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Show -- 3 The Galina March 14 Gun.-Wednesda-y: could be a teacher just one more time "If I Dr. Robert Moss With all the folderol over teacher strikes, it is easy for some people to lose sight of many great teachers we have in our classrooms. Good teachers need and deserve our support The teachers who dont care and dont improve themselves need to be weeded out. ' Paraphrasing H.G. Wells, The next 25 years will be a race between great teaching and destruction of our civilization. Last week a teacher put an interesting paper on my desk.. It was entitled, If I could be a Teacher Just One More Time. It said: If I could be a teacher just one more time. Id be more concerned about the achievement of my students and less concerned about the achievement of their parents. I would demand that my principal be an instructional leader, and Id work to make that school a good place to be. Id find all the reason in the world why Sally Could learn and only one reason why she couldnt -- me! If I could be a teacher just one more time, Id be more open to change and less likely to defend the status quo. Id find ways to improve my classroom and Id open the door wide so others could see. I read more journals and attend more staff and development activities.. Jd insist that my teaching skill be assessed, and Id even use my planning time for planing! If I could be a teacher just one more time Id strangle anyone who didnt believe that all children can learn. Id start a petition to hold teachers responsible for student learning, and Id stamp the forehead of every student, FirstClass. Id chair the committee for Excel lence in Teaching and Learning and Id find something good to say about the Supt. and School Board. You see, I spent my brief teaching career keeping my students desks in a row, my erasers clean, and my students completing worksheets. I thought good teaching was a quiet classroom in which all the students had an opportunity to find their place in the bellshaped curve. Helping students memorize the dates of important events took more of my time than helping them understand the people who make those events possible. I loved my job, but I wasnt a teacher. If I could be a teacher just one more time, my life would probably be more difficult, but I know I would be more respected. My students would talk to each other more often, Id eat more salads and wed all watch more educational television. I might even take more field trips and Im certain I would smile more often. The name of the writer was not available. However Dr. Moss said that many have the same feelings. School should be a place where teachers believe sincerely that every child can learn; where the interaction among students becomes more important than interaction between teacher and student; where learning how to learn becomes more important that what we learn; where learning how to think becomes the core of the curriculum; where learning how to solve problems becomes the essence of what education is all about; where children feel loved and wanted; where every child has value; where teacher expectations of students are high. Oh, if I could be a teacher just one more time... Being different doesn't mean we're bad Victor Johnston, Counselor, NSHS Recent polls nationwide, indicate that what we want most for our children are happiness and a feeling of success and self worth. Wealth, power and fame are not nearly as important to most par-ent- s. Most children want the same things for themselves. They want to be happy and feel good about themselves. Why then, is there so much conflict on what kids should be doing? The answer lies partially in the differences between parents and children. . When our children are bom, we begin to develop dreams for them. We want the best of everything for them. We also have our own ideas of how to obtain these goals. Our children also have their ideas of how to achieve what will make them happy. Like us, they feel their ideas are best. And conflicts anse. Remember that Conflict is healthy! It can help us grow. It is how we handle conflict that makes the difference. Consider the following: You and your child are differdifferent personalities and with ent, different experiences in life. Your views may differ greatly. You will find that you get along with some of your children better than others. Accept his as normal and dont feel guilty about it. Teach your children what is important to you and why. If your child has a conflict with you, find out why. Listen. Remember that your childs opinion is as valid as yours. If your childs actions or values differ from yours review the reasoning before trying to change the child. Consider the consequences of your childs actions or values. When you feel your child must give up his or her difference, deal rationally. Dont use punishment Express to the child in a way that he or she will understand, why you feel that way. Allow them to verbally express their feelings. Set limits and establish and enforce consequences for violation the limits you set Dont try to force your children to follow your decisions. Force makes enemies of our children and they may reject all we have to offer. They need to have some freedom to make some mistakes. Children, especially teens, need to establish individuality. They need to feel different from their parents and need to be me. If we dont allow them to express themselves in acceptable ways, they will do it in unacceptable ways. Acceptable ways include ways that do not violate our strongest moral or ethical values and are not injurious to others in any way. Differences dont mean that we are wrong, or that our children are wrong. It only means we are different - and thats not bad. SIGN UP NOW! Classes in Do-It-Yours- elf State competition. Exaggerate and smile The next time you are caught in a stressful situation exaggerate your condition until youre forced to smile and relax. Say you are stick in a traffic jam. Start imagining the worst scenario possible. Youll be there for hours, those cars will never move, theyll have to close the freeway, by the time you get home your children will be grown up and non one will remember who you are, etc. You have to start laughing sooner or later, which helps put the whole situation into proper brings home Region honors FFA Last week the North Sevier FFA participated in their regional contest at Montezuma Creek, San Juan County. They participated in Parliamentary Procedure, Public Speaking, Extemporaneous Speaking, and the FFA Creed Speaking Contest. The Parli-PRTeam finished 2nd. Marty Mickelson, with a speech entitled Technological Advances in Agriculture came away with O first place and will go on to state competition in Cedar City, March 22,23,24. perspective. No Books used at Salina Elementary Thursday Last Thursday, March 8, students at Salina Elementary School had a different experience. The entire day was spent without the use of textbooks! Copies of the Deseret News were used as teaching tools throughout the day. This year's theme Read All About It - Your Neighborhood, Your Nation, Your World was aimed at helping young people achieve a better understanding of the world in which they live. Thousands of students across the state joined the 'No Books Day. i r 7 ni4: Jeremy Vest participated in the FFA Creed contest and also came away with First Place. Mark Crane competed in Extemporaneous Speaking and ished Second. Our Chapter also won the achievement in volunteerism award Comfor their Service Project along with munity their project of using live Christmas trees in the High School and Transplanting them around the fin- Adopt-A-Highw?- .y Sports Complex. Other FFA Students from NSHS competed against the six other Chapters in our Region for the right to send their agricultural projects These on to slate competition. are: students Wesley Burr, Specialty Animal Production; Jennifer Crane, Beef Production; Jared Jonson, Diversi- A Teaching supplement included with the newspapers, gave teach- -' ers a guideline on teaching the various subjects, ranging from international, national, local news; editorials and opinions; foods, sports, business, finance, comics, entertainment, display and classified advertising etc. Activities were arranged in three categories: Elementary; Intermediate; and Ad- vanced. t , The event was by the Deseret News and the Utah Council of International Reading Association. rJLif I tw M? ' fied Crop Production; Tom Chiv-er- s. Swine Production; Tom Olivers, Ag Electrification; Mark Crane, Soil and Water Management; Rushel Processing; Holt, Agricultural Racquel Martin, Fruit and Vegetable Production; Brett Sorenson, Ag Sales and Service; Jesse Nielsen, Outdoor Recreation; Lance Christensen, Wildlife Management; Dane Alfred, Home and Farm Improve- Member Marty Mickelsen, of Salina, won First place in the Regional Public SpeakiFFA ng Contest. Marty will now go on to state competition. ment Help! Can your best friend Members of the Parliamentary Procedure Team include: Dane Allred, Chairman; Jennifer Johnson, Secretary; Jared Johnson, Ryan Whitlock, Jeff Hansen and Mark Crane, floor members. read this? If not call for free help go to year round scheduling Two more schools Change is apparent in many Utah schools. Sevier Districts School Board has announced that North Sevier High School will be going to the Trimester schedule for the upcoming school year. Two schools in San Juan County will be switching to the year round schedule. Whitehorse High and Montezuma Creek Elementary will switch to the new system. In the beginning phase, students will still have an eight week summer break. However, after a two year transition phase, the break gradually will be reduced to five or six weeks. Additional short vacations throughout the year will give students the same number of days in school as students in the general school system. Principals of the two schools say they are pleased with the new scheduling, and report that areas using a year round school system report that when students have a shorter break in the summer, they forget less and spend less time in review and remediation when returning to school. NO BOOKS: Last Thursday Salina Elementary did something different - no books were used throughout the entire -- day. Instead a special edition of the Deseret News served as educational tool for the students in Salina, as well as throughout the state. These students in Mrs. Warren's class said it was fun - and that they ought to do it more often. A program designed to get elementary school kids to watch less TV got a very low rating at Adams Elementary in Logan last week. ...Its really none of their business if we watch TV. If we want to become zombies, thats our business, one fifth grader commented. Teacher John Krusi, said that the program was designed to get students to find out there are other things to do besides watch TV. He said that many times students will be sent home with a homework assignment that should only take Call Fred at A'i WINNERS: Members of the winning NSHS Parliamentaro Procedure Team at recent Dane Allred, Ryan Region Competition were: from left: Randy Andreason, Advisor; Johnson. Jennifer Mark Crane, Whitlock, Jared Johnson. Front row: Most kids say 'thumbs down' to less tv concept Home Repairs 529-735- Jeremy Vest, NSHS FFA students won first place honors in the Regional Contest in Creed Speaking. He will now go on to about 10 minutes to do, but will bring it back the next day unfinished because, didnt have time. Some students said they didnt mind watching less television, but they did miss their favorite shows. Most said they did watch less TV than in the past, and only watch it or play Nintendo on trie weekends. Its up to our parents whet, er we watch TV or not, said one student, and I dont think TV has anything to do with homework. ..I wpwiiB-n- Don't be taken by quicksell financed plans! Buy from you local siding Con- tractor selling name-brantop quality vinyl and aluminum siding options! d, Also Doors, Windows, Complete Remodeling CONSTRUCTION SERVICES or Gunnison -5- 23-7219 528-350- 6 |