Coats
Summary: F put her own coat on without any help this morning. Plus, I whine about former students.
When I was a teacher I often ended up talking to parents about their children in conferences. I remember one where I met with a charming woman to talk about why her child was failing my class. Actually, I knew why he was failing; he didn’t do any homework at all, didn’t make up failed exams, never studied and didn’t do the dumb artsy projects I had to add to the curriculum as per the school to help out struggling students. He wouldn’t lift a finger to help himself. She told what she considered to be a cute anecdote to give me a better “feel” for her child. When he was in kindergarten and it got cold enough to need to put on coats for the first time to go outside and play rather than put on his own coat he stood there with his arms out waiting for the teacher to dress him. He had never put on his own coat at 5 years of age.
I was horrified though I think I managed to hide it.
The Cobb School teaches the toddlers to put on their own coats because, of course, one major goal of Montessori is to help the child develop independence. They lay the coats in front of them and show them how to put their arms into the sleeves and whip it over their heads. This morning I was helping J put on his coat to go to school. When I turned around F had put her own on without any help!
Though I am fairly sure I will horrify J and F’s teachers in many many ways over the years I can cross this one off the list.
Stumble it!
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March 5th, 2008 15:26
My niece (2.5 yrs) puts her on this way. I should teach my kids as well. I tend to underestimate their abilities.
I am amazed that the mother thought that was a story to be proud of. Yes, it illustrates what is going on very well, but it certainly doesn’t give me faith that she wanted to try and correct the situation.
March 5th, 2008 17:48
That skills-building and independence thing? One of the criteria I’m using to evaluate preschools as we continue our search. I wish we lived near your Montessori school - it sounds fabulous!
March 5th, 2008 20:15
Sometimes other parents really bother me. What good was that woman doing for her son?
March 5th, 2008 21:03
I think I have your former student in my 10th grade US history class! I’m getting ready to call his mother this evening. Thanks for the heads up!
March 5th, 2008 21:23
Never put on a coat until FIVE?
I am appalled. I can’t even fathom it.
March 5th, 2008 23:02
Kelly — Good luck.
Cass — You could always move here…
I used to want to ask certain parents to write out their parenting tips. Some of them would be to follow and some to avoid.
March 5th, 2008 23:19
Seriously, who allows their kid to get away with being so lazy and dependent…. I mean, your student’s mother, not you of course. lol
March 5th, 2008 23:23
I am MUCH too lazy to put on my kids’ coats for 5 years.
March 5th, 2008 23:26
Oh, and I’ll note that you could NOT fail my Latin 1 class without really just not trying at all. 30% of your grade was a dippy project for which I rarely gave lower than a C; if you failed a test you could correct all your mistakes and I would give you a 60 which was passing, albeit barely. And since I went over the test in class all you had to do was sit there and fill in the right answers. And, of course, 10% of the grade was effort/participation.
March 6th, 2008 01:16
Stacie - Funny enough, J lived (I think) right near you guys for a few years growing up, so I guess it would be plausible. But sadly unlikely.
March 6th, 2008 14:12
I used to put my own coat on that way. We’ve tried with Sanna a few times, but she’s always ended up with her coat upside down and over her face. I think it would be helpful for her to see other children doing it.
March 6th, 2008 16:43
Oh my god, you just brought me back! I went to Montessori and completely forgot about the ‘coat trick.’ I’m going to try it today after work
Thanks!
March 7th, 2008 08:49
They call the coat more the “fliparoo” at my daughter’s daycare - not Montessori but 15 kids 1.5-2.5 in a class with 3 teachers. I was much impressed when she first showed me. They also taught them to face a wall and lean against it to but their boots on. How proud kids are to do things themselves! Why would parents deny them this justifiable pride? It’s slower at times but oh, so worth it.
March 7th, 2008 10:23
Well, indeed, that ‘cute’ anecdote gave you exactly the right ‘feel’ for her child, didn’t it? Oy.
Yes i love that coat trick! Chloe is very proud of it.
March 9th, 2008 12:59
My three year old boy is very resistant to dressing himself. He goes to Montessori. Many days he comes home with his pants pulled up, but not snapped or zipped up. Well, he is only three, and may have problems with that. Right now he is independently ignoring it.
I hope this does not bode poorly for his future school performance.