This article from the Detroit News web site outlined for me my new calling; Teacher's union management. Now I can only hope that the State Legislature does nothing, as they usually do, to change this I can hopefully draw a teacher's salary without teaching. Next I plan to get the government to pay me for not growing corn!
Ed U. Cayshun
Father of the Year awards, here I come!
Get your pen ready to nominate me, Ed U. Cayshun, as father of the year for allowing my sons to work out personal differences the old fashioned way; by beating the be-Jesus out of each other.
Please allow me to elaborate before you call child protective services. It has been about two weeks since the end of the school year and my Mr. Mom duties fully began. In that two week time frame my two oldest sons, six and four years old, have been fighting at least 30 percent of the time. I'm talking about yelling at each other, name calling, throwing things and even the occasional hitting and kicking. With and infant in my hand I'd been trying to referee the melees to no avail.
Yesterday I decided that if they were going to fight I'd let them! However, being the responsible dad I thought that I'd make it a bit safer than fists and toy cars so I bought a water noodle pool toy, cut it in half, taped up a handle made of dowel rod and let the beating commence. The "Battle-Bat" is born!!!
This has really served a great end. They actually enjoy flagellating each other with the soft foam swords and end up laughing about it about two minutes after the fight begins.
This sure takes me back to the good old days when we'd climb the fifty foot monkey bars over asphalt, throw snowballs at each other's heads without wearing a helmet, played tackle football on the playground and settled differences like men; by kicking the living crap out of each other then laughing about it. Remember the 80's?
Ed U. Cayshun
P.S. My ref'ing duties have kept me from posting lately, sorry!
Please allow me to elaborate before you call child protective services. It has been about two weeks since the end of the school year and my Mr. Mom duties fully began. In that two week time frame my two oldest sons, six and four years old, have been fighting at least 30 percent of the time. I'm talking about yelling at each other, name calling, throwing things and even the occasional hitting and kicking. With and infant in my hand I'd been trying to referee the melees to no avail.
Yesterday I decided that if they were going to fight I'd let them! However, being the responsible dad I thought that I'd make it a bit safer than fists and toy cars so I bought a water noodle pool toy, cut it in half, taped up a handle made of dowel rod and let the beating commence. The "Battle-Bat" is born!!!
This has really served a great end. They actually enjoy flagellating each other with the soft foam swords and end up laughing about it about two minutes after the fight begins.
This sure takes me back to the good old days when we'd climb the fifty foot monkey bars over asphalt, throw snowballs at each other's heads without wearing a helmet, played tackle football on the playground and settled differences like men; by kicking the living crap out of each other then laughing about it. Remember the 80's?
Ed U. Cayshun
P.S. My ref'ing duties have kept me from posting lately, sorry!
From industry to the classroom: the best educators come with experience.
It's nice to see that industry, or "the real world," brings teachers in with more knowledge to impart to students. My information comes from the Wilmington, Delaware News Journal article, and my own experience. I have on several occasions used my past experience to either teach or reinforce lessons in the classroom and I'm glad to see this happening all over the country.
However, I heard a story, I have nothing more than what I heard to back it up mind you, from St. Louis about an aerospace engineer who retired from Boeing who wanted to teach in his golden years. His PhD. in engineering would make one think that he is perfectly capable of teaching high school physics, higher math maybe even other science classes but the Department of Education in Missouri disagreed. According to the story I heard he wasn't "highly qualified" by the standards set forth by No Child Left Behind. One more reason that I hope our legislators see fit to let it die!
Ed U. Cayshun
P.S. I should add that I admit that I voted for Bush twice, not so much because I thought he was the best candidate but rather that we was better than the others at the time. Remember, politics is a toilet and you have to choose the turd that floats the highest.
However, I heard a story, I have nothing more than what I heard to back it up mind you, from St. Louis about an aerospace engineer who retired from Boeing who wanted to teach in his golden years. His PhD. in engineering would make one think that he is perfectly capable of teaching high school physics, higher math maybe even other science classes but the Department of Education in Missouri disagreed. According to the story I heard he wasn't "highly qualified" by the standards set forth by No Child Left Behind. One more reason that I hope our legislators see fit to let it die!
Ed U. Cayshun
P.S. I should add that I admit that I voted for Bush twice, not so much because I thought he was the best candidate but rather that we was better than the others at the time. Remember, politics is a toilet and you have to choose the turd that floats the highest.
Kids DO say the darndest things.
Sometimes I'm amazed by my children. OK, I'm always amazed but them but earlier today I had to laugh in amazement at my four-year-old.
Like most children's' rooms his is a disaster. The books, stuffed animals, toy cars and legos are actually treacherous to navigate with bare feet. As with our other summer vacation days he slept in while I sat mindlessly watching the television holding my infant son. About 8:30 he arose and came to snuggle with us on the couch. After a few minutes we began discussing our agenda for the day which is supposed to include a trip to the video store. However, I preceded the topic with Mommy's instructions that his room must be cleaned today. Questioning why he needed to clean his room he clearly pointed out a fact to me. With his big blue eyes and bed-head hairdo that he had, "made a path" through his room.
In fact the path was quite navigable if you wanted to access the bed or the toy chest but with the innocent questioning expression I could only laugh, which he though was great because he was the center of attention. Needless to say the soft spot in my heart for the overwhelming cuteness made me forget the untidiness of the room and as I type this nearer lunchtime than morning his room is still not cleaned. I know that I am weak, but what can I say, he was just too damned charming!
Ed U. Cayshun
Like most children's' rooms his is a disaster. The books, stuffed animals, toy cars and legos are actually treacherous to navigate with bare feet. As with our other summer vacation days he slept in while I sat mindlessly watching the television holding my infant son. About 8:30 he arose and came to snuggle with us on the couch. After a few minutes we began discussing our agenda for the day which is supposed to include a trip to the video store. However, I preceded the topic with Mommy's instructions that his room must be cleaned today. Questioning why he needed to clean his room he clearly pointed out a fact to me. With his big blue eyes and bed-head hairdo that he had, "made a path" through his room.
In fact the path was quite navigable if you wanted to access the bed or the toy chest but with the innocent questioning expression I could only laugh, which he though was great because he was the center of attention. Needless to say the soft spot in my heart for the overwhelming cuteness made me forget the untidiness of the room and as I type this nearer lunchtime than morning his room is still not cleaned. I know that I am weak, but what can I say, he was just too damned charming!
Ed U. Cayshun
Field trip time of year.
It's field trip time of year again and I have been inducted into the chaperoning parent club. I went with my Kindergartner's class yesterday to the zoo. I have a greater respect for anyone from five to 80 years old who rides a bus now as well as respect for the organizational skills of Kindergarten teachers! I was with the group for six hours, 90 minutes of which was on the school bus, and last night I was exhausted.
My hat is off to those who do it everyday.
Ed U. Cayshun
My hat is off to those who do it everyday.
Ed U. Cayshun
You gotta see this guy!
This is amazing! Any teacher or anyone who can appreciate a teacher should love this! Inspiring!
What do teachers make?
Ed U. Cayshun
What do teachers make?
Ed U. Cayshun
Teachers; too many, too few?
Got an alert from Google today about a news story detailing the U.S. Department of Education's recent grant to the University of Texas for financial incentives for teachers who do a good job. One aim of the grant is to recruit teachers in hard-to-staff schools. This puzzles me! In the area in which I choose to reside, this state by the way has one of the nation's worst economies, teachers seem to be a dime a dozen, or at least 400 applicants per job opening.
My quandary is now, why does Texas, and a few other states, have a "teacher shortage" whereas my state is lousy with teachers who can't find jobs? It can't really be the baby-boomers who just choose not to retire up here. Nor can it solely be the crappy economy, which I would think would make people want to retire. Maybe it's the worst possible combination of many factors. Maybe you could enlighten me!
I would simply ask the University of Texas, the Department of Education, and who ever else will listen, to come to some of these other states which have a surplus of teachers and recruit some of them to travel south! Just a suggestion and we all know the government's ability to hear suggestions!
Ed U. Cayshun
My quandary is now, why does Texas, and a few other states, have a "teacher shortage" whereas my state is lousy with teachers who can't find jobs? It can't really be the baby-boomers who just choose not to retire up here. Nor can it solely be the crappy economy, which I would think would make people want to retire. Maybe it's the worst possible combination of many factors. Maybe you could enlighten me!
I would simply ask the University of Texas, the Department of Education, and who ever else will listen, to come to some of these other states which have a surplus of teachers and recruit some of them to travel south! Just a suggestion and we all know the government's ability to hear suggestions!
Ed U. Cayshun
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