Monday, September 01, 2003
The day before going over the top
It's Labor Day. In New Jersey that means that educators are reflecting on the summer and the impending job of trying to civilize the present generation. It's not a pleasent day because of the mental anguish. No one but a teacher can understand the emotional and psychological stress teaching can bring. I taught for seventeen years before becoming an administrator. Sometimes I think that makes me too empathetic.
The trick I have developed for spending a moderately relaxing day today is to work like crazy all summer to prepare the forms, databases, letters, schedules, and equipment for Tuesday. People think everyone has off for the summer but the custodians and maintenance men never work harder in unairconditioned rooms. The sweat drips along with the wax stripper.
I am married to a teacher, which should be a principal as well. We will both try our best to relax this day, while parents are building up the excitement for being able to drop their kids into the laps of someone else and complain about it.
My wife's family got together for a birthday and all we could talk about was the sad state of public eduation. Government wants to legislate quality education but the parents want to act like animals while we try to teach their children. They insist their child be in a higher lever than they should be, then accuse the teacher of prejudice when scores are low. They want discipline in the school as long as their little scantily clad girl can wear whatever she wants. They want the kid to pass a test they didn't study for because the teacher didn't do all they could to prepare the child for the test. It goes on and on. There are so few decent parents because those parents home-school their children. We are left with the irresponsible ones that blame everyone but themselves for the rearing of their children. (Rearing: a southern term for bringing up children. "You raise corn; you rear children")
Some parents let the Internet and the TV rear their children. And you wonder why teachers are a little apprehensive on Labor Day?
The trick I have developed for spending a moderately relaxing day today is to work like crazy all summer to prepare the forms, databases, letters, schedules, and equipment for Tuesday. People think everyone has off for the summer but the custodians and maintenance men never work harder in unairconditioned rooms. The sweat drips along with the wax stripper.
I am married to a teacher, which should be a principal as well. We will both try our best to relax this day, while parents are building up the excitement for being able to drop their kids into the laps of someone else and complain about it.
My wife's family got together for a birthday and all we could talk about was the sad state of public eduation. Government wants to legislate quality education but the parents want to act like animals while we try to teach their children. They insist their child be in a higher lever than they should be, then accuse the teacher of prejudice when scores are low. They want discipline in the school as long as their little scantily clad girl can wear whatever she wants. They want the kid to pass a test they didn't study for because the teacher didn't do all they could to prepare the child for the test. It goes on and on. There are so few decent parents because those parents home-school their children. We are left with the irresponsible ones that blame everyone but themselves for the rearing of their children. (Rearing: a southern term for bringing up children. "You raise corn; you rear children")
Some parents let the Internet and the TV rear their children. And you wonder why teachers are a little apprehensive on Labor Day?
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