[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Windmills', 'Y')es, but from where do we assume the "virtual microphone" is sampling the sound? It could be from within the cockpit, in which case any kind of vibrations resulting from firing could be transmitted to the air as sound.

[IgnoranceIsBliss]

Under NCLB, all teachers are supposed to be "highly qualified" meaning that their degree corresponds to the class that they teach. (so a PE teacher wouldn't be qualified to teach Biology for example) States will often allow a teacher to pass a subject area exam instead of having that particular degree.

I still remember my 9th grade "life management skills" class. We did endless word search worksheets with no relation what so ever to any useful skills. What a waste of time.

I'm a 1st grade teacher and my husband also teaches at the elementary level. At the school where I taught in FL, things were pretty good. I would have no problem sending my boys there (except for the pathetic lack of "gifted" education options). My principal ran a tight ship and I can honestly say we only had a few "bad" teachers out of 70. (and at least 2 of those were chased off while I was there) However, we still had plenty of discipline issues that you didn't see 30 years ago. I still wonder who wrote "Mrs. {Principal name} can s*** my d*** " on the 4th grade hallway bulletin board. I'm hoping it was the male janitor!

We coddle the kids these days, both in and out of school. Kids are not little playthings that mommy and daddy should spoil rotten. If Mommy feels the need to live vicariously though her little princess, she really needs to get a life. Daddy needs to stop trying to make his boy into an agressive, overly competitive killing machine. (I saw some very disturbing things at school; kids want to kill any kind of creature that wanders onto the school gronds.)

My 3 year old son recently went to a party at a friend's house. (he is usually home with me all day and he has never been to day care or preschool) While we were there, my husband said another kid took a water gun and held it to a dolls head and said "You kick her and I'll shot her in the head!"
Well, the next day at home, my little guy made a gun out of his Legos, put it up to his 9 month old brother's head, and said "Shoot Quinny!" My husband and I were horrified.

It sounds like many of us have come across some pretty awful teachers. It really is up to the principal at the school to get rid of these bad apples. (and YES, it can be done, regardless of what we hear about the power of teacher unions. They really don't even exist in the southern US states) If parents complain enough, steps should be taken. (and believe me, parents do complain these days!)

[Jotapay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('IgnoranceIsBliss', '.')..another kid took a water gun and held it to a dolls head and said "You kick her and I'll shot her in the head!"
Well, the next day at home, my little guy made a gun out of his Legos, put it up to his 9 month old brother's head, and said "Shoot Quinny!"

[Jotapay]

If we are ranting about public school, the most awkward moment of my life happened in 10th grade in Houston in Health Education class.

We were covering sex education. The coach who taught the class put girls on one side of the room, boys on the other, and wheeled in two TVs that only were shown to one side each. The video the boys watched was a skit about a teenager detecting testicular cancer.

The boy is shown taking a shower, and then goes to talk to his dad in the living room. The boy says, "Dad, I have a lump somewhere." The dad asks as to the location, and the teen replies, "On my balls." The boy's side of the room erupts in laughter. The coach jumps up, all red-faced, shouting, "Quiet! Quiet!"

At the end of the short movie, the teen has gone to the doctor and whatnot, and the last scene shows him in the shower, looking at the camera, and he says, "And this is how you can check to see if you have testicular cancer." The camera pans down and zooms in on his naked genitals, and he proceeds to describe verbally and show you every place you can pull and squeeze on male genitalia to check for testicular cancer signs. Needless to say the boys side of the room was complete chaos. The laughter was uncontrollable and boys were falling out of their chairs, covering their eyes and laughing. And the teen on screen kept pulling and squeezing and whatnot for what seemed like forever. The coach could not get control of the class for about 5-10 minutes. It was definitely the most "WTF were they thinking" moment I've ever seen.

[Windmills]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Windmills', 'Y')es, but from where do we assume the "virtual microphone" is sampling the sound? It could be from within the cockpit, in which case any kind of vibrations resulting from firing could be transmitted to the air as sound.

[Schmuto]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', '
')I would nip that in the bud very quickly. The stereotype of guns displayed in the media is completely ludicrous and absolutely should not be perpetuated. It glorifies wild gun play and completely irresponsible behavior. They are tools that are for a specific purpose that must be handled with utmost care and responsibility.