Teachers, please come take my poll....

Message edited 1/20/2011 11:08:21 PM.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Yes.
Yes.
Yes.

It's deplorable to me that my kids get little more than math and reading. I am an ELA teacher in a middle school, and I have one of my classes for THREE periods a day. THREE. It's so wrong. It turns them off, and I totally can't blame them.

Meanwhile, so many of these kids are overweight. No one should be surprised. They get one period of gym a week and health class? Never.

It's a shame to me- I work in an inner city neighborhood with so many artistic and musical kids who never get a chance to really develop these gifts that could get them somewhere.

Ironically, these kids would do better on their reading tests if they had a varied curriculum that gave them chances to learn about music, art, home ec, etc. The passages on the ELA exams are often in the content areas- they are not all ELA-based. The kids would really benefit from the vocab and other skills they'd learn in special subjects.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Absofreakinglutely they are important.


As a mom and a teacher, I think we cannot underestimate their importance.

There is nothing better than seeing a student shine after creating an art masterpiece, or playing a solo in the concert or running their personal best in Phys. Ed.


Here here to the special area teachers!!!

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Ok, sorry to barge in. I am not a teacher, but DH is. He teaches 11th and 12th grade social studies. Your post reminds me of something he told me the other day. He is friends with one of the music teachers in his building. This friend told DH that another teacher had not let some of his students go to lessons telling these students that the music class is interfering with their education and is not as important as English, Math, etc. He has since spoken with this teacher and they had words.

I for one believe that music, art, and other classes like these are just as important as math, english, social studies, and the like.

I played the flute for grades 4-8 when I was in school and felt that it was a big part of my development in school and I really enjoyed it. When DH told me that story I was so annoyed! And so was DH.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

DEFINETELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WITHOUT A DOUBT!

We currently do NOT have a music program at my school,and only have gym once a week.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

of course i think its so important that children are exposed to other areas besides math sicence, reading ss and writing. what about the students who find they have a talent in music or art that they may have never haven known or developed with out that SPECIAL CLASS

We have art music gym health computers... but my kids dont have gym, we wont get it until February. its such a joke, i always thought having gym was manditory all year - guess NYC gets away with it. My poor 1st graders are in the classroom from 840 - 3:00 and eat lunch in the room and they dont even get gym

Message edited 10/30/2007 10:12:35 PM.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Yes!!!
At my school we have Art, Media (library), Music, P.E. & technology (computer lab). All once a week. I think its important for kids to have an outlet other than in the classroom.
I would love to see P.E. implemented more often, especially since so many students are overweight...its pretty scary, I work in a k-5 and some of these kids are already morbidly obese. A health program would be great to have in schools.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Absolutely they are important! Particularly the arts as school is the only place some kids any exposure at all to music and fine art!

i am sorry you are in a school where you get slack.... i was fortunate to grow up in a dsitrct where music is sooo valued and the district i teach in now... it's amazing. the choral teacher in my elem. school has 80 kids going to NYSSMA!

for me, music was my outlet and my talent... i would have died if i did't have it at school.... hang in there!

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

ABSOLUTELY!!! I think it is very important!!! It sounds like you are great at what you do!! The kids are lucky to have you!

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

I absolutely think it is important and it allows for the children's creativity!
That being said, I do not like when students are pulled from my class for lessons. I don't like when students are pulled from my class for anything, but I feel lessons should happen on a lunchtime/study hall time/before or after school or other free period. I wouldn't pull John from Music to do a science lab, he shouldn't get pulled from science to do lessons!
JMO!

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Yes I believe they are important

However I do not believe in my school; anyway that the teachers of PE, music, art, computers etc take their role as seriously as I do in my classroom

Most lessons always seem like fillers to me

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Absolutely! Music was a huge part of my growing up. I played in the band until I graduated HS! I loved every minute of it. It was very important to me to find a house in a district with a good music/art/theatre program. Music is sooo important!

The problem with some teachers in the upper grade levels is they are feeling the pressure of state exams or Regents exams and don't want kids to miss their class. But the students know they need to make up work when they miss class so it shouldn't be a big deal.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

Yes!!!! It makes them more well rounded. Students need those other subjects. One student I have would have dropped out by now if it wasn't for the music program.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

100% yes. As a teacher for many years, I keep seeing positive correlations between a student's interest in art, music, etc. and overall academic motivation. Students who are in the band, take art electives, and are on after-school teams are generally the best-behaved, most responsible kids in my classes (high school). So much so, that I've vowed that when I have children of my own, I will start them on an instrument and with after-school/weekend athletics as early as possible.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

YES!! Maybe it's because I'm special ed and we're seen as "specialist" as opposed to "teachers" quite often. Unfortunately, there are teachers out there who don't think like us. It's frustrating.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

As a secondary teacher, I think all those classes are important. For some students, those classes are the only reason why they come to school at all and for other its allows them to develop creativity. The one thing I dislike though is the lessons, which always seem to happen during my class.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....

I strongly believe that music is very important in the childrens lives - this goes for gym and art as well.

Re: Teachers, please come take my poll....