/fyi/teachers.ednews/06/26/paper.swapping.ap/index.html


The appeals court used the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act as their basis for ruling the practice of swapping papers and posting honor rolls illegal.

Even placing a gold star on a student's artwork could possibly be considered disclosure under the federal appeals court decision, said Jerry A. Richardson, attorney for the suburban Tulsa, Oklahoma, district.

SO, anything that can be considered a student's "educational record" and that's anything they complete, must remain confidential. They cannot return items to other students, no more posting student projects on bulletin boards, no honor roll will also mean no Student of the Week.

And I suppose I will have to stop the practice of class made books. All the students have access to the books and thus, an educational record of their classmates.

 

[cymbidia]

DAMN i'm glad i teach in CA, and not in the primary grades!