32 Third Graders & One Class Bunny
Author: Phillip Done
General Theme
"Teachers are Peter Pans in a way. It’s so easy to lose track of time. You forget that you’re getting older, because they’re always eight years old. You teach in the same classroom year after year. You wear the same tie. You tell the same jokes. Everything is always the same." ~Phillip Done
Different Parents
Reading this part was very eye opening because it really showed me what I will possibly have to deal with when I am a teacher. I know these are true because I am close to teachers and they have let me know of all the different types of parents they have to deal with.
Bellow are examples he wrote in his book on pages 201 to 202 that give examples of different types of parents he has to deal with.
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Please do not do your child's homework. I cannot help him if you write his papers for him. It is OK for him to make mistakes. Please let him. And please do not tell me that he did it all by himself when he didn't. I can tell. "Philanthropy" and "fundamental" and "significant" are not words that eight-year-olds use in their writing.
Dear Mr. Blame
I am sorry for calling you and telling you about your son's poor behavior at school. I thought you would want to know. I am sorry you think that it is my fault, and that I did something to provoke your darling little angel.
Dear Mrs. Maintenance
I am sorry, but I do not have time to monitor your son's time release medication every ten minutes and chart it on a graph as you requested.
Tone
Pros About Teaching
This quote shows how much kids can appreciate you even though it may not seem like it at the time.
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"But the main reason I became a teacher is that I like to be the first one to introduce kids to words and music and books and people and numbers and concepts and ideas that they have never herd or though about before"(Done 250).
This is why Phillip Done became a teacher and I don't think he could have explained it any better. That is why I want to become a teacher to be able to see kids learning new things and finally understanding them.
How this book impacted me
My Favorite Interview Question
"Question 7: What would you do if a child threw a chair at you across the room?"
"Answer at first interview: First I would make sure that all the other children are safe. Then I would calm the student down. Next I would......"
"Answer Today: Throw it back"(Done 138).
Of course you would never throw it back at a student no matter the situation, I just thought it was a funny way of showing how much your techniques change the more you teach. Even though he does have some interesting answers some of the points he make are very educational and I will certainly use them in my classroom.