I'm new to the forum and therefore hesitate to express my genuine feelings on some of the subject matter. I couldn't live with myself, however, if I didn't come to the defense of some well qualified teachers.
First and foremost I want you to know I'm not a formal educator and do not consider myself to be bias. I did substitute many years ago and was disappointed with the education system. I concluded back then that if I ever had a child she/he would not attend a public school. I've had to eat my words because low and behold our DD attends a public school. Her elementary school is in the best district in our city of more than a million residents. Our district superintendent formerly led the education system for an entire state; he has a lot of experience to say the least.
Is this district flawless? Not by a long shot!!!!!! There have been two incidents within the last week that made headlines in regards to our daughter's very school. Behind the fenced in(chain link) playground is a woodsy area where men with cameras have been spotted taking pictures of the children at recess; my child included. Has the district taken precautionary measures to place a privacy fence to avoid this from occuring again? Of course not! My daughter is in a portable building (due to overcrowding) around the same vicinity as the perverted photographers. If a child has to use the restroom during the day other than the class break they walk to the main building on their own. If the weather is unfavorable the children get wet walking to and from the main building for PE or other classes, library time, lunch, etc. It's ridiculous to me that not even a simple awning has been placed to protect them from the rain much less from perverts lurking in the woods. I brought this up to the Principal and her facial expression was "it 'aint gonna happen, lady". I spoke to her teacher about it she mentioned to me that for years the teachers have been trying to get them to do this in addition to adding a restroom. But each time it's addressed it gets turned down. I promised her I will pursue the topic until something gets done. I know my journey will fall on deaf ears but I will try my absolute best.
Every single day I hold my breath as I drop my sweetie off at school. Every morning I pray that she comes back to us in the same (hopefully better) condition as her arrival. You must think we're crazy for allowing her to continue her education there after all that. We can't afford to send her to a private school. My desire and plan is to someday soon go back to homeschooling. We both loved it. Calvert is the curriculum we used and it was amazing!!! It is ten times more advanced than public school. Maybe because it's the same curriculum used in their private institution in Maryland.
Sorry I got sidetracked. Back to my main reason for posting. As I said I used to subtitute and have seen many upon many teachers that quite honestly do not have the right to influence our children the way they do. At times I felt like circling the want ads and handing it to them. I never did but I sure felt like it. In contrast, though you have teachers who are so passionate about their work. They live for teaching and not the other way around. They have a strong desire to reach the heart of every single little person and make a difference in their young life. They have no boundaries and continue their day as teachers beyond 3:00, holidays, and the summer. There are some, Folks who REALLY care about your gifted child but due to the "system" are very limited in what they can do.
Have you ever spent an entire day with a teacher? Maybe if you did you'd realize there is very little time to actually teach. I recently spent a day with our DD's class. By the time her teacher did everything she had to do to prepare 21 kids for the day it was time to send them off to another class. She gets them back and they go on a restroom break, they walk to the classroom and spend a little time on some math maybe and it's time for lunch. She gets them back they do a little reading and it's time for recess and another restroom break. She gets them back and maybe they do a worksheet or two and it's time to go home. I failed to mention all the disciplining involved in a day's work and the time it takes to mark folders. Oh and heaven forbid it be a day when parents drop off birthday cupcakes to hand out.
What I'm trying to say is, when do teachers have the time to teach or to focus on the needs of your gifted child? For all the GENUINELY sincere educators out there I really took offense (for their sake) at the remarks about their incompetency and low IQ's, how unfair is that? When I homeschooled our daughter last year I literally would spend a minimum of three to four hours daily schooling her. The phones would get turned off and everyone knew they were not to knock on my door during those hours. I did no laundry, no dishes, no cleaning whatsoever. I completely focused my attention on this one child. Yes, one child and it would take 3-4 hours to cover a day's work. Her education was of the best quality because I had an excellent curriculum and the time to spend teaching. These teachers, however, don't have the same luxury. What a difference it would make if teachers could do the job they were trained for and leave everything else to an assistant. I know our education system sucks (for lack of a better word). But rather than knocking them for what they cannot do perhaps your frustration should be focused and directed to the board of education better yet with the Federal Government. It's about time they get more involved in making quality education a priority in our country.
Your children, my daughter deserve the best education regardless of monetary resources. Unfortunately for the moment we cannot expect the school system or our teachers to do it for us. If we want quality education for our children we have to be proactive and be willing to do whatever it takes to acquire it ourselves. Even if it means sending your child to school during the day and continuing their education at home in the evenings. That's what I do. She gets both. It's not easy but it's what I need to do to keep her challenged.
I'm sorry if I've offended anyone but I'm not sorry for coming to the defense of those who have earned the title 'Teacher'.
