A huge thank you to all who partook of the informal survey of best/worst teachers. The comments were excellent and I'm sure I'll be able to use some of the info in my classes.

And now for some music trivia (simmer down, now). Who sang "I don't want to do your dirty work no more"? The winner gets an ice cold, homebrewed pale ale.

First, regarding home schooling success. I have no doubt that there are hundreds of home school success stories. I also have no doubt there are hundreds of home school failures. I too personally know some kids who were home schooled. While they are generally bright kids, they for the most part lack very important social skills. They also have missed out on the friends, memories, and experiences of attending school with their peers.

You have quoted the success of home school, and yet have mocked the necessity of smaller class sizes. Wouldn't the two go hand in hand. The more individualized attention one receives the better? And yes there have been many studies which indicate smaller class sizes are important. (Not that studies are in themselves proof positive). Common since tells you that it is important to have as much one on one interaction with students as possible.

The longing of yesteryear. I hear this comment from many of folks who are older than myself. "Things were better when I was in school."

First, it was a simpler time. Kids are bombarded with things that you probably couldn't have dreamt about when you were a kid. Second, it is a FACT that kids these days are being taught subjects at an earlier age and subjects that were unconceivable even 15 years ago. And to be able to teach kids subjects at an earlier age and teach subects that are much more complex, it is necessary to have more individualized attention.

That is all for now.

Yes there are many distractions for today’s youth and they are taught things at a younger age. But many of these same distractions exist world wide and when compared to children in other countries, ours are behind. In the good old days we were in the lead compared to those same countries with our large classes and poorly paid teachers. I am not advocating classes and pay remain the same. Just trying to point out that maybe something else has changed, what exactly is hard to put a finger on. It would be interesting to know what the class size and teacher pay is in other countries.

I thought The. White. Chevy’s question was very insightful: Check out various media and their obsessions with fame, celebrity and sex, and ask yourself this: Does America really value a good education as much as it claims to do? Hope I have not infringed on any writer’s privilege.

On a more light-hearted note, Chimeleski Fun Time didn't have *anything* over on Lawernce Welk. Wonnerfull, Wonnerfull!

Ah yes that Hungarian in the tux, that beautiful stage with the girls in the wonderful gowns and all the bubbles floating down. And a 1 and a 2. Ish I’ll take Pink Floyd anytime!

YOU GUYS ARE KILLING ME WITH THIS SCHOOL TALK. (THANKS KITTY) HA HA I DON'T BELIEVE THERE IS A RIGHT OR A WRONG AND BECAUSE OF THIS YOU WILL NEVER RESOLVE FOR ONESELF.

NUGGET, EVER HEARD OF THE BARTER SYSTEM?????? MAYBE I GOT SOMETHING YOU WANT IN EXCHANGE FOR 1 GOOD SPEECH!!! ARE YOU IN POLITICS??? EDUCATION????? DO TELL.

I'M STILL WONDERING HOW WE LOST CS FROM THE TH PAGE????? DOES ANYBODY KNOW??

I'M POLKAING SKIP.. TWO LEFT FEET AND ALL. ARE YA WITH ME ON THIS?

DRIFTER, I REMEMBER THE BUBBLES.

Captian I usually try the chat room most nights from 9 to 11 CST. Wait around some one will show up.

VOR I never got past figure skates. My ankles just folded over in old leather topped skates. If we would have had the formed plastic ski boot like skates it could have been a differant story.

REMEMBER THE WEATHER MAN ON CHANNEL 10? HE WAS ALWAYS DRUNK AT THE 10:00 P.M. WEATHER. THEY FINNALY CANNED HIM SO HE MOVED TO CALIFORNIA AND GOT SOME YOUNG GIRL PREGNENT. HE THEN MOVED BACK TO DULUTH AND THEY GAVE HIM HIS OLD JOB BACK BECAUSE THEIR RATINGS HAD DROPPED SINCE HE LEFT. ONLY TO REALIZE WHEN HE CAME BACK THE RATINGS DROPPED EVEN MORE SO THEY GOT RID OF HIM AGAIN. HA HA HA HA HA HA

Could it be that Two-Z and Drifter are also veterans of the legendary Big Noise tavern like I am?

One of the things I remember about the Big Noise is that they threw the bottle caps out the front door every night to help keep down the mud at the bottom of the steps. As there was not much canned beer back then there could be quite a pile. As you walked up to the door and looked down you could tell who was there the night before by what brand caps you saw.

Vance is not surprised. "Fifteen is the cutting point for making a difference," he told me. His budget contemplates lowering classes to 18 for the lower elementary grades -- short of ideal but a step in the right direction and a great place to start.

"I'm driven by reliable research," he explains. Research on class size, instructional methods, early brain development -- all these things need to be taken seriously, he says."

Food for thought.

Torggy...I loved the bottle cap picture you painted...

Back to The White Chevy’s thought of does our culture really want better-educated children. I would point out that most newscasts are designed for understanding at a fifth grade level.

Just for fun, everything you wanted to know about Bozo The Clown and more.

http://www.yesterdayland.com/popopedia/shows/saturday/sa1374.php

And the Two Harbors hockey team has a site with a 360 view from center ice of the Th arena.

http://www.ej-fransen.com/agates.htm