26 July 2012

13 Things Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You

An article from Reader's Digest.  Hm.  These people have over 1,140,000 followers on facebook (!!) so they have to be good, right?  A few items from their list:

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"Kids used to go out and play after school and resolve problems on their own. Now, with computers and TV, they lack the skills to communicate. They don't know how to get past hurt feelings without telling the teacher and having her fix it."  

This is one of those true/not true kinds of statements.  Sure, in the old days, we learnt not to whine to our teachers about every little problem.  That's because we got the "who cares/go deal with it yourself" line from them.  A little bullying never hurt anyone, was the prevailing attitude.  Some of us older folks lived through hell.  For years.  Because of that.

So overall, it's a good thing things have changed.  The flip side of that is that now teachers and principals seem to have to referee every hurt feeling, and parents (knowing now the dangers of bullying, who can blame them?) are often getting into the mess themselves.  But I don't think that children are entirely different than they were 40 years ago.

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"When I hear a loud belch, I remember that a student's manners are a reflection of his parents'." 

And when I hear a bunch of bullcrap, I remember that it's probably coming from some super-liberal childless teacher who just got her first job. Tell you what.  After you raise four or more children to adulthood without any belching incidents whatsoever, I'll believe that your children are just as perfect as you think you are.  Until then, shut up.

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"You do your job, I'll do mine. I have parents who are CEOs of their own companies come in and tell me how to run my classroom. I would never think to go to their office and tell them how to do their jobs." 

Ok, chicky.  You want to go there.  You are no CEO and equating your job with being the CEO of a major corporation is a wee mite big-headed.  So there's that.  Maybe let's go down a few notches to "do you want fries with that?" and pretend you manage a restaurant.  You're not super-powerful, but you're not nobody, either.  You answer to others above you and you also answer to the customer across the register from you. 

It can be complicated, managing people who sometimes have unrealistic expectations.  I appreciate that.  But I think most parents are pretty reasonable in their requests.  You have their child for most of his waking hours during the school year.  They are helping to pay for your salary and you are also asking them to help with homework and to back you up when issues with the student come up.  I know you have certain parameters in which to do your job, but you could at least listen a bit and work WITH the parent.

Aaargh. 

The "sources" of these happy quotes include teachers from several states and um, the American Federation of Teachers.  That's right.  The teachers' union is getting a chance to "create dialogue" with public school parents, and this is the tripe they came up with.  Meh.  :/

6 comments:

  1. Whenever I scroll on your posts lately, I get a voice saying "hello, my name is Bill", so I close the window and go away.
    I hope Woodjie is over his tummy trouble now.

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    1. I think I've fixed it. The problem is in the "church hopping" post. It has a video that plays automatically, which is really annoying. But I wanted to write about it without everyone clicking over...

      Yes, Woodjie is doing well today. Poor little guy, he was very unwell for a bit there.

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  2. I keep seeing these articles, and it just reinforces why we homeschool and why we have serious problems with public school. It is this... teachers don't believe that they and the parents are a team. They think of themselves as saviors to these poor untrained kids, or the only civilized people in our kids lives, or dictators who can control a families life by giving just one more homework assignment or refusing absences even to visit Grandma on their sick-bed. Too often, teachers see themselves as the end-all, be-all and parents need to get themselves and their brats in line, or learn to accept failure. (sorry, a bit of bitterness leaked out).

    Anyway, even the sweetest teachers I have encountered have given me the impression that they were trying to guide me... not take cues from me. That is grating to me considering that I am largely self-taught and highly intelligent. I think I can raise my own kids. How about you teach my kid to multiply and get out of my face! (sorry, more bitterness). I'd better stop.

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    1. I know! I start on posts like this and go, is anyone else this bitter? But yet there are some teachers I've just loved to pieces over the years, too! They're just a bit rarer than the other kind. Let's hope they don't get too jaded. :)

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  3. LMBO!! Okay, LOVING the 'restaurant' reference. Truly just hysterical here with that one.

    Some teachers are incredible and have the best intentions, those are the ones you pray your kid ends up with. I am sure it is stressful to manage other people's children all day long and then have parents who gripe and complain and 'suggest' how to do better. BUT, I have also seen a LOT of it going the other way around where the teacher has the nerve to suggest how to handle the child at home...as if a parent wouldn't know their child by the time the child enters school. I especially like the teachers that comment on home life and interaction when there are special needs involved and act as if said child is the only one in the home. Teachers who have no children and comment make me even HAPPIER. That would be like me telling a fireman how to do his job better because I have lit matches before and I do know that fire is hot. I am probably over qualified to advise...

    Funny how a little reality can take the wind out of your sails, though. I have been talking to Gavyn about what careers may interest him and had suggested being a commercial pilot. He said no way, he would never consider being a bus driver, and being a pilot is just being a bus driver in the sky. Boring. lol Bet a lot of pilots wouldn't like that comparison!

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    1. Being a pilot would be a lot harder in some ways. You wouldn't have to babysit the kids at the same time you flew aaaaand you'd get a nice soundproof door. I mean, some wild axe murderer can kill everyone in the back of the plane and you'll emerge safe and sound after the plane lands.

      You can't beat that.

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Non-troll comments always welcome! :)

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