I remember teachers. Not that I cared much about them. Not that I had more than one or two GREAT teachers. I was a walking example of teacher disappointment. I tried to always be invisible in school as I hated the environment. I didn't enjoy many of my classes and I felt like forcing algebra on children was some form of cruel and unusual punishment that should not have been allowed. I said it then, I will say it now, I have NEVER needed to know what X is. Not once. Never needed any formulas to figure out anything. I have lived almost 60 years with no help from algebra. So there.
That being said, I have come to understand how difficult it must be to teach someone as bored as I was. I can now easily see how fun it must have been for my teachers to have students who were engaged and participated and learned. I liked sitting in the back row where it was more likely my cloak of invisibility would work better. I envied the students who got it. The ones whose lives were being enhanced by whatever subject they loved. I loved study hall.
Teachers today have the worst job on earth through no fault of their own but through the crap heaped on them that does not involve teaching. What is wrong with parents? Why should teachers have to raise the students too? Why should teachers absorb the cost of students not having supplies? Why should a nation expect teachers do anything but share knowledge and maintain order in the classroom?
I am stunned at some of the stories I see on the news. Last year in one of the northeast Texas districts a boy, I think he was six, didn't want to cut his hair. There is a dress code at the child's school that required the boys to have hair that didn't touch their collar or some standard equally silly but, still, it is THE RULE. The parents piled the little boys hair on top of his head in a bun instead of making him cut his hair. The school sent him home. The parents went to the school district and threatened to sue. They were on the TeeVee talking about the boy's riiiights. Whatever, cut the kids hair or put him in another school.
Don't get me started on lawyers. That is a blog OR a book.
In Plano a law suit comes from the infamous candy cane Christmas story related gifts a child was refused permission to hand out to his friends in school. They are still in court I believe. Jesus would be so proud. If a school district has made the decision to be secular and mention no religion then, parents, set a good example and don't put your child in the middle by encouraging something you know district will not approve. Don't make your child an example of your beliefs. How brave of you. Hand out the candy canes yourself or keep your religion in your church. Or take them to your work place. "But he wanted to hand them out to his friends". Well, then take him house to house and let him give them to his friends and leave school out of it.
Sex education. Should schools teach it? Parents say yes or no but do it our way. Don't encourage kids to have sex. Don't talk about birth control, don't talk about condoms. Parents, no child has to be encouraged to have sex. It is a natural instinct. You, hopefully, have moral standards YOU impose them on your children and let the schools teach the science of sex. Not the art of, the science. You can tell them to enjoy it or hate it or whatever your personal feelings about the subject are. Of course that means you have to, you know, do your job.
Bullying in school has become a national epidemic. The schools are demonized for not doing enough. Bullshit. Bullying behavior is learned from your parents. Oh yes it is. Parents teach your children some respect. How about you set good examples and not be children yourselves? How rude of me. I know. I have met parents that I cannot believe the universe allowed to reproduce. Hate spewing, mean, ill tempered rubes who raise their children to be exactly the same way. Thanks, society doesn't have enough ignorance.
My parents were the epitome of NOT being hateful or mean spirited. I got a lecture I didn't understand when I called someone a queer at the age of 11. I meant not cool, I meant not hip, I meant socially different. My parents explained to me that "queer" was an ugly word. DON'T SAY IT. That was all I needed to hear. I didn't understand it was a rude term meaning homosexual, I didn't know what homosexual was, but I never used the word in public again.
Teachers are expected to meet state requirements, federal standards, work for little money and spend their free time and money helping students who cannot or do not keep up with the class. They work weekends. They support extra curricular activities. They are expected to be perfect, no flaws at work or in their private life. Parents have handed most of their responsibilities over to institutions. Day care, school, church, community activities, etc. Parents work and squeeze in their kids when and where they can. Parents divorce and drag their children back and forth from one house to another. Parents bad mouth each other in front of their children. Parents want to party at the club, at the bar, hang out, be cool. Parents want to be popular with their children's friends. Parents show respect for each other, don't give a damn about whether or not you are the popular parent. Raise your children to be decent and respectful of others. That is your job.
Teachers want to give your children their knowledge. They want to use the education many are still paying for to enhance your child's life. They want to make your children better. Not raise them, not discipline them, not socialize them. Teach them. Please prepare your children for that opportunity.
The next politician or candidate or anyone who opines about how easy teachers have it will hear from me. Scary, I know. A childless, former rotten student who pays school taxes. I didn't take advantage of the help teachers tried to give me. I didn't learn the things in school that I have since taught myself because I didn't like being ignorant. If you think for one second that walking into a classroom of 20 to 30 students is easy I suggest you do it for a week. If at the end of that week you still think being a teacher is a cake walk, you need more education.
You're welcome,
Lillybell Blues
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