Personally, I hope that people will continue to share their stories--both positive and the negative. The reality is that there are both positive and negative environments and teachers.
Mostly I think that the sharing of stories helps us to gain perspective about our own situations. Sometimes I read what someone has written and I think, "OK, I'm not crazy. It really IS reasonable to expect 'x'." I need that anecdotal evidence (that it could better) in order to keep going back and advocating for my children.
Other times I read something and I think, "Wow. That situation ______ wrote about is appalling. I guess I should at least appreciate "x" in my own situation".
There are a lot of stories that have been shared here that truly ARE appalling. Those need to be part of the ongoing conversation about what works and what doesn't work. Yes, teachers are stretched (and I speak from first hand experience), but there is no excuse for ridiculous decisions like refusing to allow a child to read books at their reading level (excepting those with content too mature for an elementary classroom), or for making a child who has fully developed number sense sit and color in counting sheets.
We all need help sometimes. This may be a weird analogy, but I recall being hospitalized for an infection about 10-12 years ago. Although I am generally able to advocate for myself unabashedly, being hospitalized completely undermined my sense of self. People would come into my room without nametages and without introducing themselves, tell me something, leave, and then be followed an hour later by someone else without a nametag who would tell me something completely different. I remember getting out of the hospital and wanting to smack myself upside the head for being so meek while I was there. I allowed all of the experts to talk at me and I felt powerless to challenge or question what they said. Afterall, my wellbeing was in their hands, right? As a result, I spent the entire time feeling confused and a bit frightened. If I'm ever hospitalized again, I hope I am smart enough to have someone else with me who can ask the tough questions on my behalf.
It's easy to feel that way with our schools as well. We are entrusting our children to other adults. We don't want to offend the experts who will be responsible for our childrens' wellbeing, and, "on our own", we can easily be overwhelmed by the apparent confidence of the "experts". Coming to a place like this is a bit like having someone else in the room with you when you are a patient and feeling vulnerable. Other parents can help us confirm our instincts and may even offer advice; or they can gently question our reactions and help us to view things from another perspective. Either way, very valuable indeed.
Last edited by Taminy; 09/12/09 12:17 AM.
