Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Teacher's Who Blog

I am a teacher. I am teacher who blogs. I try to be really careful about what I post. It can be therapeutic to blog. I don't use names, or give enough details about one person so that they can be identified. I am not your normal teacher. I deal with a stressful group of students (if you don't know what I do, see below). The ones that no one else can get through to, or the ones that no one wants to bother trying to get through to. I love them though. I view them as simply misunderstood. If you find out who they are as a person (and not just as a student), then BAM, usually they will open up and you can help them get back on track.

So as a teacher who blogs, this article intrigued me. She's right people. Students are becoming more and more unmotivated and lazy. They have been handed everything and now expect the teachers to just hand over perfect grades. That's not how I operate as a teacher. You have to prove to me you know the stuff. I don't care if you choose to prove your knowledge to me through a test, project, or just conversation, but prove it!

I liked her comment about how kids want everything now, they wanted it yesterday. When did students become so impatient? I think this has been a shift in society as a whole and not just in students. With today's technology we are able to gain stuff (information, goods, contact) within seconds. We are able to buy unlimited number of things on line. We can talk to friends and family who are half way around the world after only a few simple clicks. So who is to blame for the growing lack of patience? It is society's fault? The parents? A combination?

It bugs me that this teacher was simply venting and now she is being punished. She did not use her name, nor did she mention the school. The blog was simply for her friends and family to read. No one bothered to praise her for her positive comments, but the minute she calls her students out about their lack of effort, motivation, etc. people get upset. Instead of getting upset at the person who blew the whistle, why not look at the students who caused the whistle to be blown in the first place?!

Her comment about parents trying to be more of their child's friend than their parent is true! Your child(ren) have friends. What they need is someone to create and enforce rules and boundaries. Believe it or not, kids who have boundaries feel safe and loved. So if you truly love your child, stop trying to be their best friend and start trying to be their parent!

I blog because it's therapeutic. I will keep blogging. Heck, if/when the time comes that I am in a public school, I will probably start a blog for each of my classes. I can post the homework, classroom topics, discussion questions, etc. So I am a teacher. I am teacher who blogs. Get over it.



**I run a school for juvenile "delinquents" (I hate that term, I like to call them the misunderstood). I get students who are suspended or expelled from local schools (for various reasons ranging from truancy, to fighting, to bringing weapons/drugs to school). I am often the last stop before placement (detention centers or boys/girls school). If we can't help them turn their lives around and get back on track, the judge will have them placed. We are often the first stop out of placement as well. It gives the students time to adjust to being home before throwing them back into the craziness of public school. I work with 6th through 12th graders on any subject. I LOVE MY JOB! I really do!

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