With Class #36: Drugs: Awareness and Responsibility
Show Notes: Drugs: Awareness and Responsibility
Welcome to the new Online Teacher’s Lounge!
Lorrie, Jessica, Noemi, Laura and special guests Casey and Jeffrey are here this time around, talking about some of the issues with drugs and drug use among the students and in schools, and dealing with drug use from the parental perspective.
Note: This show contains direct and open talk about drugs and drug use.
The problems range from abuse of prescription meds stolen from their parents, if there’s a difference between curious experimentation and lashing out in a plea for attention, the dangers with some drugs being instantaneously addiction-forming, and more.
What options are there for parents and teachers to monitor, treat, or talk with kids about the dangers of habitual drug use, and about educating both parents and kids about what’s going on?
At what point do parents take the step of not “rescuing” their kids from everything in the world? What happens when the problem gets to where it’s necessary for a parent to call the police to handle the out of control behavior brought on from drug abuse?
Lorrie recommends that people find “The Lonely Trip Back” by Florrie Fisher, an autobiography about recovering from drug use (it was published in the 1970s, and is currently out of print and extremely hard to find).
Next, the Teachers talk about the problems with discovering where illicit items are being stashed and how they’re being hidden from parents and authorities, and they’d like to hear from listeners out there who’ve heard of or seen inventive ways that people have come up with to avoid detection.
What can adults pass on to kids, to help them understand for themselves what greater consequences can come about from any dangerous and/or obsessive behaviours?
Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! Just leave a message at 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323!
Promo: The Gmail Podcast
Promo: How To Grow Your Geek
Podcast: Download (Duration: 50:37 — 49.5MB)
With Class #35: Dynamics in Classrooms
Show Notes: Dynamics in Classrooms
Lorrie, Jessica, Noemi, Megan, Laura talk about the different student and teacher interactions they can run into every day.
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Voicemail: Gary from Jacksonville talks about the sex ed instruction he received while in Catholic school, which kicks off a long discussion about the differences in developmental education when special ed students are involved. Darcy’s Dad explains how he’s asked his daughter’s teacher to explain to her as much as they are legally allowed to in school; the teachers talk about helping students be aware of potential consequences of “just having sex”.
Darcy’s Dad gives the teachers a grade update on Darcy, and thanks them for their help with her math studies; ways to make education more engaging in the classroom.
Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! Just leave a message at 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323!
Promo: How To Grow Your Geek
Promo: The Gmail Podcast
Promo: Car-ology: Are You a Car-ologist?
Podcast: Download (Duration: 48:27 — 47.7MB)
With Class #34: Inspirations From a Teacher
Show Notes: Inspirations from a Teacher
Lorrie, Megan, Carla, Jessica, Jessica’s husband Mike, our own Mike, and the infamous Tee Morris are participating in this roundtable. Never underestimate the power of the bunny ears.
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Tee tells us about reconnecting with his high school English teacher to thank her for laying the foundation for him to write Morevi, Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword, and the other stories he’s written, and how twice a year he goes back to her class to talk about writing.
The inspiration a student finds from a particular teacher can manifest in unexpected ways, and how a teacher communicates with their students can have an impact on those kids. The teachers talk about the different impacts teachers can have, both positive and negative, over the course of a student’s K-12 education and beyond.
Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! Just leave a message at 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323!
Podcast: Download (Duration: 37:23 — 38.0MB)
With Class #33: Sex Education in School
Show Notes: Sex Education in School
Lorrie, Megan, Mike, and Jessica are in studio this time around, and tonight’s discussion is about sex education in school.
This show contains frank discussion about sex
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First, the discussion starts with how they were educated about sex when they were young, and the frightening gaps in information given teenagers at the time, and talk about how the gaps seem to be wider with today’s educational models.
They mention the “Midwest Teen Sex Show” series on YouTube, an educational series aimed at teens, that pulls no punches with questions or answers, and talk about the dangerous increase in incidences of STD’s amongst teens these days.
The teachers also talk about how much education about sex can and should be taught in school, as well as how badly education about sexually transmitted diseases need to be directly taught to kids to help them protect their health and their lives.
The discussion continues on with how to talk sex education with developmentally impaired students, and other students in special ed who still need to learn about the subject, and the problems facing teachers in helping students from many walks of life and family backgrounds.
Submitting Listener comments: If you have any suggestions or comments, please let us know! Just leave a message at 206-350-READ! That’s 206-350-7323!
Voicemail: Darcy’s Dad wants suggestions on keeping a child interested in a subject they need but aren’t interested in, like math, and there are many offerings of ways to do math exercises to keep things fun and interesting.
Promo: How To Grow Your Geek
Promo: The Gmail Podcast
Podcast: Download (Duration: 37:23 — 38.6MB)
With Class #32: The Roles Teachers Play
Show Notes: The Roles Teachers Play
Lorrie, Megan, Joyce, Noemi. Brad and Carla are in the studio, with fellow co-workers listening in.
Each of the educators discuss the different roles that teachers must pla, and our school-wide goal – Writing every single day, in every single classroom.
Jinx calls in to respond to the teachers “Big Wish,” Gary from Jacksonville gets everyone going on a great idea for the classroom, and Darcy’s dad asks about young adult books.
Do you have questions you’d like the teachers to talk about on future shows? Call in and ask your questions: 206-350-READ!! That’s 206-350-7323
Promo: How To Grow Your Geek
Promo: Dragonpage Cover to Cover
Promo: The Pocket and the Pendant by Mark Jeffrey
Podcast: Download (Duration: 34:57 — 35.4MB)
With Class #31: Making A Difference
Show Notes: Making A Difference
Lorrie, Megan, Joyce, and Noemi are joined by co-workers Brad, Jan, and Deborah, as well as, Jessica, their school psychologist.
Each of the educators discuss why they chose special education over general education.
Jessica answers the question, “When & why would a student be brought to the school psychologist.
Do you have questions you’d like the teachers to talk about on future shows? Call in and ask your questions: 206-350-READ!! That’s 206-350-7323
Podcast: Download (Duration: 34:57 — 28.2MB)
With Class #30: Just What Does the Principal Do?
Show Notes: Just What Does The Principal Do?
Lorrie, Megan, Joyce, and Noemi, interview Gayle Galligan. Gayle is the Principal of Paseo Hills School, as well as, an educator of educators at ASU.
Gayle tells the ladies, at what point in her life, she knew she wanted to be a teacher (and reveals a surprising talent). She also shares her philosophy on administration requirements, and her responsibilities as school principal.
The discussion ranges from favorite and least favorite parts of the job, to a personal story, shared by Joyce.
Do you have questions you’d like the teachers to talk about on future shows? Call in and ask your questions: 206-350-READ!! That’s 206-350-7323
Promo: How To Grow Your Geek
Podcast: Download (Duration: 21:52 — 21.0MB)
With Class #29: The Discipline of Education
Show Notes: The Discipline of Education
Lorrie, Megan, Joyce, Noemi, Carla and Brad respond to a voicemail from Kat in NJ, wondering what the teachers would change about public education in the US, if they had the power to do so. The consensus is: reduce the class size, period.
Joyce also elaborates on how much work teachers do, and how the salary levels do not match the impact they have on the lives of the students. The suggestion that teachers should be paid the same as babysitters could be a good start (per head and per hour together!).
The discussion ranges from student discipline, parental support of the students, the discipline set by students, and whether or not the mandatory school age should be lowered. The different levels of discipline by classroom and by school conflicts with the discipline the students receive (or don’t receive) at home.
Do you have questions you’d like the teachers to talk about on future shows? Call in and ask your questions: 206-350-READ!! That’s 206-350-7323
YA Books: There are a handful of YA books in the studio, and the teachers chat about them: Afro Samurai manga; Thornspell by Helen Lowe; Wizard’s First Rule by Terry Goodkind (parents should definitely check the book first!); Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan; Savvy by Ingrid Law.
Promo: How To Grow Your Geek
Podcast: Download (Duration: 33:23 — 32.5MB)
With Class #28: What’s Your Book Type?
With Class After Dark!
Lorrie, Megan, Joyce, Noemi, Carla and Stacy start out this episode discussing their favorite books to read while they were growing up:
- Joyce: “Mrs Mike” by Benedict Freeman
- Megan: “The Diary of Anne Frank”
- Noemi: “Blubber” by Judy Blume
- Carla: “A Wizard of Earthsea” by Ursula LeGuin, “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert Heinlein
- Stacy: “Charlotte’s Web” by E. B. White
- Lorrie: “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume, “The Stand” by Stephen King
The list leads into the troubles getting kids to read in class, much less getting them to read on their own outside of school. Why does it seem as if most kids these days not hungry to read?
The teachers talk about their influences in learning to read, and discuss the challenges for both parents and teachers in getting kids to read more, and possible ways to get them engaged in wanting to read more. They also talk about the current favorite types of books they enjoy reading now.
Do you have questions you’d like the teachers to talk about on future shows? Call in and ask your questions: 206-350-READ!! That’s 206-350-7323
Promo: How to Grow Your Geek
Podcast: Download (Duration: 28:19 — 26.9MB)
With Class #27: Beyond Teaching
Show Notes: With Class is Back!
Meet some of Lorrie’s coworkers, Noemi, Joyce and Megan… all teachers, all working with students with special needs, and trying to work with a system that should be simpler than it is.
Today’s topics cover the overabundance of ever-increasing acronyms, dealing with behavior issues in different ways, the differences between teaching and parenting, and so much more.
Listen in on the teacher roundtable!
Do you have questions you’d like the teachers to talk about on future shows? Call in, 206-350-READ (206-350-7323)
Podcast: Download (Duration: 38:00 — 35.8MB)
