Earn your Desk.

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TLCfromARK

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In September of 2005, a social studies school teacher from Arkansas did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with permission of the school superintendent, the principal, and the building supervisor, she took all of the desks out of the classroom. The kids came into first period, they walked in; there were no desks. They obviously looked around and said, "Where's our desks?"

The teacher said, "You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn them."
They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."

"No," she said.
"Maybe it's our behavior."
And she told them, "No, it's not even your behavior."

And so they came and went in the first period, still no desks in the classroom. Second period, same thing. Third period. By early afternoon television news crews had gathered in the class to find out about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of the classroom. The last period of the day, the instructor gathered her class.
They were at this time sitting on the floor around the sides of the room. she said, "Throughout the day no one has really understood how you earn the desks that sit in this classroom ordinarily.Now I'm going to tell you."

She went over to the door of her classroom and opened it, and as she did 27 U.S. veterans, wearing their uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. And they placed those school desks in rows, and then they stood along the wall. By the time they had finished placing the desks, those kids for the first time I think perhaps in their lives understood how they earned those desks.

Their teacher said, "You don't have to earn those desks. These guys did it for you. They put them out there for you, but it's up to you to sit here responsibly, to learn, to be good students and good citizens, because they paid a price for you to have that desk, and don't ever forget it."

;-)
 
Must have been a long day for the veterans waiting outside. I bet they were wishing a kid in the first hour would have answered correctly.

But then since it was in Arkansas, they probably played the odds and didn't show up until the last class. Just kidding, going with a little stereotype humor. :lol:
 
Am I the only person who thinks school is for educating our kids? That they spent an entire day on a guessing game is really a waste, in my mind. Surely there is a more efficient way to teach kids about our military sacrifices.
 
Frankie":kvhbyxku said:
Am I the only person who thinks school is for educating our kids? That they spent an entire day on a guessing game is really a waste, in my mind. Surely there is a more efficient way to teach kids about our military sacrifices.

Assuming that story was true...

After waiting ALL day for the answer, I'm sure the kids got the point of the "lesson" real good! And, probably one day's "lesson" none will forget.

On a sidebar...I'm sure any kid missing one day of "regular" school hasn't missed that much anyway, considering the state of our USA educational system (a/k/a "teach the test")...

JMO
 
Frankie":1v2dgofg said:
Am I the only person who thinks school is for educating our kids? That they spent an entire day on a guessing game is really a waste, in my mind. Surely there is a more efficient way to teach kids about our military sacrifices.
I do not think that you are the only person who thinks that school is for the education of any student... But it seems like maybe you are reading too much into the scenario... I personally thought it was pretty creative!
If you have ever taught in a classroom environment, you would know that getting and keeping a students attention can be a real challenge day in and day out.
There was nothing in the article that I felt suggested that these kids just sat there all day looking at each other doing nothing... I would suspect that lessons went on throughout the day... School as usual... Just without the benefit or the priviledge of a desk!
 

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