Be a Parent
I may be slightly biased in this editorial since my chosen profession was that of a teacher. Then again, I can speak from my experience of 30 years.It is all over the news from Wisconsin to Ohio to everywhere that the idea to abolish collective bargaining will balance all budgets. It seems that I mostly hear about teachers' unions, followed by huge generalizations that are unfair. Many people are of the belief that anyone can be a teacher [I challenge them to spend a week in a classroom], teachers [all?] make more money with less time on the job [really!!], and that unions make it possible for the undedicated [is that the silent majority??]to advance with no consequences. What could be worse? That would be the idea that we are responsible for all things wrong with schools. I do not agree.
I am not going to spend the time or energy refuting these old and tired generalizations. Instead I choose to offer a plan to improve the whole learning experience, raise test scores, and watch the positive domino effect on all of America.
Be a parent: Supply bed and breakfast along with some active parenting participation...
1- Kids function best when they have had a good night's sleep...in bed and asleep by...maybe 9?
2- Kids learn best when they have energy from eating...breakfast every day.
3-Make learning something that is actively pursued, followed up on, and be on the 'team' to enforce some rules in the kids' best interes
t. [Even if they whine, complain, or try to wear you down.] "I don't have any homework" is as ridiculous as, "The dog ate my homework!"
3-Make learning something that is actively pursued, followed up on, and be on the 'team' to enforce some rules in the kids' best interes
t. [Even if they whine, complain, or try to wear you down.] "I don't have any homework" is as ridiculous as, "The dog ate my homework!"Spend
some time with the kids...active participation...together.
That's parenting.
some time with the kids...active participation...together.That's parenting.
And teachers can't do that part for you. They can merely work with the kid who comes through the door [in whatever the state of mind is at that time].
And I can tell you that standing in the doorway in the morning greeting the kids spoke volumes. It's more difficult than most people are aware of...
Just stating some facts in an effort to be a united team...for the students.
And I loved working with the kids.
Labels: commentary, teaching
posted by Mare at
1:17 PM
8 Comments:
Well said Mar. Teachers can only do so much. Parents need to be involved and work together with the teacher. I'm always asking my kids about school, emailing the teacher with questions, etc. Too many kids aren't being taught the basic values and manners at home, and don't even get me started on accountability! But with some parents it's easier to point the finger rather than get involved.
Stac
By
Anonymous, At
February 27, 2011 at 4:58 PM
You're right about parenting! There were parents whose children I looked forward to seeing every day, there were parents who didn't seem to even know what their children were doing, and there were a few parents that were downright frightening.
So many things are out of a teacher's control, yet we are supposed to work miracles. Amazingly, sometimes we do.
By
Jo, a retired teacher, At
February 27, 2011 at 5:53 PM
Actively participate because too soon that opportunity is a memory!!!
lv
By
Anonymous, At
February 27, 2011 at 6:28 PM
we are all responsible for the mess we are in now!
By
Great Grandma Lin, At
February 27, 2011 at 7:18 PM
Thank you so much for this post, Mare! You are absolutely right, of course. Every teacher knows that. I loved teaching too. It broke my heart to see the sort of home situations some of my kids came from. And yet, the wonderful thing is some of those kids could make fabulous progress with timely interventions. Unfortunately, just when you think you've got a handle on it, they move or something else happens in their family that just devastates the child and the teachers. I wish they'd have a parenting class in high school and make it mandatory.
By
Kay, At
February 28, 2011 at 12:47 PM
You expressed the issue perfectly. But working with troubled families since retirement I see all too often the results of the split between haves & have nots. It's not uncommon to find families who are just so pressed with multiple jobs, low wages, and long hours they can't be the parents even they wish to be. When you live under the stress these folks experience daily it becomes easy to see that, as Lin stated, we ALL created this mess. The greedy by causing financial turmoil and the voters for letting them do it via voter apathy. When a dedicated group of 35% of eligible voters control the country, bad things happen.
By
Mike S, At
March 2, 2011 at 3:01 AM
Just coming over here from Kay's blog. This seems like a very nice place.
I like the way you lay out the obligations of teachers and parents for helping children get educated.
You've got to be in it for the long haul with kids.
By
Hattie, At
March 2, 2011 at 1:23 PM
Couldn't have said it better...This stuff has me so angry...
By
RamblingWoods2.com, At
March 6, 2011 at 12:31 PM
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