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The Presidential Election --- for an elementary teacher

Josie

Josie

*probably reading smut*
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I've always enjoyed teaching my students about the presidents and the election process - especially in a presidential election year. I always have pictures of the candidates for about a month before the election. We talk about the news -- upcoming debates, etc. We have a mock election where they vote for the candidate they believe will win (an excellent indicator on how their parents will be voting).

However, this year is different. I brought up the election one time because someone was asking about it and you would've thought these little kids had turned into super-invested political forum members. They were yelling at each other saying "Hillary Clinton lies!" "Donald Trump wants to get rid of all the brown people!" and "Hillary Clinton wants to take all the guns away!" I shut it down quickly and moved on. What a freakin' mess this election is.
 
It's kind of sad that 1st graders are picking up on the partisanship and bickering.

When I was in 1st grade it was Nixon v McGovern and I don't recall anyone thinking McGovern had a chance.
 
Josie said:
I've always enjoyed teaching my students about the presidents and the election process - especially in a presidential election year. I always have pictures of the candidates for about a month before the election. We talk about the news -- upcoming debates, etc. We have a mock election where they vote for the candidate they believe will win (an excellent indicator on how their parents will be voting).

However, this year is different. I brought up the election one time because someone was asking about it and you would've thought these little kids had turned into super-invested political forum members. They were yelling at each other saying "Hillary Clinton lies!" "Donald Trump wants to get rid of all the brown people!" and "Hillary Clinton wants to take all the guns away!" I shut it down quickly and moved on. What a freakin' mess this election is.
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So the kids are good indicators of their parents...

And how the hell are you old enough to have been teaching for more than one election cycle? Seriously, I thought you where like about 25ish.
 
Josie said:
I've always enjoyed teaching my students about the presidents and the election process - especially in a presidential election year. I always have pictures of the candidates for about a month before the election. We talk about the news -- upcoming debates, etc. We have a mock election where they vote for the candidate they believe will win (an excellent indicator on how their parents will be voting).

However, this year is different. I brought up the election one time because someone was asking about it and you would've thought these little kids had turned into super-invested political forum members. They were yelling at each other saying "Hillary Clinton lies!" "Donald Trump wants to get rid of all the brown people!" and "Hillary Clinton wants to take all the guns away!" I shut it down quickly and moved on. What a freakin' mess this election is.
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I completely agree with you. I've never seen anything like it.

Thank our two major parties for being unable to campaign without slinging mud. And the press for taking sides.
 
Redress said:
So the kids are good indicators of their parents...

And how the hell are you old enough to have been teaching for more than one election cycle? Seriously, I thought you where like about 25ish.
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36 :)
 
Josie said:
I've always enjoyed teaching my students about the presidents and the election process - especially in a presidential election year. I always have pictures of the candidates for about a month before the election. We talk about the news -- upcoming debates, etc. We have a mock election where they vote for the candidate they believe will win (an excellent indicator on how their parents will be voting).

However, this year is different. I brought up the election one time because someone was asking about it and you would've thought these little kids had turned into super-invested political forum members. They were yelling at each other saying "Hillary Clinton lies!" "Donald Trump wants to get rid of all the brown people!" and "Hillary Clinton wants to take all the guns away!" I shut it down quickly and moved on. What a freakin' mess this election is.
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Politics is probably not a good subject of discussion in elementary school. Their minds are too easily swayed by what others say or even imply. And they are unable to truly understand politics and politicians.

High school is a better time, I think.
 
JumpinJack said:
Politics is probably not a good subject of discussion in elementary school. Their minds are too easily swayed by what others say or even imply. And they are unable to truly understand politics and politicians.

High school is a better time, I think.
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We don't go into any detail at all. Just what presidents do, the requirements to be a president, etc. There are no "politics" allowed in my classroom which is why I shut down the discussion immediately.
 
Josie said:
I've always enjoyed teaching my students about the presidents and the election process - especially in a presidential election year. I always have pictures of the candidates for about a month before the election. We talk about the news -- upcoming debates, etc. We have a mock election where they vote for the candidate they believe will win (an excellent indicator on how their parents will be voting).

However, this year is different. I brought up the election one time because someone was asking about it and you would've thought these little kids had turned into super-invested political forum members. They were yelling at each other saying "Hillary Clinton lies!" "Donald Trump wants to get rid of all the brown people!" and "Hillary Clinton wants to take all the guns away!" I shut it down quickly and moved on. What a freakin' mess this election is.
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I remember in grade school I voted for the libertarian candidate because I knew no one else would
 
Crovax said:
I remember in grade school I voted for the libertarian candidate because I knew no one else would
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I remember voting for George H. W. Bush in our mock election and I was shocked when I found out that my best friend was voting for Dukakis.
 
MaggieD said:
I completely agree with you. I've never seen anything like it.

Thank our two major parties for being unable to campaign without slinging mud. And the press for taking sides.
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I agree with the comment about the press screwing up majorly this cycle, but I don't just blame the two major parties for all of the mud slinging. It might have been a little ugly if it was Clinton vs Bush, but it wouldn't be like this.
 
Josie said:
We don't go into any detail at all. Just what presidents do, the requirements to be a president, etc. There are no "politics" allowed in my classroom which is why I shut down the discussion immediately.
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I would think it's more important to play around with finances...one thing that isn't taught in school, that I am aware of. How much each student get paid in fictitious job, what kind of house they can buy, how much to spend on groceries, how much will a dog cost to care for, etc. Bread and butter lessons.
 
Redress said:
Well, I was right that you are still young...
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Biologically speaking 36 isn't still young. Of course, if you were to measure it against the average lifespan then maybe you could believe that, but biological reality says otherwise. In fact, by the time the individual is 30 the body is already starting to give way.
 
JumpinJack said:
I would think it's more important to play around with finances...one thing that isn't taught in school, that I am aware of. How much each student get paid in fictitious job, what kind of house they can buy, how much to spend on groceries, how much will a dog cost to care for, etc. Bread and butter lessons.
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I remember taking a class in high school where we learned how to do our taxes ourselves, balance our checkbook, plan on a budget, etc. I don't know if they still do it, but back in the 90s at my school - yep.
 
Henrin said:
Biologically speaking 36 isn't still young. Of course, if you were to measure it against the total then maybe it would believe that, but biological reality says otherwise. In fact, by the time the individual is 30 the body is already starting to give way.
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Actually, the brain isn't even fully developed until the mid-20's. 36 is early adulthood and considered young in 2016, by any measure. A good 10 years from middle age. I remember my 30's. Those are good years.
 
Josie said:
I remember taking a class in high school where we learned how to do our taxes ourselves, balance our checkbook, plan on a budget, etc. I don't know if they still do it, but back in the 90s at my school - yep.
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I wish they had taught us things like that. I knew nothing. My parents didn't teach me, either. I didn't file income taxes the first couple of years I worked because I didn't know I was supposed to. I would've gotten a refund those years. I was shocked at what everything cost.

But they thought it so important that I learn basic Algebra, for some reason.
 
JumpinJack said:
I wish they had taught us things like that. I knew nothing. My parents didn't teach me, either. I didn't file income taxes the first couple of years I worked because I didn't know I was supposed to. I would've gotten a refund those years. I was shocked at what everything cost.

But they thought it so important that I learn basic Algebra, for some reason.
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My roommate in college also didn't know about filing income taxes. She was amazed when I did it all for her.
 
JumpinJack said:
Actually, the brain isn't even fully developed until the mid-20's. 36 is early adulthood and considered young in 2016, by any measure. A good 10 years from middle age. I remember my 30's. Those are good years.
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Thirty-six is a good eleven years after twenty-five, you know. Bone mass starts to decrease by the time you're 30 and hormonal deceases start by the time you're 34. Techincally speaking by the time you're 36 you've already started the decline to old age. Nothing I said has a thing to do with how long society can keep old people alive, but when the process of decline starts. In reality, from the time the body stops developing to the time it starts to decline is five years. So I suppose you could say you have five years to be at your best. Sounds wonderful, don't it?
 
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Henrin said:
Thirty-six is a good eleven years after twenty-five, you know. Bone mass starts to decrease by the time you're 30 and hormonal deceases start by the time you're 34. Techincally speaking by the time you're 36 you've already started the decline to old age. Nothing I said has a thing to do with how long society can keep old people alive, but when the process of decline starts. In reality, from the time the body stops developing to the time it starts to decline is five years. So I suppose you could say you have five years to be at your best. Sounds wonderful, don't it?
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The brain doesn't start to decline (any more than it starts to decline after birth). 36 is one of the prime years, when the brain is at a peak of functionality...it's young.

Don't confuse shins with brain. The brain is where it's at. 36 is YOUNG. You'll find that out soon enough.
 
JumpinJack said:
The brain doesn't start to decline (any more than it starts to decline after birth). 36 is one of the prime years, when the brain is at a peak of functionality...it's young.

Don't confuse shins with brain. The brain is where it's at. 36 is YOUNG. You'll find that out soon enough.
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The brain is part of the whole. You can't just ignore everything else because of where the brain happens to be. The brain lags behind the rest from early age to old age.
 
Henrin said:
The brain is part of the whole. You can't just ignore everything else because of where the brain happens to be. The brain lags behind the rest from early age to old age.
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Bone mass is at its peak at about 30. But there is almost no loss from 30 to menopause for women.

36 is young. The fact that muscles are stronger at a younger age means nothing as to maturity and youth, in a life. Muscles are strongest when you're in your teens....before your brain is fully developed and capable of mature judgment.

When you're 45, you'll look back and understand just how young 36 is. Esp. for someone born just 36 years ago (36 for someone born in 1900 is not the same as 36 for someone born in 2000).
 
Redress said:
Relative to me is what counts.
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Nu-uh! Don't hate on my sliding scale of age relativity. Besides, life wear and tear on the body for various experiences has to be factored in as well. I count military years as dog years.
 
Fishking said:
Nu-uh! Don't hate on my sliding scale of age relativity. Besides, life wear and tear on the body for various experiences has to be factored in as well. I count military years as dog years.
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So I am older than I think I am? I am going to have to hate you now.
 
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