I love the teacher that shows interest in a child. I ask about my students' weekends as they are walking in the door on Monday morning, or their football game, baseball game, etc. I also bring treats for my students, which they eat while I am doing silent reading or we take the 5 minutes it takes to eat a cookie. Do I show movies? You bet. It is usually a reward for behavior, goals the class has set, etc. It is called an incentive. I also have shown them when I have had to pull students for one on one reading testing, required by my school. Believe me, when I am not doing testing, and a movie is playing, I am checking papers or recording grades, preparing a lab, etc. I am not sitting there filing my nails. A teacher that shows interest in getting to know their students, is earning their respect, their trust, and paying attention to what is going on with that child. When you really know your students you are able to know if there is something not right or something that doesn't make sense going on and then that issue can be addressed. I also have to say that on the day before a major holiday, I do some fun activities. Typically, 1/4 of my class is absent that day due to traveling, especially if we teach through the 23rd of Dec. It just depends when the holiday falls. I am not complaining about this though, as I know that family is a major influence in a child's life. I don't not teach to make my life easier, I do it so that every child is there for the lessons. The preparation for fun activities is usually much more than teaching a lesson, especially if it involves crafts or activities such as that. Do I think that some teachers take advantage of showing movies? You bet. Do I think some parents do a poor job of plannig vacations, when they are provided with 3 months in which to do it? Yep. But it is what it is and some people may not be able to avoid the timing. Please don't encourage a teacher to not get to know their students. This is a trait that should be valued and commended. By the way, my testing scores are on target each year, I have students of all abilities in my class, I use my lunch time to tutor students. My study hall is open for kids that need extra help, too, usually after I insist that they come. I take the time to greet students when they come in and wish them well when they leave. I attend their concerts, some football games, baseball games, etc. I love my job and the students, appreciate the benefits and pay, and am glad that I am not a teacher in the SB school district. It sounds like you probably feel the same about me not being there. If the contract that you want goes through, you may not need to worry about teachers like me teaching in your district once the good ones retire and others move on. Lucky you-you'll get the desperate ones and those that can't get hired in other districts that hold the bar just a bit higher and offer fair pay and benefits. And lucky for them, as they will no longer have to go southern US to teach-where all you have to do is fog a mirror to get hired-usually done over the phone, they can just go to southern Butler.