A writing prompt from Can Teach
What is...
- What is something you dislike about yourself? I wish I could speak louder, but I don't.
- What is something you do well? Speaking softly. Ha, ha.
- What is your favourite room in your home and why? Anywhere where I can sit quietly.
- What is a good neighbour? One without dogs outside all night long. PUT THE DOGS IN AT NIGHT!
- What is the worst thing parents can do to their children? Not disciplining and not being involved. Spend time with your kids and keep the expectations high.
- What is your favourite time of day? Whenever I am the only one awake in the house.
- What is your idea of a dull evening? Falling asleep on the couch!
- What is the best way to treat meddlesome people? Thank them for their advice and whether I take it or not is my choice. I am too nice most of the time on that.
- What is something you are optimistic about? My son Connor's future.
- What is something you are pessimistic about? Education right now.
- What is your most indispensable possession and why? My pictures of my boys, I love remembering all the stages of their little lives.
- What is the meaning of "He laughs best who laughs last"? I don't know.
- What is your favourite song and why? It changes. Today it is the Hanukkah song Ian and I are singing in the car.
- What is the best birthday present you ever received? A day off to read a book.
- What is the best birthday present you could receive? A day off to read a book.
- What is something that makes you feel sad? When my son ignores me.
- What is your favourite book and why? Right now, I am reading "When Things Fall Apart" and it is changing my life in little ways.
- What is something that really bugs you? My messy house.
- What is something that really makes you angry? Kids without manners.
- What is the best advice you ever received? Accept people for who they are and where they are at. An insightful sister-in-law told me that once.
- What is your favourite holiday? What makes this holiday special? Halloween. It is fun to watch my boys dressed up and having fun.
- What is your favourite day of the week? Friday
- What is your favourite month? Why? May-done with school!
3 comments:
you forgot a good neighbor also has to have a clean garage for reference purposes!
Wow - long meme, kid! I agree with many you stated there but the one that stands out for me is the one about kids without manners.
I'm sure some people who might see Maya at a bad time - when she flips out, goes into a meltdown phase -would think we don't try to discipline , aren't trying to teach her manners, which isn't true in either case but when a four-year-old acts out as she (and others like her) are inclined to do at times, it is hard to deal with from all angles and aspects. But if those folks could see her in her mellow stages, when she asks for something and you give it to her, saying then, "What do you say, Maya?" and her response is "thank you, welcome" then to me it's evident we're trying to teach her manners -just a long hard uphill pull to get them to apply in more instances. But, I don't think you were referring that to kids with autism were you?
Hi Jeni,
I realize the uphill battle for many kids with autism, sensory issues, ADHD and all with discipline and manners-of course we are in the midst of all of it with both boys and that is a challenge too. So I am not subtracting myself or saying my kids are perfect or that I am a great parent and I am sorry if it came off that way! Yikes! My parents were over the top about manners and I guess I am too now. But I learn a LOT through observation and teaching, and even with my special ed class, all of the aides and I work on please and thank you with instruments and saying goodbye. Some of them don't speak, but some of them are actually saying thank you or smiling at me when they hand me an instrument (smiling is HUGE, btw, some of those kids do not engage much at all!) and we continually try. I set the bar high for their level too, because I don't expect less manners just because they are in special ed. Same for my own kids. I expect it and they know it, whether they do it or not. It might take us leaving a special place if they cannot behave (we left pizza the other night because they were acting up and my husband marched my older son right out of the building. That usually stops the meltdown when he realizes we are serious) It might take much more effort on our parts, but even as you said with Maya, she knows and can respond on good days. Sometimes they can't.
I do have a TON of students 5th and 6th graders especially, who are perfectly typical and just seem to have forgotten (or maybe never learned!) please, thank you, how to ask for something, how to respond in a pleasant way. I am just irked by small things that I think make a big difference when I KNOW they CAN do them. However, they are just now beginning to respond and do what I expect politely, since I think they are done figuring me out as a teacher and what the limits are. I just feel like sometimes kids are groomed to be independent and individual, yet we forget that, as bright and brilliant as they are, they are members of society and we need to teach them how to be respectful of others and to others. It makes for happier living, in my opinion!
Another example is my sons go to daycare and I set the bars high for their behavior there. I let them know what I expect when I am gone and I always check as soon as I arrive on their day and how they behave. My daycare provider laughs sometimes because they are toddlers and all, but she knows that I deeply care about how they treat others so she always lets me know almost before I ask. I check on Connor too and much of his day is spent in routine, so we know that if we can keep his basic routine in place, he is a happy kid much of his day. He is even signing the word "please". He naturally melted down a few times when we expected him to say please for things, but we kept at it consistently, now he is saying it because he realizes that it helps him get his snack, toy, etc. My older son has to do the same thing every time too although with him, we are working on the tone of voice because he has adopted a whiny tone.
Post a Comment