Teaching News

[Virgil]

A Norfolk headteacher has said there have been no exclusions from his school since he started rewarding pupils with chocolate for good behaviour.

Dr Andrew Sheppard began the scheme in 2005, since when exclusion days at Redcastle Furze Primary in Thetford have dropped from 65 a year to zero.

Hey no wonder you give out kit kats Scher.

Critics said he was contributing to childhood obesity and dental problems.

I really hate critics. How much is he giving out? Come on. This guy found a solution which has helped keep students attentive and on good behavior.

But Dr Sheppard said: "It has improved behaviour, they are polite and... they have a sense of responsibility."

In September 2005, Dr Sheppard pledged to give all 240 pupils a bar of chocolate if they made it to the half time break without any exclusions.

The scheme proved so successful it was extended term by term. Since then discos, picnics and Easter eggs have been handed out.

Three cheers for Dr. Sheppard.

[Scheherazade]

Almost one in five teenage pupils surveyed for a police study said they had carried a weapon in the past year.

The survey of 1,426 14 and 15-year-olds by Portsmouth University researchers suggested only 5% took these to school.

Some 60% of those who carried a weapon said they did so for self-defence, while 30% said they had done so during activities with the Scouts or cadets.

Only 20 of the youngsters surveyed admitted carrying a weapon for the purposes of an attack.

The study was carried out among pupils in Southampton last November and was commissioned by Hampshire Police after the fatal stabbing of two young people in the city.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7519136.stm


Well, this brings the "excitement" back into teaching!

[motherhubbard]

That's pretty scary. I wonder what weapons means? I know that in this area most boy over the age of 8 or 10 will have a pocket knife and probably a good portion of the girls. Do you think that would count as a weapon? The part that is most frightening is the 20% that carried to attack. That’s horrible.

[Scheherazade]

Recently there has been a sudden increase in knife crimes in the UK. I used to think that these would be somewhat like kitchen knives but then I watched a CCTV video in the news and they are talking about knives that I, with my very limited knowledge of weapons, would describe as "swords"!

[motherhubbard]

Swords?!? I would have thought something like switchblades. how do they get those in their backpacks? Do you remember the highlander? are all of the kids wearing trench coats?

[Scheherazade]

One in five UK adults struggles with reading and writing. In an age of e-mail, texts and form-filling, how is it possible to hide illiteracy? Linda Worden, who's learned to read and write as part of a Channel 4 series, explains how she managed to keep it a secret for 40 years...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7532834.stm

[Virgil]

One in five UK adults struggles with reading and writing. In an age of e-mail, texts and form-filling, how is it possible to hide illiteracy? Linda Worden, who's learned to read and write as part of a Channel 4 series, explains how she managed to keep it a secret for 40 years...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7532834.stm

I hear similar in the US. It's really hard to believe but I guess it's true. Obviously teachers pass these students along. That is a shame. They are not doing them a favor at all.

[Scheherazade]

It is rarely teachers who are passing them along, actually, Virgil. The education system is becoming as such that students do not fail anymore (at least not before they reach college level). Nowadays, teachers are expected to teach mixed ability classes and, hence, required to provide material suitable at each individual student's level. So, if a student is not doing so well, s/he gets simpler material compared to those who are really doing at the level they are expected to. I have to admit that the opposite is also true; ie, if a student is doing well above their class level, then s/he gets material suitable for their level, even if it means that they are working couple of years ahead of their age.

Having said that, it is one of those sad but true cases. I have had many students who could barely read or write (some do not even know their alphabet). Some are dyslexic or suffering from another form of learning difficulty which was not picked on while they were younger (some might lose their ability due to a stroke etc and might have to start all over again, unfortunately). Yet, there are many simply did not learn and could never get any help.

Still, it is great that for those who would like to give themselves another chance, there are opportunities.

[blazeofglory]

That's interesting, and worrying.
In addition to problems with punctuation, I've noticed that the kids I tutor don't know what to do with articles and/or prepositions. I frequently hear "Let's go disco." or "Give me keys."

Even I have these problems by virtue of being a nonnative writer in English. I am still not adequately equipped with the idea of using or applying appropriate prepositions or articles in their right places and that is why I need someone to edit my writings.

[Virgil]

Even I have these problems by virtue of being a nonnative writer in English. I am still not adequately equipped with the idea of using or applying appropriate prepositions or articles in their right places and that is why I need someone to edit my writings.

Your english seems pretty good Blaze. Most of the time you seem like a native speaker.

[kasie]

The problem of children who are failing in mixed ability classes is not new - some thirty years ago I tried referring a child who was failing abysmally in class, he was no trouble, was content to sit and let classroom activities float over him but he was eight and could barely write his name, though he would try his best, just to please me. I was told there was no chance of his being accepted for remedial classes, he wasn't 'bad enough'. I did what I could for him but he was one out of thirty-seven. Had he been disruptive, he would have been assessed and probably removed to a Special School where he would have stood a better chance of being taught in a small class by a specialist in special needs.

I do so admire those Can't Read, Can't Write participants - not only are they brave enough to try again in a system that has previously failed them, they are letting the viewing public know about their problems. (Not sure about them writing a Shakespearean sonnet, however.....think I'd struggle there myself!)

[Scheherazade]

Common spelling mistakes should be accepted into everyday use, not corrected, a lecturer has said.

Ken Smith of Bucks New University says the most common mistakes should be accepted as "variant spellings".

He lists the 10 most commonly misspelt words, which include "arguement" for "argument" and "twelth" for "twelfth".

Mr Smith says his proposal, outlined in an article in the Times Higher Education Supplement, follows years of correcting the same mistakes.

Mr Smith, a criminology lecturer, said: "Instead of complaining about the state of the education system as we correct the same mistakes year after year, I've got a better idea.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7546975.stm

[Virgil]

Common spelling mistakes should be accepted into everyday use, not corrected, a lecturer has said.

What a crock. This is accepting the lowest common denominator.

[JBI]

Spelling twelfth twelth not on purpose, and being rewarded is just pure stupidity. I get angry at people I know (and some I don't know) for saying 'anyways' instead of anyway. If people used that one, I would probably leave the room.

[kilted exile]

Is this new? I know my spelling/grammar errors were never corrected after I reached 13. I used to know how to correctly use the language but kinda gave up bothering after a while.....