Rea Posted October 19, 2004 Posted October 19, 2004 Hi, forgot to tell you about this but I'm still dumbstruck so I thought I'd share it now... we occasionally let students from the local secondary come for purposes of their courses. The latest, are 3 year 12's, who havent shown much of a spark but are no worse than previous ones. Last week all 3 were in the kitchen washing the paint stuff, when one of them came flapping to me (yes physically flapping her arms ) saying that the tap wouldnt turn off. I followed thinking a call to the caretaker was on the cards. In the kitchen all 3 girls watched as I turned the hot tap on the mixer tap, and then the cold. Hey presto, no more running water. All 3 stared at me and 1 asked 'how did you do that?'. If anyone has experience of 16 year olds please tell me it's not usual to be so dense, I've got a 14year old and I'm starting to worry!!! Quote
Beau Posted October 19, 2004 Posted October 19, 2004 Unfortuantely Rea, schools don't seem to teach commonsense nowadays. Ask them to produce some sort of beautifully presented coursework on how aesthetically pleasing the taps were and it would be a different matter......................... . I hope you have now produced a procedure on how to turn the taps on and off. After all, you wouldn't want a crisis of this kind to arise again would you?? Quote
Susan Posted October 19, 2004 Posted October 19, 2004 actually that makes me want to cry too! I cant believe it! I dont think its all 16 yr olds though, although obviously not uncommon where yuo are? Even if they've never seen a mixer tap before surely its not that hard! Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 i've just had one girl who spent cut out 20 circles in 1/2 hour. Why did it take so laong- because she drew out 20 circles first and then cut thme out each one at a time!!!! This is after i told her that it might be easier to jsut fold the paper a couple of times and cut thrugh all the layers together.I worries me about the kind of girls who want to come into childcare. I would expect my 15 year old daughter to be able to use her common sense- so perhaps i expect it from other teenagers too. Quote
Sue R Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 Well, I must say that takes the biscuit!! Even my dotty daughter wasn't like that at 16 - trying, yes, but not dense! Sue Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 I think it takes all the buscuits in a family pack of custard creams! I know some 16 year olds and they are certainly not like that. But then again they're not likely to go in to childcare straight after school either they're aiming for university as far as I know. SueR - you have children older than 16? Quote
hali Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 When we have students in i just fine them soooo slowwwww - never have any get up and go....................... Quote
Helen Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 We've had a similar experience; when our local college called me to ask if a student could come on placement, I said I would like to meet some possible candidates, and make my choice. I explained we were a very small nursery, with very discerning parents, and we couldn't "carry" a weak student. The administrator then said, "Well, in that case, I don't think we have anyone you'll be interested in!" I was appalled, as you can imagine. It does seem that young people can be accepted onto childcare courses whether or not they are suitable. I know they have a lot to learn, and that's why they need training, but someone does need to be able to filter out the weakest ones, otherwise we are giving them a false sense of their own ability. If we are all trying to promote early years as a true profession, with (hopefully) some decent salaries in the future, we have to be reasonably strict on who we accept onto courses. Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 When we have students in i just fine them soooo slowwwww - never have any get up and go....................... hali - I think this is a result of the having the National Curriculum. There seems to be very little scope for orginal thought or "thinking outside the box". It's all about following a rigid curriculum and trying to obtain certain levels. This is what my husband and I are also seeing as we have just started to research the different types of secondary education in our area. Believe me we're not too happy with what we've seen so far (apart from the Grammar school) Of course there are some children who do well inspite of their secondary education and this is only my personal opinion of my area and hopefully not indicative of other parts of the country. Denise Quote
Gezabel Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 I have been thinking what my sons were like at 16 and yes they drove me round the twist at times but they weren't 'dense' or devoid of common sense or initiative. I had student on placement and was going to supervise her playing a floor based lotto type game with a small group of children. I asked her to get the children to "sit in a circle" (I wanted to take out some of the 'harder' cards from the game so it was appropriate ) I removed the ones I wanted to and turned round and she had vanished!! ANy guesses as to where she was!!!! Welll.... she had gone to look for the circle!!!!!!!! It took me a minute or two to realise what she meant when she said she was "looking for the circle for them to sit in", I hate to generalise but the students I come across just seem lethargic or is it apathetic, no get up and go in them!!! Quote
Beau Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 That's classic Geraldine. Even my 3yr old would know what I meant if I asked her to get in a circle with other children! My husband keeps reminding me - sad as it may seem - that actually there are a lot of stupid people around. He is continuously frustrated by the examination system and this idea that more children should be going to university. Back in our days a degree actually meant something and employers knew the calibre of person they were recruiting. Sadly as well, childcare does seem to be the route that young girls take when they are, how can I put this nicely , not so bright. But is this the sort of person I want to be entrusting my precious children with?? I think not. Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 Geraldine - thank you....it's not often I find something that amuses me but your post certainly did. That one will keep me going for days....... Quote
Gezabel Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 My pleasure mousebat! I have to admit that at the time I was just dumbstruck more than anything. It happened ages ago and I have been many times since!! Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 Pity your reaction wasn't captured on camera Geraldine! I could imagine it was a dumbstriking moment. We had a very pleasant young lady in for some work experience at the beginning of term. She's in her final year of her degree in sports science and wants to do a PGCE next year. I was a bit alarmed when she kept asking me how to spell words that the children were asking for and when she did write things down on a whiteboard there were capital letters in the middle of words....my blood ran cold Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 Have you ever watched them sweep up. They think you can use a broom with one hand only. The only student who could sweep had her own horse and was used to mucking out. :wacko: One Christmas I asked for help with the pass the parcel they spread out the twenty sheets of paper and then wrapped the whole lot up together instead of layers. Quote
Rea Posted October 20, 2004 Author Posted October 20, 2004 Geraldine, if prizes are being given out...you win!! I remember my mom telling me that when she started working for her brother in his butchers shop at the age of 14, he sent her over to the butcher opposite to ask for a 'long weight'. She went and waited! These young people are going to be SO easy to get, at least my mom was only 14 and was up against a brother and his friend, and knowing my mom she would of been far too timid to say 'no' even if she thought it a strange request. When I went to the secondary to sit in at one of their childcare classes, it was obvious that the students werent the brightest bunch, but I dont think the school was helping. One student said she wanted to work with children with special needs but when I pointed out that there are varying degrees, to the extent that she could find herself facing an 11 yr old needing a nappy change, her face said it all. I know that's not for some people, but the school werent informing them. Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 I remember my mom telling me that when she started working for her brother in his butchers shop at the age of 14, he sent her over to the butcher opposite to ask for a 'long weight'. She went and waited! That's from an old scout camping joke ! Quote
Gezabel Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 I think there were several along similar lines! Like builders sending apprentices to suppliers to ask for a tin of 'elbow grease' or a bubble for a spirit level!!!! Quote
Verona Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 A while ago a student was helping a child put on an apron ready for painting - she got the paper and asked the child their name, When the little girl told her what her name was, the student asked the 3 year old how to spell it!!! The name was BETH!!! Sue J Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 I've had mixed experiences with 'work experience' students but the last few we had at our nursery were excellent. Two girls and a boy - what did all three have in common? - their mothers were childminders. THese people were seriously considering working in childcare knowing full well what it entails - many young girls choose to do it because they can't think what else to do and playing with children seems like an easy option. I suspect most of the horror stories are those of lazy teenagers looking for an easy option and finding out what a skilled , demanding job it really is. Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 I just wish someone could tell me how to 'unteach' my two year old from turning on mixer taps and then leaving them running (and the shower, the hose, the bath.............) Maybe by sixteen she'll have lost her sense of initiative and 'creativity' though, or I may have taught her to turn them off after she's flooded the place Quote
sandie Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 We have three 16 year old lads from the local secondary school who spend an hour and a half with our preschool every friday. We were a bit surprised to be asked to have boys but they are excellent. The children love them (apart from a couple of little girls who are very wary - well they do have deep voices and are very tall !) They read to the children, help them make impressive animals etc with the play dough, do brilliant pictures and always have a big following. We have found them polite and a credit to their school. I'm not sure that they want to work with children but we have been pleasantly surprised by their positive impact on the children So they're not all bad!! Quote
Gezabel Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 Glad you pointed out 'the other side of the coin' Sandie! I meant to say that I was not tarring all teenagers with the same brush. My comments related to the ones I have come across and am sure there are many who are great. Quote
Guest Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 Taken note of your comments. Yu are right not everybody is the same and i'm sure some teenageers are excellent.. but it just seems to me that i get the ones who couldn't decide what they wanted to do and very often have 'special needs' so are sent to play with the little children. Quote
Beau Posted October 20, 2004 Posted October 20, 2004 Of course they're not all like that. It's just annoying that schools and colleges seem to think that they can steer less 'academic' students into childcare as an easy option. Luckily there are plenty of very able and enthusiastic teenagers out there who will probably make excellent childcare workers. My daughters boyfriends brother (did you follow that??? ) has just decided at 20 that he would like to go into childcare. I'm dure he won't fall into the dense and turtle like catergory. Quote
Guest Posted October 21, 2004 Posted October 21, 2004 when i did my NNEB as a (very)mature student a lot of the 16 and 17 year olds were on the course bec they had done a little bit of babysitting and liked playing with children. They asumed the course would be very easy but the course work put an end of those ideas. We stated of as a group of 22 but only 6 completed the course. Of which 6 were 'mature' students. One of the drop outs told us "you lot can do the course bec yu are old and have no social life. I'm young and have a boyfriend!!!!" Bully for her!! Quote
hali Posted October 21, 2004 Posted October 21, 2004 The best ever student i have had out of students training for childcare/work experience was a chap in 6th form studing music he was fantastic, the kiddies loved him, i did ask him if he wanted to change his vocsatilon...unfortunatly not Quote
Lucy P Posted October 21, 2004 Posted October 21, 2004 Quite a few years ago we had a Trident student for two weeks. In her 2nd week we asked if she would like to choose an activity to lead with a small group of one year olds (2 children). She chose the big threading beads - generally used within the pre school - as she began making her 'own' necklace she became frustrated as the children were not following any form of pattern. ...'You have used a blue one,it has to be yellow next....blah, blah ......' I informed her that the children were to young to be forming patterns and that she should be concentrating on developing their fine manipulative skills/hand-eye co-ordination. As i turned away i heard her say 'well, what does she know?... i'll give you a clue to what comes next, it starts with a Y' !!! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry............ But since then the students haven't seemed too bad Quote
Rea Posted October 21, 2004 Author Posted October 21, 2004 There should be a law stating that you cannot go into childcare unless you have had a child. Same goes for health visitors and midwives Quote
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