[Ally]

I sent home a Flat Stanley project for one of my reading groups. We made flat versions of ourselves at school and I sent home a sheet explaining the characer and directed students to write a story about their flat people (real or imagined) to share with the class. I also included a two-pager with lines and a picture box to complete it on. Gave them a week to complete it...wrote a reminder note in the planner...due last week.

All but one did it. Later that week, his mum talked to me after school. She showed me the sheet and asked if "L was supposed to do this?"

I so wanted to say, "Oh no! I just send that home for you to ignore. I like to kill trees."

I mean, really? Do it or don't...but to ask me the expectations when there is a letter detailing what to do and a handout WITH a due date??? I can not wait until I am close to retiring...I will not censor myself at all!!

[subczy]

Some days I want to yell at he top of my lungs....would you just shut up all of you? But I won't. It is what they want and wouldn't help.

[klarabelle]

What an idiot! What did she think you sent it home for her to decorate her fridge with it!

[tteacher]

Want to yell at the top of my lungs every day "You are the adult! Put your foot down and say 'no'."
I want to say this to my ap who tries to "communicate" with Kinders. Look, the kid kicked the ##### out of someone. Just deal with them and move on.

[Who me?]

I had a similar project and the child did not bring it. When asked, he replied " mom said it was too much trouble." Okay. Quite interesting.

[vespergirl]

The point of that project was to learn how information and events can connect to real-life experiences, to record a personal response, to work on map skills and geographic concepts.

But it sounds like your decision produced some learning of its own -- how to ignore responsibilities, that schoolwork has little value, and that deadlines and obligations are arbitrary.

Powerful stuff, Mom. Thanks for your help.

[lily74]

I can relate!

My 3rd graders just had a project to do, they were given almost a month to complete a project. It had a written component plus a practical piece (poster/diorama etc) for them to do. I gave them reminders written in their agenda "Work on project tonight" multiple times in the last weeks. The day it was due, one student came in with the written part, but a completely blank poster board and told me that he couldn't complete the poster because his printer ran out of ink!!

Ummm..you could have written the information on it and drawn some pictures, it did not HAVE to be printed. OR you could have asked to use the school computer/printer.

Where were his parents in all of this????? Who knows!!!! Very disappointing.