Karaoke Forums

[quote="sidewinder @ Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:06 am"]I love Whoppers...

Oh my, I had heard the rumors, but I had hoped they weren't true.....muhaha...  LMAO

hey every one !! it must be a attack by terrorist,   its that way in texas too? ......

I worked at a fast food place once where you had to memorize all menu item prices as well as know all the ingredients in the sandwiches, and you were expected to take and remember multiple orders at a time.  Lines behind your station at lunch rush could be 4 or 5 deep and you couldn't just yell back one order at a time and then wait for that order and then take the next.   You were supposed to take be doing 2, 3, or 4 orders at once.  Yikes!  And you had to be able to count back correct change.

This system actually worked out very well, and some of the cashiers were very good at it (I wasn't the best).  Although I must admit there were some lunches where you would have a few orders going at once, and then you would forget something and then "the wall comes tumbling down" as they say.

After doing the job for several months, you got so fast at counting back the change the some of the customers would get a little suspicious that you were pulling some sort of fast change artist trick on them.

It's amazing, though, what you can do if your put in a situation where you have to do it.  People can achieve a level of skill far beyond what they might think they are capable of if challenged in the right way.

I agree with what you are saying about being challenged.  I always set the bar high for my students.  I expect them to work at least 2 grade levels above the one I teach.  I push them really hard and expect them to produce their best.  Then, when they are faced with grade level tests (the standardized test, we call it the TAKS test) they are able to excell.  Out of 150 students, I only had 4 this year not pass.  Over half of my students received commended performance on the test, which is special recognition for high scores.  I even had 2 perfect scores.  What is even better, I don't get to teach the brightest kids in the school. As a matter of a fact, since I am the only male English teacher, I get all of the problem kids.  You know, the ones who won't listen to the other teachers in the school.  I take them, run an extreemly disciplined classroom with zero tolerance for bad behavior and these kids respond.  I reward their good behavior and good grades with lots of praise and we watch a movie every now and then just to give them a break.  I am a firm believer that if you challenge people the right way, they will respond and become productive to society.  As bad as things seem with kids and the nations schools, I really dont believe things are as bad as the media claims they are.  I think we just need government entities, communities, school boards, and parents to stand behind the teachers in the classroom.  By getting this support, kids will not be able to play the system anymore.  There will not be any more passing a kid without them actually passing the classes.  Kids will have to learn which will bring success not only for the kids but for the work force of America as well. --Mike   * as a side note, we are giving the TAKS test for science and social studies this week in Texas.  I just finished with the Science test this morning. Tomorrow we will finish up with the Social Studies test.  The English test and math tests were taken last month so that we could get results back quickly.  There are several grades where the students have to pass the TAKS in math and reading to be able to go on to the next grade. I happen to teach one of those grades. The kids have been really nervous today.      
--Mike

better to have a single parent family with good moral values than a two parent family with a father who spouts your kind of chauvanist garbage. Hand on heart I can say that if all men were like you I would concieve via a test tube and get my fun from a box of batteries.

_________________
"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

ml_texas, it's good to hear there are some good English teachers out there.  I had a great English teacher for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades.  We used the Voyages in English text books, which at least at the time, were very good ( http://www.voyagesinenglish.com/ ).   Having this teacher made me more interested in the English language.  I think it applies a bit to karaoke as well--where do song lyrics come from, how do the songsmiths construct their songs, and what is the best way to phrase parts of songs?

I too received the under-educated slackers just out of high school with a sense on entitlement that was false.

The college was/is a "For Profit" private enterprise, and California required (still requires) that we actually educate and assist in job placement..

All worthy goals.. The reality is the students were their own worst enemy..

They arrived expecting the same pass me "just because" environment they just left..

This often led to a clash.. The bottom line remained, if they did the work, they made the grade..

Our solution to this clash, was to enroll all freshman students in PDC100,
(Personal Development Class 100) and we explained how the rules were really in their best interest.

Those that chose to not do the work, were free to drop out.. and they would still owe the student loans..

When this fiscal message was explained to them, many came around..

We maintained 85% employment rate after graduation, in the field of study..

Not many schools can claim those numbers..

Sadly, I retired.. I truly miss those days..

JD, you understand where I am coming from with your experience.  I think setting the boundaries high, not lowering the standards, and making the student responsible for his/her education is the best thing we can do.  All too often, students and parents of the students want to push the responsibility for learning off on the school and teachers.  The responsibility to do the work and learn should be on the student.  Once they learn an good work ethic, they will be able to learn the materials they need to learn in the classroom that will make them good, productive individuals in the work force and in society. There is no place for laziness in the work world.--Mike

Our PDC class was a ten week series of lessons, one hour per day.. We snuck up on them..  LMAO

Strong words...  LMAO

I used to work in a pub (eventually ran the bar).  We had a till, it had many features but all we would ever use was the CASH and numeric buttons.

We didn't enter drinks, we didn't type in what we were given in cash, and we certainly never looked at the screen to tell us how much to give back.

We'd be behind the bar, juggle the "over the counter" orders as well as those coming from waiting staff.  We'd have a conversation with each other, while also having a conversation with customers.  We'd be adding up the drink costs in our head as we poured them - keeping a running total of what change to give based around a safe assumption:

"this order comes to 7.45 so far - they are gonna give me a ten, so give them 2.55 change, and another coke?  Ok, 1.55 change.  Damn they gave me a twenty, 11.55 change"

All we would do is jump to the till, type 8.45 cash and give them their change.  If it was MAD busy - tough - just keep up.  And we always did.  While still keeping happy, chatty with customers and running through x number of drinks in our head.  Take more than 10 seconds on the till and you're outta there.

And to me, that was simple.  It was what was required.  We didn't have an epos system telling us to "Smile and greet the customer" buttons for each item and then telling me what change to give.  I learned mathematics at school.

To be fair we were updated to an epos but I'd moved beyond the bar at that time.  The one instance I was behind the bar with it - I couldn't get on.  I didn't want to remember keystrokes for a half of coke.  I simply opened the machine, put the money into a money belt and worked my way.  End of the shift or during a 20 second break - just write down what I had poured.

Systems are made to be dumb these days.  As such, we have a race of dumb people!