Parental Control

I recently read an article that discussed the impact overzealous and overbearing parents have the teachers. People born between 1961 and 1981 are referred to as "Generation Xers." The article also referred to them as "Stealth Fighter Parent" for their "pull out all the stops" attitude. "Generation Xers want transparency and accountability... They expect access to resources, want satisfaction from teachers, and are less inclined to trust them and the public school system." This describes the overall attitude of parents who have children in school. At times this can often be more stressful for teachers and put a strain on the parent-teacher relationship. Parents who are constantly in your face make teachers feel like they are walking on eggshells and that they cannot fully do their jobs. Now, if a child does not do well on a test, their parent complains and goes above the teachers head resulting in a passing grade. All the pressure is now on the teachers. When I was a kid all the pressure was on the students to do well. It was our "job." Roles have changed and expectations are different. Hopefully in the future their is a happy medium where students, teachers and parents can all work together, without worries, instead of the he said, she said games that are currently played.

Vocabulary:
Overzealous- Very dilligent, driven
Transparency- Made visible, quality or state of being seen
Stealth- secretly
Over bearing- Domineering, of overwhelming or critical importance
Accountability- answerable or liable

1. Kathy is a very _____________ lawyer.
2. The fans wanted _____________ when it came to the daily routines of the team captain.
3. He is a very _______________ father, who is keeping his kids sheltered.
4. The army has many __________ fighters who they utilize in covert operations.
5. The students are responsible for their own __________________ in school.

Grammar Point:
Singles Adjectives- There are two usual sentence positions for single adjectives:
- Before a noun (within a noun phrase)
- After a noun or pronoun and a verb

Five Things To Do on the First Day of School

Eager, nervous, excited. This are just some of the words used to describe the feelings that most students feel on their first day of school. Many people do not think of how the teachers might feel. Little do people know that teachers often feel like the students. Some things a teacher can do on the first day is to suit up, smile, set the rules, make a friend, and write everything down. By suiting up and smiling it makes you look more on edge and professional. Smiling may also be comforting for the students who have you as a teacher. Meeting other colleagues and becoming friendsis a great way to exchange ideas, thoughts and feeling about lessons and experiences working with children. When setting rules in your classroom it is important to have the students create rules. By doing this they have a sense of community and belonging in your class. Writing things out on the board may be beneficial for the students as well as for a teacher. As years go by you can improve on things you did in the past to make future plans better. One last suggestion was to make your own personal teacher file. Everyday you write down one positive experience or thing you did. At the end of the year you can reflect on these experiences and utilize them while getting ready for next year.

Vocabulary:
Eager- Keen, zealous, anxious
Community- Neighborhood, district
Colleague- Co-worker, associate, partner
Exchange- Trade
Beneficial- Useful, helpful
Utilize- Use, benefit, useful

1. It is important to give back to the ________________.
2. It is very _____________ to have a healthy diet and exercise.
3. You should _____________ all your resources to help write your report.
4. We decided to ___________ our ideas.
5. I was very____________ to star my new job/
6. A ____________ of mine showed me how to use the copier.

Grammar Point

Verbs are often referred to as "doing" or "action" words (Hit, Paint). Verbs can also express other meanings such as existence (become, exist), mental processes and conditions (enjoy, believe), and relationships (depend, determine).