Dear President Obama:
Your alleged educational idea, as presented on one Web site, stresses more time in the classroom.
Upon being hired in my county, we developed and integrated lesson plans to enhance problem solving skills. Lest I bore you, I suggest we used art to teach color, shape, size; we used various products to teach smell, texture, size, volume; animals to teach responsibility and music to teach speech , fun, holidays and rhythm. Some of us would take nature walks to begin to tie the lessons together.
There was a wonderful seed store to which we could walk, see seeds, beg some, return to class and plant them. There was a grocery store that allowed us to tour to correlate foods and their various ways to be processed. Reading skills were reinforced. We did the same concepts with other teachings, including animal species, math, and visits to the public service organizations.
Somebody did a study, deciding we needed to have 360 minutes of class time. (You do the math) We needed an expensive reading program and testing daily. Maybe you were 10 years old.
More time in class. More time sitting. Higher test scores? Less recess, quick lunch, minimal PE, give up rest period. Fast restroom breaks.
Children on the bus at 5? Home at dark? Teachers in at 7a.m., out at 6 p.m., unless there is "in-service"? Go for it, Prez!
I retired. Probably a good idea.
West Marcus
Montgomery
