Teachers have a difficult job. They inspire, educate, discipline and mold children into productive citizens. The teacher's passion can be used to inspire. The teacher's knowledge enables them to educate. Their ability to mold children comes from their pure love of children. This can create a wonderful feeling in your child and you get to see a smiling face at the end of the day. But, when that same beautiful child comes to you in tears from their teacher, that is a whole new story.
Today while speaking with a friend, she shared the latest shenanigans of her child's teacher. The teacher apparently ridiculed him for a conversation that she had with the teacher. The son has left distraught in tears. And now the parents are deciding whether to even take the child back to school tomorrow. I felt deflated as I asked “what now?”
Teachers can easily feel the pressure to do inappropriate things to gain control of the class room. When teachers use their position or physical stature to create fear in children they are going to far. Children are very impressionable and being afraid in a classroom environment is the worst thing that can happen for a child. Teachers are not suppose to teach through fear. The end result can be catastrophic.
Mommys! Our main purpose is to protect our children. If we openly allow our children to be intimidated, we could doom our children to educational failure. Regardless of what road you need to take, make sure your child knows without a doubt that the classroom is for learning not for fear. What do you think?
OMG!! I completely agree. I’m going through a similar situation with my 11 year old at this time. My daughter is a good kid, honor roll student. However, she seems to be struggling terribly in her science class. She has all A’s and B’s in her classes, and is pulling a C in science by the skin of her teeth (why do people say that…teeth do not have skin. Smh). Anyway, my observation in helping her study and checking up on her is that there is clearly not an aptitude problem…its a motivation issue. My teacher conferences with Math, Reading, English, Geography, Health, etc…my child is “a leader, a pleasure, motivated,” etc. Science…she’s unfocused, undisciplined, and quite lazy (my words, not the teacher’s). She turns in work half completed, late, and just does not have a motivation for science.
Now, because I know my kid, I know that she perfoms best when there is a mutual liking between her and the teacher. This fuels not only her external motivation to please the teacher and do a good job, but her internal motivation to feel pride in the subject and learning process. I had to be honest with this teacher…”There’s something going on within the dynamics of your classroom that is affecting my child’s motivation/dedication to your class. If she were neglecting assignments across the board, and unfocused, dismissive of responsibilities in all classes…ok, that’s my job. But 5 A’s, 2B’s and a D in your class…there’s something going on in that classroom.” I had to bite my tongue from telling her “that’s your job” but she did the math. The teacher was floored. She couldn’t help but be “equally disappointed” to hear that this is only a problem in her class. She consulted with my daughter’s other teachers and saw that my concerns were valid.
I was a proud parent knowing that I did my job to be my daughter’s advocate. Mind you, I still held my child accountable for her irresponsibility and talk with her about her role in the situation. My daughter stated that she just doesn’t like the teacher that much, “sometimes she’s kinda mean.” It takes at least two people to create a teaching/learning relationship that breeds successful learning. The teacher sets the tone.
HHIS I should have tohguht of that!
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Dude, right on there brhtoer.
This frightens me so much. I have a grandson who will be starting preschool in August. I pray that his school years are as uneventful as his moms, I’m just not sure. How sad that school is now a place to fear instead of a place to love learning 🙁
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