Gretchen Keisner

Drowning looks nothing like it does in the movies. Most often, there is no flailing or screaming for help. Look for heads tilted up, mouths open, arms paddling underwater to keep their face above surface. If this is you, stay calm, try to float on your back & call for help

@jayb0g1 @allkemi "I would be shocked if she didn't have a bad home life" I am going to push back heavily against that. From my experience teaching, some of the worst behaviors I've seen from students were the kids with rich, doting parents who didn't think their child could do anything wrong.

@allkemi I would be shocked if she didn't have a bad home life. She can be a victim at the same time that she hurts other students. It's not fair to the other students to make them deal with her issues.

Genuinely would love to know what her home environment was like but I know we can’t just ask things like that because kids are just “dumb and bad” and adults are good and do everything they can.

@foreverimbetter Also what is with all the corporate boot-licking? I personally don't think energy drinks should be legal to sell to minors. I'm all for putting pressure on the companies

@foreverimbetter As a teacher, I think you guys underestimate how easily kids can get their own drinks/snacks without parents knowing. My school is by a gas station. Super easy for kids to walk after school, pick up cans, and throw them out by the time they're home

So a teenager was drinking multiple energy drinks a day and died so the family is suing the energy drink company? Are parents ever gonna realize that parenting is their job?

@SamStrickers181 Especially when the kids who don't behave still benefit from this type of reward

The issue here isn’t about doing fun things with kids. The issue is that this is being used as a tool to promote positive behaviour, which sends all the wrong messages out to kids i.e. if you behave teacher X gets dunked. So what happens when kids cease to behave….

@Smuckerdoodle6 @educator4ever36 I mean a lot more learning than I think you're giving the teachers credit for. I have some parents who pull their kids out for any excuse and it's frustrating trying to catch them up. The "we didn't expect they'd do anything important" is such a slap to the face to all we plan

@betchwithgretch @educator4ever36 Cool. Well, at least now you know why some of us are complaining about all the testing. Imagine how much learning is really going on in 20 minute class periods after a THREE HOUR test block, day after day after day.

It’s testing season in most American public schools. How many schools will now stop teaching any new content for the rest of the year? Parents - you should ask the teachers or Principals whether your child is simply going to school for compliance at this point.

@Julie_2417 @educator4ever36 I still go back to, the schools teach other subjects that kids should be there to learn

@betchwithgretch @educator4ever36 In VA we have MAP testing in Reading, Math and Language, followed by SOL tests in 2-5 subjects, and end of course tests. Amd compressed schedules.

@Smuckerdoodle6 @educator4ever36 I know in my state on testing days, we just have A/B days and class periods stay the same length. Again, I wouldn't want students staying home and missing my subject just because their parents are pulling them out of a math test for a portion of the day.

@betchwithgretch @educator4ever36 Because there’s state mandated standardized tests followed by state-mandated end of course exams. And make up days. Oh, and in-school SAT.

@zero_ech @GodOfAmerica20 @whistlewillieo @nazzobetweeting This is so true. People who think Republicans are the same as Democrats do not see outside their window the pains Republicans will go to to take away your rights

@GodOfAmerica20 @whistlewillieo @nazzobetweeting This ^ A lot of the "Both sides are the same" leftists live in comfy blue states where they don't have to worry about anything happening to them

unfortunately for you, half the country does believe they’re the same thing so

@bcubeddd Professors are teachers and undergrads are students. Why would a grading system be different for college versus high school?

@betchwithgretch Im sorry but you’ve been arguing circularly. Yes you prefer letter grades. fine also we’re not talking about pupils and teachers, we’re talking about undergrads and professors

that's funny. i'm of the exact opposite opinion: abolish numerical/letter grades, and have exactly 3 degree classifications: fail, pass, distinction. anyone who needs more resolution can request a letter of reference

@bcubeddd Just giving a practical view based on experience as a teacher with letter grades, standards based & competency based grading. Letter grades aren't flawless but they're the default for a reason; they're the most accurate at communicating how studens demonstrate their knowlege

@betchwithgretch okay I can see this chat has been a waste of time

@bcubeddd Grades aren't subjective like that. If a student meets the threshold, they've met the threshold.

@betchwithgretch Yeah I would fail the first kind of person

@bcubeddd Like again, a person who gets a D- at 63% is different than a person with a B+ who got 89%. You need a grading system with nuance to distinguish between the two

@bcubeddd No, because Pass could mean anything from "you should not trust this person to *really* understand the content, you just did the bare minimum" to "this person isn't a master but has an overal good understanding of the course"

@bcubeddd I also say all of this having worked in a school that used "Competency-Based Grading" where letter grades were swapped out with scores "Beginning" "Approaching" "Proficient" and "Exceeds" and it was a shit show. Parens and students never grasped where they actually sat

@bcubeddd I feel like there is. There needs to be something that says "they didn't do so horribly they don't deserve credit, but they didn't master the concepts. They just scraped by at the skin of their teeth" which again, is pretty much D or C depending on the level of severity

@CartoonsHateHer I think there is benefit *sometimes* from being told "that's actually not something to get worked up about." The "all feelings are valid" message sometimes gets misconstrued as "all your worries are as bad as you think" when it can be relieving to hear "it's actually fine"

My brother telling me that every thought I have is stupid and that I think my fears are reasonable but I am in fact "vacationing in crazyland most of the year." For 2 months I just ignored my OCD based on this and it was awesome lol.

@BlueRepublik I mean who plans for their sibbling to become an addict and have kids she can't keep? I feel like this is one of those situations where it's valid for the wife to feel upset because she didn't sign up for this but it's valid for the husband to care for his nephews in need

I feel like this sort of thing should be thoroughly hashed out before getting married, including situations like a family member's kids needing help If he truly did say he never wanted kids, then he's the one betraying the relationship

@greg_ashman "there are some pretty weird undercurrents to teenage boys dunking a young female teacher" I could write a dissertation on the way schools today (by pressure from parents and admin) prep boys to undermine the humanity and authority of young women

Teacher humiliation. Dunk tanks. Custard pies. Silly costumes. That sort of thing. I don’t care for it. People worry about respect, and that is a key concern. But I also think there are some pretty weird undercurrents to teenage boys dunking a young female teacher. However, I get that I’m not typical. I realise most teachers are more relaxed about it than me and so I am prepared to accept this kind of thing may go on. However, teachers must *freely* volunteer. It cannot be assumed. I’ve worked in places where it *was* assumed and I have pointed out very clearly that I won’t be participating. But I’m a very particular type of personality. Some teachers really won’t want to participate but will feel enormous social pressure to do so. Without a clear system of active consent, they will end up in a situation that makes them deeply uncomfortable and that is plainly wrong.