Miss Beadle, the teacher from Little House on the Prairie, could teach everyone from youngins to "get–out-there-on-the-farm" age kids all in one room. She had only a chalk board for modern technology. How come we can’t achieve the same with millions of dollars in resources? I am battling the decision to take my child out of public school for the next school year. I don’t know what I am going to do but I have resulted to considering homeschooling. I never saw (still don’t see) myself as one to home school. I could never understand how parents have the dedication and time management skills needed to teach their children from home. Not to mention the energy, patience and…dare I say it out loud…the will to be around your children for 24hrs a day*. It’s just not my thing. I am however, willing to make it my thing for the sake of my child.
I have grown weary of the reports of fights, silent lunches, police cars at the school and the infamous “shank wars”** that take place (in the 4th grade). Not to mention the number of times this particular class has had a substitute teacher. There has been a push in my community for change in the structure of the school system. A push for results. For right now, I am merely pushing for consistency and expectation of excellence in the classroom. I can’t take on lack of parent involvement, standardized tests and the miseducation the students receive on a good day. That’s another topic…for a book.
Don’t get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for teachers…for real teachers. You know the ones. The teachers that actually want to do more than get their student loans paid off or get botox injections with their premium insurance. The ones that work late, that cry at night and pound their fists at the ropes that bind them from actually teaching. Those are the ones that I’m talking about. Those are the teachers I had. They are the teachers that some of my children have been blessed to have.
New content: What is a parent to do? We give each teacher our phone numbers and email addresses at the beginning of each year. We receive very little communication from them. And by very little, I mean a couple (2) of teachers have used the information between several (4) children. We have been very fortunate. Two of the children go to good high schools, another not so much (not our decision but we still have high expectations) and then we have the shank warrior. We are not willing to play the odds. We expect 100% greatness (to be determined on an individual basis). However, we need the support of those that are supposed to be helping us raise and train our children...hence the problem. end of new content
New content: What is a parent to do? We give each teacher our phone numbers and email addresses at the beginning of each year. We receive very little communication from them. And by very little, I mean a couple (2) of teachers have used the information between several (4) children. We have been very fortunate. Two of the children go to good high schools, another not so much (not our decision but we still have high expectations) and then we have the shank warrior. We are not willing to play the odds. We expect 100% greatness (to be determined on an individual basis). However, we need the support of those that are supposed to be helping us raise and train our children...hence the problem. end of new content
Well, if I do have to home school, I’m hoping my husband will step in and be the best Miss Beadle he can be.
* Note: God bless the stay-at-home and homeschooling parents.
** Shank war: the practice of removing the eraser from a pencil and flattening the metal for the purposes of making a “shank” which is a weapon made in PRISON by PRISONERS popularized in movies as the weapon of choice in prison murders. Students then walk around nicking each other with the metal edge for the shear hilarity of hearing a fellow student shriek. To my knowledge this is all done in "fun". No one is meant to get hurt.
Side note: I know there are billions upon billions of dollars budgeted for education. I was speaking only of my district.
ReplyDeleteHey Kelly, I just went in to school for an IEP meeting and found so many contradictions. I spoke my mind, respectfully of course but I let the teachers know exactly how I felt not only about the material being taught ( greek mythology to 6th graders..I had that sophomore year in HS) but the speed at which they expect my kids to read absorb and be tested on....same thing all the time...." we agree with you" But, nothing is done.I know my kids have had some quality teachers in their lives. But recently, they all seem to be shoving information down my kids throats, not really teaching.
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard because you have to walk such a fine line. I don't want my kids penalized for have less than adequate education. And it's not all of them. Luckily I only have to worry about the education of 2 of the kids. That doesn't change the fact that they are receiving sub-par education with little expectation for success. I think, in my case. if the teachers expected more, they would get more.
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