Ok, let me give prior warning that a rant is about to start…
As a secondary school teacher, I reckon I have one of the hardest jobs in the world. Oh, poor teachers, I hear you say. Yes, we do get lots of holidays and yes, the holidays are awesome – even if we spend most of them either cooped up in bed sick or planning for the new term.
But the responsibility that goes with the job sometimes hardly makes it worth the effort. When will parents admit that they have a responsibility in the education of their child? Why is it so difficult for parents to admit that their little darling is not the shining light of the world? And where the hell do they get off placing the blame for their offspring’s misdemeanours squarely on the shoulders of the teacher?
I’m not a parent, and I understand how easy it could be to believe that your child is intelligent, talented and brilliant – even when they’re not. After all, everyone only wants the best for those that they love. But please people, TAKE A BLOODY REALITY CHECK!
Newsflash. Guess what? Your child may not be academically smart. In fact, it’s highly likely that they’re a bit of a dope. Most teenage kids can’t think past their stomach or their genitals, it’s human nature. And yes, your child may painfully socially inept, a smartass or a plain old asshole. But even that’s cool – that’s what puberty is all about.
However, working in a private girls’ school as I do, I’m sometimes gob smacked by the way that parents refuse to acknowledge that their child is in the wrong in any way. Low grades? Must be the teacher’s fault for not teaching them properly. Too social in class? The teacher has clearly failed to discipline them properly. Too many detentions? The teacher’s discipline practices are overbearing.
What can we bloody do? The answer is: nothing. We have to sit back and cop it all. The nastiness and emotional blackmail from the kids, the threats and blame from the parents, and to top it off, like any other workplace, we have to deal with stupid bureaucracy and crazy office politics.
Take some responsibility people; don’t palm it off on us…
That is all.
1 comment:
If there were no teachers to blame the barents would acctually have to look at how poor their own parenting skills are. Now that would be an interesting moment in time!
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