Some teachers are just clueless

File under "What Were You Thinking?"

No one told teacher Barbara Finnan she had to buy $50 worth of chewing gum for her pupils at Baltz Elementary School. She even has a policy of no gum chewing in class, and the school also does not permit it.

But she read somewhere that chewing gum helps children think. And so, for a week's worth of testing, she bent the rules a little and bought the gum with money out of her own pocket. To her delight, the scores did go up a little, although she'll probably never know if the gum did it. (Link.)

My emphasis. Ah, she "read somewhere ... "! Must be like too much of that other educational "research" that is so friggin' scientifically flimsy as to be insignificant. Is Ms. Finnan seriously trying to garner sympathy by revealing this anecdote? Puh-lease. And why would she just come out and blatantly admit that she violates her own school's policy? What does this say to the kids, for that matter?

It is indeed no secret that teachers spend out of pocket money for classroom supplies. I'd say on average that I spend $30-50 each year on such supplies. The key is to do it intelligently -- use it for things you know you absolutely need and that are essential. Ms. Finnan (and article author Ed Kenney) sure didn't do us fellow educators any favors by including in the column -- much less LEADING with it -- how spending half a C-note on gum is imperative!