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Lesson Plans


RE: A question about art grades

From: Kimberly Herbert (kimberly)
Date: Wed Mar 01 2000 - 20:52:58 PST

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    Heather
            I agree with you. I was forced by a teacher to use my left hand, up until
    3rd grade I was ambidextrous. This teacher also forced me to sit between the
    two class bullies every day every seating arrangement on the theory that we
    would learn to get along. I was the only 3rd grader my doctor had seen with
    pre-ulcerous condition of the stomach. I never said anything because in our
    home the teacher was always right. If my mother had known about being forced
    to use my left hand she would have stopped it, just like her father stopped
    her teachers from smacking her left hand with a ruler because she used it.
    The end results of these two mistakes - we had to get a restraining order
    and threaten to jail the father of one of the bullies after the son kicked
    me in the throat. I have disgraphia (Sp) that went undiagnosed until
    University. The Doctor in the learning center felt that being forced to use
    my weaker side to write (I still do most things ambidextrously but my right
    hand is more dominate) contributed to the disgraphia. I can't tell you what
    a relief it was to have proof I was not being willful and lazy in refusing
    to spell (my parents theory) or secretly really stupid (my theory). I was
    given strategies to deal with the problem including using spell check set to
    point out misspelled words but not give the answers. Within about six weeks
    I learned all those sight words that teachers and my parents thought I was
    refusing to learn. I had wonderful teachers a kindergarten teacher who
    taught me to read labels for the word peanut, 1st grade teacher who let me
    read real books rather than the take home reader, the 2nd grade teacher who
    kept us laughing as we huddled under our desk during a terrible storm with
    tornados all around, a fourth grade teacher who taught me to love math, a
    5th grade a teacher who taught me to love science and other cultures. To say
    there was one horrible teacher in that school does not take away from them.
    Kimberly Herbert
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Heather Leal [rayleal]
    Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2000 9:45 PM
    To: ArtsEdNet Talk
    Subject: Re: A question about art grades

    My children have plenty of respect for adults who deserve it, and will treat
    even those who don't deserve it with respect, but unfortunately, after the
    poor
    excuse for teachers my son had in Jr.high and high school, I will not
    automatically back any teacher 100%. 90% of his teachers have been superb-
    caring, dedicated professionals, but 2 or 3 of them should not be allowed
    to be
    in a classroom, the damage I have seen them do to all the students, not just
    my
    son is inexcusable and the first time it happened I was foolish enough to
    leave
    him there for 3 quarters of the year, backing the teacher and telling him he
    should work it out.
    Any parent who blindly backs the teacher 100% is wrong- yes, I am a teacher
    too
    Heather

    Artystyc3 wrote:
    it's doubtful if there children will learn respect for any adult unless
    parents
    back the teacher 100%. Attitude can prevent someone from learning at any
    level . 

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