Creative Teaching Or Irresponible Prank?

[kvalidir]

Something which I consider to be wonderful , creative teaching has taken place at Trinity School, however some children's parents appear to have taken umbridge about it saying their children are 'scared', 'terrified' and 'having nightmares'. Is this a case of the school not having thought things through or of poor parenting in the sense that the parents seem unwilling or unable to adequately explain to their kids that there really is nothing to worry about and happily jumping on the bandwagon of criticising the school?



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2685677/Teacher-apologises-parents-alien-egg-project-leaves-children-tears-scared-school.html

[inksplotter]

"Should they learn reading?"

Yes, The Day of the Triffids, War of the Worlds, Journey From The Earth to the Moon...

[kvalidir]

If you never expose children to things that worry them you will end up not with a terrified child but with a terrified adult Naomi.
All of the kids in my family are no different to any others, sometimes things worry them, but when they do someone older than them finds out why, reassures them and helps them overcome that worry they don't just complain hysterically and expect the world to change for them. Hence my snail phobic little brother ended up with pet African Land Snail called Brian.

[Tilly2]

Sqad, they now have a creative curriculum in primary schools, usually followed in the afternoon.They teach them to read and write in the morning.

[Sqad]

LOL.....good.

Is it working?

[kvalidir]

I know some pretty articulate, literate children around here so probably Sqad

[roopower]

I think you'd find there would be a great deal of reading and writing involved in the 'egg project'. When we started teaching the children to cook (in the dark ages) we had parents complaining the children should be learning to read, write and do maths. We had to explain the children were reading recipes, weighing ingredients and writing down what they had done afterwards - and they enjoyed themselves.
The last school
I worked in actually had an alien spacecraft land on the playing field overnight, with no adverse reactions from children, or parents. Perhaps country children are a hardier breed.

[naomi24]

sqad, ;o)

[ummmm]

Sqad, why are you so insulting to children? There have always been naughty kids, kids with low IQs, kids with bad parents, but they are the minority.

[woofgang]

I am quite surprised that any child who hadn't got other problems would have been scared by that project if its as described. I would suggest that its possible that the nightmares and sleeplessness might have been due to excitement rather than fear as such?

[Zeuhl]

/actually had an alien spacecraft land on the playing field /

were the children polite to e.t.?

[Mosaic]

I suspect that there may be a whiff of litigation attached to the 'fear and can't sleep'.

[woofgang]

seems like its a national thing
https://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&;rls=en&q=school+mystery+egg+project&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&;gfe_rd=cr&;ei=qSO9U7CRHMbR8gfxlYFo

[roopower]

Sadly any stray aliens had made themselves scarce, can't imagine why! Part of the project work was for the children to draw and describe what the aliens may have looked like.

[Tilly2]

Do you think it was one of Michael Gove's ideas? He's a jolly good egg.

[ToraToraTora]

Creative indeed but not really something for a primary school. They'd do better concentrating on the 3 Rs

[ummmm]

But it will involve reading and writing.

[inksplotter]

As with the curate's egg, he's good in parts. As long as he stay away from the parts I reside in.

[inksplotter]

I was talking about Mr Gove.

[ummmm]

Do kids still go on field trips collecting insects?

[Zeuhl]

/not really something for a primary school/

Yes. we don't want anybody being 'creative' at school until they're at least 11.

And maybe not even then.