I now see that I need to add a new category to my blog — “School Daze,” dedicated to Katherine’s education. A big step — it’s a new category for Katherine (previously restricted to Parenting, more or less), and a new lifestyle for us …
Margie went to the orientation at the preschool program today. I found a few passages … set off my BS-o-meter.
PURPOSE: The purpose of DCELC is to help children feel good about themselves and learn to like school.
Gosh, here I thought it was to actually, well, teach them something.
Well, it is pre-school. Getting kids to learn to like school is important. But, frankly, I don’t see helping Katherine feel good about herself to be their Job One.
Our job, as teachers, is not to judge, but to show supportive interaction for each unique achievement.
Somebody took too many ed classes. Believe me, I took them, too, and I recognize the style. “Show supportive interaction”? How about just “support”?
And I do hope that there will be some judgment in play here.
Children need to feel confident enough to take a risk and survive; they need the opportunity to make a mistake without being condemned.
Okay, I can go there. No “Learn The Alphabet Song or be Flogged” here. I’m all over it.
I do hope, again, that when Katherine makes a mistake that she is corrected, if not condemned … not just supported in her unique interaction.
The rest of the booklet is actually okay. These phrases just sort of popped out at me, I fear.
Oh, there was one other section that had me chuckling.
DISCRETIONARY WITHDRAWAL OF A CHILD: Afrter extended effort has been made to accommodate an ucooperative child and/or parent, the preschool reserves the right to discontinue acceptance of enrollment of the child.
Heh.
In other words, “We reserve the right to expel his/her ass, especially of the parent is a jerk.”
Heh. That, I like. Though the wording is pretty opaque.