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category archive listing Category Archives: work ethic

Quotation Saturday: Gumption!

February 13, 2010 – 5:37 am

Mamacita says:  Well, well, well, another Saturday has sneaked up on us!
“Gumption” is an old-fashioned word, but gumption itself is a quality that seems to be old-fashioned, too.  Schoolkids aren’t given time to prove they’ve got gumption or not, because before they can even comprehend that they can’t comprehend something, an adult is right there [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Jobs, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, Quotation Saturday, Scheiss Weekly, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know, children, fools, parenting, quotes, schools | Comments (0)

Wednesday: Why Do It Be?

February 10, 2010 – 1:14 am

Mamacita says:  I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, exactly a spring chicken these days, but when the time comes that I stop asking questions, they can bury me.  In fact, they should.  What possible use is a person who doesn’t ask questions and seek answers?  Can’t think of a thing.
I’m not presumptuous  [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, English, Humor, Indiana, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, Scheiss Weekly, The Arts, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know, music, parenting, schools | Comments (4)

It’s Outrageous: Not Everyone Deserves A Real Diploma!

February 3, 2010 – 3:36 pm

Mamacita says:  Does anyone else wonder why parents and teachers are spending so much time on topics such as red ink, dodgeball, and T-shirts, when it seems to me a much better topic for discussion might be, “Why are we allowing illiterate people to actually graduate from high school?”
Because I can’t think of a single [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, It's Outrageous!, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Jobs, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Oh No She Dinnit, Political Correctness, Politics, Scheiss Weekly, The Things We Do For Love, Things Nice People Already Know, children, fools, parenting, schools | Comments (2)

Limited-Vocabulary Readers are the Devil. Yes, THAT Devil.

January 6, 2010 – 10:46 pm

Mamacita says:  I don’t think there are any words coined yet that would adequately describe the complete and total loathing I have for simplified, edited versions of good books.
I’ve heard quadrillions of elementary teachers argue that small children learn best when there are few challenges, but I have to disagree with that, too.  How condescending!
I [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Books, Censorship, Education, English, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Literature, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, My daughter, My son, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, Political Correctness, Scheiss Weekly, Things Nice People Already Know, children, fools, love, parenting, schools | Comments (13)

Dear Parents: Every Child Deserves An Audience. Stay In Your Seat. And Shut Up.

November 20, 2009 – 3:46 pm

Mamacita says:  I’ve posted about this subject before, but with the approach of holiday season, it’s on my mind again, so I’ve written a new post about this same thing.
We’re tired.  We work all day and in the evenings, we deserve a few hours to rest, eat, and just, well, unwind. We deserve some time [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Christmas, Education, Family, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, Political Correctness, Scheiss Weekly, The Arts, The Things We Do For Love, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know, children, etiquette, fools, holidays, love, memories, music, nostalgia, parenting, schools | Comments (4)

Bite Me, Amadeus, Part Tres

November 15, 2009 – 3:31 am

Mamacita says:   What, no Quotation Saturday?  Apparently not.  I’m busy thinking up reasons to put off grading essays and quizzes, trying to keep the cats off the countertops, and harvesting pink roses.  I’m also in a bit of a snit – so what’s new? – because some of my students’  topics and content are making [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Oh No She Dinnit, Political Correctness, Quotation Saturday, Scheiss Weekly, Things Nice People Already Know, children, fools, quotes, schools | Comments (6)

Following Simple Directions

October 8, 2009 – 3:49 pm

Mamacita says:   Back when I taught sixth grade – and y’all will find this hard to believe – there were times when it was really difficult to get those kids to follow even the simplest of directions.  Verbal directions. . . written directions. . .  it didn’t much matter because so many of them were [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Political Correctness, Scheiss Weekly, The real Mamacita, Things Nice People Already Know, children, fools, memories, parenting, schools | Comments (6)

I Agree With Mr. Horse. We Don’t Like It.

September 17, 2009 – 12:05 am

Mamacita says:  part of this post is from another post that I deleted before I wrote down the date.  I’m so tech savvy and organized.
This semester, I will have to say that most of my students have been exceptionally fine.  Lovely, hard-working, sincere people who genuinely want to improve themselves, so they can improve their [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Baking, Education, Friendship, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Literature, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Politics, Scheiss Weekly, children, schools | Comments (7)

You Got An F. How’s The Self-Esteem Today?

September 8, 2009 – 12:26 am

Mamacita says: You’re getting an F. How’s that self-esteem today?
“Why are you giving me an F,” you ask? I’m not. I just kept score. You earned the F yourself, fair and square. Teachers don’t give grades. Students earn grades. Students and parents who try to negotiate a grade [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Education, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, Scheiss Weekly, Things Nice People Already Know, children, fools, parenting, schools | Comments (6)

Quotation Saturday: Our Presidents Speak

September 5, 2009 – 5:02 pm

Mamacita says: Before I say anything else, I want to send a huge, grateful shout-out to Mocha Momma!  You should all be reading her blog anyway, because she’s great, but add to all that, I’ve won a laptop from her blog contest!  Oh, Momma, I can’t thank you enough! I’m going to find you [...]

By Jane Goodwin | Also posted in Censorship, Contests, Education, Family, Jane Goodwin, JaneG, Mamacita, Mamacita Jane, Mamacita Says, MamacitaG, My daughter, My son, Not the imitation Mamacita, Oh No She Dinnit, Political Correctness, Politics, Quotation Saturday, Scheiss Weekly, The real Mamacita, children, etiquette, fools, parenting, schools | Comments (12)