As parents, we ask our teachers to do things we must do ourselves. Although teachers are happy to contribute to the development of students, their job is not to teach our children to be good citizens. Teachers should be the beneficiaries of the fact that we provide a quality education for our children.
Teachers shouldn’t be teaching our children to say “please” and “thank you”. Educators should be the beneficiaries of the fact that we have already taught our children morals.
Educators should not have to teach our children not to be bullies. Our job is to teach our children not to be a bully and not to bully others. Teachers should be the beneficiaries of raising our children to be kind and caring.
Educators should not have to teach our children to respect authority. They should be the beneficiaries of the fact that we are already doing this. When a teacher asks our son or daughter to do something, we must have already taught him to say “yes, madam” or at least to ask “why?” in a respectful manner.
Educators should not have to teach our children the dangers of social media. They weren’t the fools who bought our kids a smartphone at 12 and expected them to understand the responsibility that comes with it. Educators should be the ones to benefit from the fact that we have already taught our children that Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other social media are fertile grounds for bullies and idiots.
Teachers should not have to teach our children good hygiene. They should be the beneficiaries of the fact that we taught him to shower regularly, use deodorant and wash his clothes.
Educators do not have to teach our children that they are not alone in the world. That this great universe does not revolve around them. That their words have meaning and that their actions matter. Being nice will make them more than mean. Sometimes it’s good not to say anything. Keeping your cell phone in your locker during the school day is not so dramatic. They win the genetic lottery and they can go to a school with electricity, running water, computers, meals, teachers who care about them and want to see them succeed.
When we wonder why Tom is not learning to read and write, try to remember that having to teach our children all of the above things can seriously hamper a teacher’s ability to teach reading and writing.
Our teachers should not be expected to impart all of these fundamentals. They should be the beneficiaries of what we have already taught our children. We parents need to do a better job of sending kids to school who are ready to learn school lessons, not life lessons.
But as a parent, we know that we often fail in our parenting duties. And when we fail, we take comfort in knowing that there are dedicated teachers who will take the time to remind our children to say “please” and “thank you,” educate them about the dangers of social media, advise them on personal hygiene and teach them how to become better people – because that’s what teachers do The good ones!