March 29, 2011
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The Daily NewsDisclaimer: All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
1 To the parent whose daughter hasn't turned in any sort of real assignment since October: are you seriously blaming the teacher for not telling you that your daughter hasn't picked up a book all year, and refuses to do work or study for any tests?
2 Yes I got your request asking me to call you, but isn't the issue REALLY between you and your daughter? And didn't you get that if a student gets an "F" with the comments, "Doesn't turn in work" and "Poor test scores" on a report card, that's pretty much all you need to know?3 Poor parenting does not equal poor teaching.
4 Parents who want an instant answer as to why their son or daughter has received poor grades should ask early, the second they see the first report card. She's been getting poor grades with notifications all year, and the connection is usually a complete lack of doing homework or classwork. If it takes me a half hour to coax someone to take out a pencil, something isn't right. Perhaps the parent should stress school a little more at home rather than blaming school.
5 Note to lady: Most teachers of high school students have close to150 students and constant bouts of planning, grading, researching, going to endless meetings, preparing for state tests, getting prepared for possible layoffs, aging parents, families, illnesses, and everything else that happens to normal people in life going on simultaneously. And mountains of papers to grade from students who do their work and who study hard. We give ourselves an hour detention after school because your kid choses to be tardy. We give up prep periods to sit in on IEP meetings. We give up lunch periods to give make-up tests. We give up every weekend of the school year for prepping and planning.
6 You have one child. I let you know twelve different ways why your child has not been performing. Listen: you have to study and do classwork and homework. When your child gets an "F", the reason is usually that your child isn't working hard enough. It has little to do with not understanding the material. It has everything to do with you not being involved and insisting that your child work hard in school.
7 It's usually that simple. With all due respect ma'am, it's almost April. How have you not addressed this with your child or me earlier this year? Really?
8 So go to the principal, and the District, and the governor, or whoever else you wish to blame for your lack of essential parenting.
9 Then walk into your bathroom, turn on the light, and look really long and hard into the mirror.
10 Because someone is not doing their job, and it isn't your child's teacher. Trust me.
11 Children who succeed have parents who are actively involved in their education. Children who don't succeed have parents who are not actively involved in their education.
12 It's a simple formula. There are exceptions. But in general, this is pretty true to form.
13 I'm glad you finally realized that calling the school and showing you care is a good thing, but your credibility falls pretty short when it is April by the time it hits you in the head.
14 And then expecting the teachers to drop everything they are doing for one student isn't a good bet. Our grades are due next week, and we are spending the majority of our time reading homework, classwork, and analyzing tests that our performing students are actively doing.
15 We'll get to your child, but your child is being "left behind" for a reason.
16 Look in the mirror if you want feedback.
17 Look in the mirror. Long and hard.
18 Moving on, Part the First:
The child in question is clearly fictitious. I just thought that awakening at 4 a.m. annoyed at this recurring theme needed to be put down in print and out there.19 Ladeez and gents, this sort of nonsense goes on all the time.20 When did it become fashionable to hate on teachers?
21 Because I'm not going to sit here and take it.
22 Ever.23 I have thrown my entire life into this career. I have been passionate and sincere. I have made many mistakes, but who hasn't?
24 One thing is certain: I try every which way to throw thought, intelligence, passion for learning, and love into what I do every single day.
25 I spend hours upon hours thinking about how to reach every single person I teach, and to do so with patience, humor, and kindness.
26 I spend every single Sunday planning, composing, and grading. I spend most of my Saturdays visiting my ailing father, and I still don't get enough time with him.
27 And I'm just one of us. There are literally millions of teachers who throw their hearts and souls into their jobs. There are literally millions of people in education who throw their hearts and souls into their jobs.
28 Their jobs are suddenly threatened. Are you kiddin' me?
29 The vast majority of people who work in education are professional, hard-working people, just like a vast majority of people who work hard in other professions.
30 Where this education bashing started is beyond me.
31 I assume it is with the economy, but honestly.
32 Education is operating on bare bones this year.
33 Class sizes are getting off the charts, and we still have parents who think their kids are in some sort of private school.
34 Good people are getting laid off in droves.
35 Districts hide money because they know that it might run out.
36 Young prospective teachers go through agony every day trying to get into this profession. They do this because they are passionate, and because they are the next generation of teachers.
37 And they get attacked. And they get insecure about their jobs.
38 And somehow, there is a contingency of people out there hating on education and educators.
39 Can those people kindly do me a favor?
40 Can they kindly walk into their bathrooms, turn on the lights, and look long and hard into the mirror?
41 And then give a thought to what this world is going to become when we no longer have quality professional educators, because the people in this profession can go to other professions and thrive, because they are used to being overworked, underpaid, and still expected to perform on a professional level.
42 Just like most people.
43 Okay, I'm going to step down from all of this. I just thought I'd throw a little thought into the mix today.
44 Let's support our schools. Parents, please support your children. They are all good, and they have good hearts. You don't have to help them for six hours with their homework. You just have to insist they do it. And if they don't do it, then be a parent.
45 Don't say, "You didn't do sixteen assignments. I'm going to go call the school and complain that the teacher has not done his or her job!"
46 Ahem.
47 Somebody certainly hasn't done their job ma'am.
48 Somebody hasn't.
49 Peace.
~H~
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