Episode 5, Season 2

For this show, we had Ms. Keisha Douglas and Mr. Mike Charles explaining what led up to our meeting on Wednesday the 1st of October.

Hmmmm.....we made the news today...

No, not because a science teacher in a middle school got a child to understand the scientific method, not because a primary school teacher got a student to read and break down into syllables, that tricky word that has been challenging them all this time, no, not even for the teacher who has been at this wonderful craft for 15 years.....well what then, may you ask is the reason? Click here to read the report, but once again, it seems as if the noblest profession in the world is being taking for granted. Yes, this time, it was over pay, but before you go jumping to conclusions, let The Talking Teacher explain. There was many who did not get paid...let me type that again, because I don't believe that your reaction to that statement was strong enough....THERE WERE MANY WHO DID NOT RECEIVE PAY! In today's economy, a paycheck not received can trigger a MAJOR chain of unfortunate events. Let me expound upon the situation....do you know the price of gas, electricity, groceries, mortgages, day care, similac, etc? Daniel Webster once said, "He who tampers with the currency robs labor of its bread." NUFF SAID!!

Along with not receiving any financial compensation for their hard work, many did not get their just due, and overall, the 5% raise that is due did not happen. Let me explain, the Talking Teacher can remember the great battle a few years ago, when the B.U.T. was trying to go for parity with the B.P.S.A. , the many uphill battles and splinters, that had to be faced to reach while on this path paid off with an award of parity and a 5% increase in the third year of our contract. Well, we have reached the third year, and the 5% is not being upheld. Cha. Things like this really make a person feel like they are not really appreciated, like they can be pushed around,like they can be used as a doormat. Not cool...

Sometimes, I just wanna holla......

So, we had a meeting today. Please note, the Talking Teacher did not say industrial action, nor did I say we staged a strike, we held a MEETING for our membership to address these issues. It is interesting to read the newspaper article attached to the link provided and see the inconsistencies between the truth and error. Rather interesting. A case of a mistake in reporting, or something else? Who knows, really, who cares, can we sort things out? Can we all feel appreciated?

Punctuation Day

Last week was "Punctuation Day". The Talking Teacher missed it, as he was not aware of it, but yes, last week was "Punctuation Day". This was taken from the L.A. Times. Do you know where your comma is?
The book Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss made at least a few people take more notice of punctuation. Click here to test your punctuation skills with the quiz from the publishers of this book.

But you're probably mistaken if you think normal activity for the fifth annual National Punctuation Day today will stop.

And everyone can take heed from the example of a Canadian company. A misplaced comma in a contract cost it $2.3 million when a judge ruled the agreement was not ironclad, as was believed. The judge said bad punctuation was no excuse.


"Punctuation has been devalued by a generation of computer wizards who ask, 'What's the point? Nobody writes in complete sentences anymore,' " says Jeff Rubin, founder of National Punctuation Day. "But the rules of proper punctuation haven't changed just because of computers."

So, think twice before you place your punctuation in that sentence. Happy punctuation day.

Mr. Worrell and Ms. Tucker share their thoughts on teaching

Episode 4 Season 2

Click here to listen as Ms. Ngina Tucker and Mr. Shuab Worrell as they share their thoughts on teaching.

BBC- Pupils 'do not understand' maths

This is an interesting audio interview dealing with maths education in England. Almost half of England's schools are not teaching maths well enough, and they are putting too much emphasis on passing tests, a report by Ofsted inspectors says. Miriam Rosen, director of education at Ofsted, discusses whether the criticism is justified. Click here to go to the post.

Leave a reply, tell us what you think about this topic.

A great book

This past show we mentioned a great book,"Yardsticks", by Chip Wood. This is a wonderful resource for anyone working with children aged 4 to 14. It offers insights into the development of various age groups, and the book is conveniently divided by age. So, if you are working with seven-year-olds, you simply go to the section labeled "Sevens" and you can read about their cognitive abilities as well as physical attributes an average child of this age has.

Click here to go to their blog.