What I am about to write is probably not what would be considered PC and does not fall into the farming category, but it is something that I feel needs to be said. Many of you may disagree. But I ask that you simply think back to your school years. Your teachers. Those that you loved, and those that you really did not like! And truly consider how these teachers have impacted your life.
Recently I have had multiple posts pop up on my social media accounts from parents of school age children that concern me. They have been talking of teachers making statements to the students that the parent considers bullying. Let me be clear, bullying is not nice. It can be very hurtful. But, yes there is a but here, I believe that it is our job as parents to teach our children to not only stand up to the bullies as needed, but to also simply ignore them. As I have seen in my life, a person who acts as, what some would call, a bully lives for the reaction. So to stop a bully, simply do not give them the reaction that they want. I would say I was never bullied. Have I been picked on, sure. But I simply let it go in one ear and out the other. I am stronger than that. I know that the bully does not define me, I define me! And that is how I think parents these days are failing their children. My parents never went to the school to berate my teachers for me if I had an issue with them. I learned to work with them on my own and I believe that gave me the skills that I use in my daily personal and professional life. As a parent of a five year old, I had to do this with my son. When he came home from kindergarten, yes, this starts in kindergarten, telling me that he had classmates who's parents were moving them to another teacher's classroom because they didn't like the teacher I had to make a decision. Would I follow the lead of these other parents and make my kindergartener's world easier for him, or would I use this as a life lesson and explain to him that, as The Rolling Stones would say, you can't always get what you want, but you will find, you get what you need! And that is what I did. Yes, I explained to my five year old that in life, you do not always get to work with who you want. I explained that at my job, I may not like my boss, but that I needed to work with him/her to get the job done. It was not the easiest year. The teacher did seem a bit bitter to have been working with a room full of 5 year olds for around 40 years, but we made it through and I believe my son learned that sometimes in life he would need to work with those that he might rather not. That is the reality of the world we live in. Mommy will not always be there to bail you out! So when I see parents ranting on social media about a teacher, talking about how the district is terrible, or how they are going to give that teacher a piece of their mind, I am very disheartened. Now let me be clear, my child also attended this district. Actually, I have two children, who attended two different districts so I am not ignorant on this topic. I was on the Parent Teacher Organization for years and was the vice president of the PTO for two years. I believe parents should play a part in the system whenever possible. I do not believe that their part should be simply to complain, but to support. So when I see a parent that has made the decision to homeschool based on their disdain for the school system I am concerned. I see parents who say that they removed their children from the public school system because they didn't like the teachers. They decided to home school because the teachers were not good enough to their children. I do not have a problem with homeschooling. There was a time I really wished I could homeschool my kids. But not because I was unhappy with the school they attended. I would have loved to homeschool so that I could have them around the homestead, and teach them more about nature, and raising their own food and the science of it all. But I knew that I could not give them the things that they could get at school. The socializing with those that were not like them, and the learning to deal with authority figures other than family were among the things I knew they would not get at home. Was every teacher amazing? Of course not. Just as I remember having great teachers and those that I did not think were so great when I was in school, but the wonderful thing about it is, each child is different. They all learn in different ways. So having a variety of personalities teaching your child is actually the great thing about public school. There are families that have a lifestyle that works for homeschooling. They promote diverse learning, travel, and more. Some of these children are incredibly well educated and well spoken. I think that is wonderful! But homeschooling simply because we don't like some of the teachers is the easy way out! If you really care about the future of our society, get involved. Join your schools parent-teacher group. If you don't have one, start one! Run for school board so you are directly involved in the decision making. And easiest of all, vote! Get out and vote for your school board, vote for mileages, and be informed! And one last thing, remember, the teachers, administration and staff at your child's school are human beings. To go on social media and publicly accuse them of bullying your child is, as they say, the pot calling the kettle black. The proper channels would be to have a calm discussion with the student and teacher. Get both sides of the story before making a decision. Please remember these people have dedicated their professional life to helping all of our children. Before you bad-mouth a teacher to your child, think about what you are telling them. And by all means remember, your child is not perfect. No one is, not your child, my child, or that teacher.
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AuthorHi! I am Lori Lundell and I am the Country Girl Gardener at Lundell Farms. Together with my husband, John, we have a small, farm focused on natural, healthy living. We raise produce, animals for meat and eggs, and love spending time together working on projects! Archives
November 2016
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