John,
You are not on a soapbox, just angry at the situation that some
parents make when they cannot control their kids. As a high school teacher
for 34 years, I too have seen the problem faced by teachers. As a speaker
for nature Discovery Volunteers, I see another side of the story too. I
volunteer to work with student in elementary schools talking about sea life
and especially sea shells. When I go in, I am expected to "entertain" and
not particularly teach. Some of the teachers have sat in the back and read
their magazines or books while I give their lessons. As I am not being
paid for my talk to the kids it seems that the teacher doesn't have to be
in control of his or her class.
Yes, talking to young people about shells is a real pleasure, but
it still is teaching. Parents have a job and teachers have a job. It is
different than "my job", talking about shells and their lives.
Teaching is getting more difficult by the minute as it seems that
we, as adults,(parents and teachers) cannot really define what we want our
product to be and are not willing to put real effort into the "project".
Will I stop teaching? Definitely not, but I am more agressive with
parents who want to bad mouth the "educational systems". I have retired as
a high school teacher, but am still active teaching in the Jr. College
level and volunteering to talk in schools about my favorite subject...life.
John, try to keep your son-in-law teaching. He sounds like a very
dedicated person, but sees the "project' as lost. It is not. He can make
a difference.
Dan
>I just have to add this one little thing about school. There is nothing
>wrong with learning at home, but think of all the things you are missing by
>not going to school, you first are not learning how to interact with
>people. You miss out on all the many things that go on in school that you
>are not being taught at home. My son-in-law is a teacher in Sarasota, he
>has the same problem with kids that do not want to learn, he calls himself
>a gloriefied baby sitter. He also try to forget about these "KIDS?" and
>teach the ones that really want to learn. Soould he have to quit because
>the parents do not teach their children how to behave, I think not, he is
>one of the best in what he teaches. and I have hear this from different
>people, my kid would not do that, how do you know, you are not in those
>classes, you might try it some time go to the school and see just how your
>kid behaves in class, you might change your minds. The teacher tries to
>teach, but he/she cannot do it all. Off my soap box. John Bernard
>Tennessee
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Dan & Hiromi Yoshimoto
1164 Vista Dr.
Eureka, California
95503-6018
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