Chebucto Regional Softball Club

@dalias @JeffGrigg @flying_saucers

Phasing out "lame" and "stupid" and other ablest words is a bit of an uphill battle but I think it's worth it.

@funnymonkey

Meals? Adults with enough time to get to know the students? You want to spend money on that?

No. Kids need to learn "workplace ready" skills. And they can eat iPads.

@richpuchalsky

The only way I can see to minimize the exploitation is to have a public ongoing discourse on what we teach and value that is big enough that people don't end up being mislead in some little community where some jerk is in charge.

@richpuchalsky

I don't call myself an anarchist. Or anything really. I suppose I'm not since, from what I've seen as a teacher, people crave, love and seek out organization and someone to tell them what to do. This can be exploited so easily. Often it is exploited.

A lot of what I do as a teacher is try to get my students to stop turning to me to tell them what to do about every single thing.

And I use their inclination towards obedience to guide them towards that. Kind of a paradox.

@richpuchalsky

I think it's beneficial to have education connected to larger secular bodies eg. the state because it forces all of the little communities with their "values" (values can be excellent, or horrible) to find some common ground.

Should we teach that the earth is flat?
Is evolution real?
Does *everyone* need to learn how to read?

If you let "the local community" decide such things they have often made the wrong call on these questions which have objectively correct answers.

@richpuchalsky @adamr

I think powerful people will use that to take advantage of people by keeping their understanding of the world limited and in the absence of state education it will be the church and whoever gives the church the most money indoctrinating everyone.

@Ehay2k @tkinias

Our upper school students don't have study halls. They do have "free periods" where they must remain on campus ... but that's about it. We can only do this because most of them have learned to manage that time sensibly. Every year someone wants to pack more things in the schedule and I always push back because that free time helps so many of them.

The middle school students have study hall since they don't know how to use a free period yet. Poor things.

@richpuchalsky @adamr

Do you think compulsory education should be abolished?

@tkinias @geonz

Yeah with that many kids being a fake drill sergeant is kind of the only way.

@asakiyume

"Your kid doesn't need to go to college or learn about silly things like art and history. That might make them GAY. Isn't it better if they get training on how to work in an amazon warehouse instead?"

"Well what is YOUR kid doing?"

"Uh... studying art history and reading poetry ... but never mind that. We will give your child work experience so they can get a job!"

@tkinias @geonz

How many kids were in there? My old school used to do "doubles" on study hall because "it's easier"

No.

Oh no no no.

45 9th graders? I can't even say hello to all of them in the time allotted. So you end up having "Serious Rules" because otherwise it's just going to be 30min of chaos that no one needs in their life.

@tkinias

30-50 is the number out of the 150 who are "my" students, the ones who'd come to me first for whatever reason.

They are all nerds. I'm a nerd magnet.

@richpuchalsky

If that's how my classes went I'd quit. I could do other jobs that pay more. I teach because I like teaching.

@tkinias

I'm mostly kidding about that. But, if adults think something is a "throw away" kids can tell and it becomes a throw away.

@tkinias

And if they aren't "learning anything" in study hall lets get rid of it.

I will teach them about ants instead.

@tkinias

There is a notion that "students aren't learning anything in study hall so it's not important"

I think for middle school students this is a big mistake. Study hall is the start of learning to manage your own time. Do you get your homework done? It's also learning to be considerate of others.

Some of the other teachers think I'm a little crazy for wanting to discuss it so much, but I think we could improve it a lot.

@mynameistillian

I'm not talking about 150 in one class. I'm talking about all of the classes combined.

@tkinias

I have a study hall for 35 min once a week with 21 students and it's just too many even for something as boring and "simple" as study hall. (it'd be fine if it wasn't 7th graders, 7th grade is the hardest time for students, and they are so annoying, they know they are annoying and they just don't know how to stop and need our help.)

It's the WORST part of my week.

21 is pushing it since saying something to each of them pushes my limits, and they do need that.

@tkinias

Also 150 is the number of students in all of my classes combined. Basically the number I need to "know" at one time. It includes clubs, and everything I do at the school.

In a given class 12-18 students is the ideal number.

@tkinias

There was a time when they tried to give me 180 students in one term and I quit that job. I can't remember that many names.