nothing to snicker at snickerdoodles

crispy snickerdoodles

For the recipe skip ahead, please.

I have some thoughts that I just need to get off my chest, so skip ahead please.  This is just my way of keeping sane, you should not read it.

Please skip ahead.

I did something dumb, stupid actually.  I spent the day at school with my 6th grader.  His teacher has created a hostile environment in the classroom, making life difficult for him.  Kicking him out of class for playing with a pencil, giving him 0% on homework where he did not get everything wrong, belittling him in front of the class, testing him separate from the class after my written request not to, both to the teacher and the principal (it feels weird to be lied to by a nun, just for the record), and that is just scraping the surface.  So my husband and I decided that we needed to make it visible that we were behind him.  This was stupid because now I am even more aware as to the shortcomings of this teacher.

Look!  Snickerdoodles are ↓ down there!

You have been warned!

I did not see any adverse behavior on her behalf that day, nor did I expect to.  What I did see was troubling and took me by surprise.  She cannot teach, I could not believe it.  I was part of the interview committee, we all agreed that she was the most qualified and were very excited about our choice.  It just goes to show that just because someone interviews well does not mean that they have what it takes to actually do the job.  As unfortunate as this is this is not my gripe.  My gripe is something much more serious. It is commonly known that Doctors have to take a Hippocratic Oath to “Do No Harm.”  Shouldn’t those trusted with educating our kids have to do the same?

This teacher has mentioned many times this year that our boy is “not that bright.”  But the icing on the cake was, in a parent-teacher-principal meeting a few days ago, when the first thing out of her mouth was “he is not the smartest kid in the class.”  Huh?  No one was making such an assertion.  We have never once compared him to his classmates or suggested that he was the smartest kid in his class.  It was the Principal’s idea to get him tested by The Center for Talented Youth through Johns Hopkins University.  So after some hesitation and much research we decided to do it.  The results we got back were amazing and eye-opening as to his abilities.  They test out of level, which means that he was given the SCAT test at 3 years above his grade level.  He took the 9th grade version and scored into the high percentiles among 9th graders in all areas, but especially high in Math and Science.  He also took a Spatial Test Battery to see how he related to things in a spatial sense and in one sub-test he scored in the 99.6 percentile.  Not too shabby.  The school did not expect that his results would be so high.  They thought that he would test then they could console us and we could get back to normal.  By normal I mean they could maintain the status quo.  Instead he qualifies for nearly every program CTY offers.

It now appears clearer than ever that this teacher’s goal is to provoke him by pointing out every single fault he makes.  They are requiring him to take 6th grade Math and do the 6th grade Accelerated Math library when the Star Math test they did, without my consent, came back that he had mastered all the requirements and that he should take the Pre-Algebra or Algebra 1 library. I will be the first to admit we are not dealing with a normal 12 year old.  He has always been different than his peers.  Anyone close to him has witnessed this, now we have a little insight as to why.  He processes info differently.  He wants to learn and craves something more but his teacher is threatened by this. He continually knows more about the topics at hand than she does.  I think she is frustrated.

It is a shame that she is unable to overcome her personal feelings and do the right thing for the child, but she is selfish and has a point to prove at the expense of a minor.  She is more concerned if he will change his behavior and not be defensive in class.  She created this need for him to be on-guard by creating a hostile environment in her classroom, she needs to change first and show him that she means well and is willing to provide a safe environment for him and everyone in her class and build up some trust.  She wants us to require that he respects her, I require that he is respectful, but respect needs to be earned.  This is a serious character flaw in a person who spends a great deal of time with vulnerable and impressionable children.

The day after the meeting all parties had agreed to a fresh start.  Dad talked to his boy about some positive changes that will be made and for him to bring a new attitude to school.  He agreed.  However he was met by his teacher raking him over the coals on a number of occasions that very next day.  After school I asked the boy how it went and he said “not too good for a fresh start.” I just don’t understand why she feels so strongly to prove the shortcomings of a 6th grader.  She wants to prove that the testing we had done with CTY, and the honors programs that he qualifies for, are invalid.  I would hate to hear how she responds to the parents of the kids who are struggling in her class.  She is sealing the fate of where my 5th grader will go to school next year.  I know, I know, I should take to heart the opinions of a corrupt, young, naive teacher over that of a 30 year old organization with high standards.  Silly me.

The man of the house contacted the Principal to express his disapproval of how the teacher handled the “fresh start.”  He did it in the nicest, most politiciany way ever.  Which was good, because if I would have gone in there…. it would have been ugly, real ugly.  Thank you for not reading this and many thanks to the therapeutic benefits of this blog

Apologies, but I warned you.

remember why we are here? SNICKERDOODLES

Everyone has their favorite recipe for a Snickerdoodle, if not their favorite recipe then an idea as to what the texture and flavor should be.  These are different, different than what I expected. They were good and I love that they are egg-free and did not call for cream of tartar, something that I never seem to have, that is an important component in every other recipe I have seen.  This recipe came from the back of a bag of cinnamon sugar plus from King Arthur Flour.  I have used many of their recipes in the past with glowing success, this was also a success.  Different, but a success none the less.

More dense and crunchier than most, great with that cup of joe.  Perfect replacement for biscotti and won’t fall apart in your child’s lunchbox no matter how many times they throw it on the ground :~

Snickerdoodles

• 1 1/2 dozen 3-inch cookies
• 1/2 cup butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 buttermilk or sour milk (3/4 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to 1/4 cup milk or soymilk)
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400°F

In a large mixing bowl beat sugar and butter until smooth.  Add the buttermilk and vanilla, until combined.  The mixture will look curdled but don’t let that alarm you.  Add the nutmeg, flour, baking soda and salt and beat until the mixture from a cohesive dough.

Place about 1/4 cup of cinnamon sugar or mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon to a bowl.  If you made your own concoction, taste to see if you want it more cinnamony.  Scoop a scant tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball in the palm of your hands.  Toss in the cinnamon sugar and place on a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet, leave 1 1/2 inches between them.  Using the bottom of a glass to flatten each cookie to about 1/2 inch thick.   Repeat until all dough is used up.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until they are just beginning to brown around the edges. Cool on a wire rack until room temperature.

For them to remain crisp, store them in an airtight container. If you want a little chewier cookie add a slice of apple to the airtight container.

Tagged as: dairy-free, education system, egg-free, vegan