Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.

Lesson Plans


teachers/respect, re: Heather's response

From: Sharon (sharonbk)
Date: Wed Mar 01 2000 - 20:23:54 PST

  • Next message: PurpleArt: "Gyotaku found!"

    I absolutely agree with what Heather wrote about teachers and respect. My
    son's 4th grade teacher was a woman who should have found another
    profession, and the damage she did lasts to this day! (i.e. when he
    couldn't figure out a math problem, he was told he was "pathetic" and
    "hopeless.") I am soooooo sorry I left him with that caustic, nasty woman
    for a whole school year....

    This year (in 7th grade) he has some wonderful teachers, and others who are
    truly awful. I don't know if they're burned out or if they just basically
    don't like kids, but in either case, they're simply not suited for their
    positions.

    Even though I'm a teacher, I'm much more willing than I used to be to
    challenge another teacher's way of dealing with his or her students,
    especially when it is having an unreasonably negative impact on my child.
    And this being said, I've also--when necessary--gone a few rounds with a
    control-freak of a principal and a let's-not-make-waves school
    superintendent.

    My son has come to hate school (for the most part) due to the hostile
    environment created by the administration and some of the teachers! (As an
    example, another kid knocked my son's notebook out from under his arm last
    week. His papers scattered to the floor and he bent down to pick them up.
    A teacher (not one of his), who HAD to have seen what happened, came up
    behind him and told him he was obstructing the flow of traffic in the hall
    (!) My son said he was trying to get his papers and she said "Did you hear
    me?! I said to move--M-O-V-E, MOVE!!" He grabbed what he could (half of
    what he salvaged was ripped....) and M-O-V-E-D, as ordered. Yes, I went to
    bat for him over this issue. I mean, jeez, why couldn't this woman have
    said "You're obstructing the flow of traffic in the hall--here, let me
    *help* you quickly grab your papers!"?

    I'll be the first to admit that teaching is one of the most challenging jobs
    out there, and that students should be taught to respect their teachers and
    other significant adults in their lives. But unless you genuinely love
    kids, are enthused and excited about the subject you're teaching, and strive
    to be fair and kind--rather than sarcastic and punitive--you really need to
    consider another line of work.

    My two cents on this topic!!

    Sharon
    sharonbk
    Artwork & Lesson Plans, Genealogy Info, etc.
    http://home.adelphia.net/~sharonbk
    AIM: SKBK56 

    ---

    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Mar 01 2000 - 20:28:45 PST