John Post on fri 3 feb 12
On Feb 3, 2012, at 5:39 PM, mel jacobson wrote:
> ( i would love to write a book on `how to deal with custodians
> part 1., followed by `how to deal with school cooks, part 2` and
> then followed by: `getting a box of pencils from the principals
> secretary, part 3.` the answer is:
> get your own. do your own, or you will not survive.)
Put me down for a copy of each book mel and as they described my past
week perfectly.
One of my custodians thinks it's a good idea to shake the dust mop out
after each row is swept after a clay day in my art classes. I told
him about the dangers of silica in the air and mentioned that the
custodian at my other school wet mops the floor. Now he's teaching me
a lesson by not cleaning the floor at all.
My week is full of highs and lows. I got a letter from a student of
mine from three years ago thanking me for all I taught her about
working with clay and she wanted to let me know that she misses my
class. She sent it over with a bag of plastic peanut butter jars
because she knows I use these when I am testing new glazes.
Then later in the day when I asked a boy to move down one seat so a
new student could sit next to the only girl who speaks the same
language as her, he gave me a look that said "F-You and drop dead" all
in one.
When I was a stay-at-home dad, I used to take my son to the Burger
King play area. Every little kid who was about to do something wrong
like throw balls out of the play area or jump off a wall would shoot a
quick glance over to mom. The good moms gave a little nod that said
"Put that ball down, or don't do that." The moms who "missed the nod"
are probably the moms whose kids I have the most problems with in
class today.
Being a parent or a teacher is teaching a thousand little lessons
everyday.
I had a former principal who pointed out that kids are in school 1/2
the year, for 6 hours or 1/4 of a day. 1/2 times 1/4 equals 1/8. So
7/8 th's of a kid's time or 87.5% is spent away from school.
Yet many parents think school is the place where kids are supposed to
get every lesson from manners and how to behave right up through
calculus.
A kindergarten teacher in my building called a dad about his son's
behavior problems in her class. He said to her that it is "her F*ing
job to teach her son". She told him she was hanging up on him now and
he said "Don't you F*ing hang up on me or I will come up to
school..." Then she hung up.
I swear some weeks, every kid I teach is nuttier than the next...
John Post
Sterling Heights, Michigan
http://www.johnpost.us
Follow me on Twitter
https://twitter.com/UCSArtTeacher
mel jacobson on fri 3 feb 12
it is amazing how fast you learn about glazes
when you are making hundreds of pots with
thousands of hours invested.
it is fine to jabber about `glaze theory` if you
never make pots. `the instant expert.`
when you pull out fifty stinkers and have to throw
them away, your life is not very rich.
if you do that, time after time..you will not be in business
very long.
you will quickly find what works, and does not work.
and, you find what sells, and what sits on shelves.
that is the best teacher.
it is like `teaching theory`...that those at universities
tell you about, and `how to` do. funny, they never show
up at your school and help you with that fourth hour class
of hoodlums. they keep talking `theory` year after
year..........i was confronted by reality.
i worked it out. nothing they ever told me was correct.
it was all theory and bullshit. and, they always got a
great deal of money, benefits and a cool faculty lunch room
to sit and talk `theory` with other cool professors.
if you have never been on the front lines...don't tell
others how to shoot.
( i would love to write a book on `how to deal with custodians
part 1., followed by `how to deal with school cooks, part 2` and
then followed by: `getting a box of pencils from the principals
secretary, part 3.` the answer is:
get your own. do your own, or you will not survive.)
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
clayart page below:
http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Sean Burns on sun 5 feb 12
On Fri, 3 Feb 2012 16:39:57 -0600, mel jacobson =3D20
wrote:
>
>( i would love to write a book on `how to deal with custodians
>part 1., followed by `how to deal with school cooks, part 2` and
>then followed by: `getting a box of pencils from the principals
>secretary, part 3.` the answer is:
>get your own. do your own, or you will not survive.)
>http://www.visi.com/~melpots/
>clayart page below:
>http://www.visi.com/~melpots/clayart.html
Sensei Mel-
How right you are- In the big picture of teaching dealing with the fr=
=3D
ont=3D20
office- custodians - and lunch workers is critical.
Couple observations from my humble experience
1. Custodians- The first one I dealt with at my ongoing 18 year High scho=
=3D
ol=3D20
stint was a complete waste of of a paycheck. Entitled idler- must of had=3D=
20=3D
something on someone in the system. The guy I have now is a jewel- he wil=
=3D
l=3D20
do anything reasonable I ask and do it well- and most impotantly- vice ve=
=3D
rsa-=3D20
I treat this guy like an equal and he is- a true professional.
2. Lunch personel- Sometimes they want special favors- most recently a=3D20=
=3D
special thanksgiving for grandaparents placemat design from an art studen=
=3D
t-=3D20
Why of course- I will put my best artist on it- How many cucumber pickle=3D=
20=3D
glaze buckets and mayaonaisse jars for glazes do you think I get when I a=
=3D
sk?
Answer- too many if thats possible.
3. Secretaries- I cut paper for them and dont wait till its an emergency-=
=3D
This=3D20
past week I submitted my "weekly form to get office supplies- submit Mond=
=3D
ay-=3D20
get materials the next Monday"- studpid time waster. I went to do a quick=
=3D
=3D20
errand after submitting my paper clip and scotch tape and index card requ=
=3D
est-=3D20
and I returned to the clay room to find my materials front and center- 10=
=3D
=3D20
minute turn around.
Of course these are relationships cultivated over time- but there is a =
=3D
huge=3D20
amount of mutual respect involved.
4. Custodian part 2- when it was time to order our new Fredrickson front=3D=
20=3D
loader- I kept my guy completely in the loop- I was excited and so was he=
=3D
-=3D20
when it came time to take the old unit out- do some power tool work- heav=
=3D
y=3D20
lifting and all around grunting- removal of doors and a million other thi=
=3D
ngs-=3D20
geuss who was there with bells on and thanking me for involving him in th=
=3D
is=3D20
important project? Yep- he is also the guy who cleans out my clay traps a=
=3D
nd a=3D20
million other things around the department- And when he needed a door=3D20
number painted on a classroom by a "pro" I was right there- I had teacher=
=3D
s=3D20
walking by asking why I was doing that after school- wasnt my job- stupid=
=3D
=3D20
people.
regards,=
=3D
Sean=
=3D
Burns
Will=
=3D
iamsburg, Ma.
Steve Mills on sun 5 feb 12
Sean, ref. the last item commenting on you painting numbers, over here we c=
a=3D
ll them "Jobsworths": cue Lurch-lookalike: "More than my job's worth mate!"=
,=3D
followed by a hasty exit, in case I ask "It" to do some other simple task.=
=3D20=3D
Steve M
Steve Mills
Bath
UK
www.mudslinger.me.uk
Sent from my iPod
On 5 Feb 2012, at 12:59, Sean Burns wrote:
>=3D20
> And when he needed a door=3D20
> number painted on a classroom by a "pro" I was right there- I had teacher=
s=3D
=3D20
> walking by asking why I was doing that after school- wasnt my job- stupid=
p=3D
eople.
>=3D20
> regards,
> Sean =
B=3D
urns
> Willi=
a=3D
msburg, Ma.
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