Teachers! I'm starting to get very frustrated with teachers....not that I haven't in the past...but the last week or so it has become very annoying. Now, I have to be really careful in what I say because teachers are in my family....quite a few.....but fortunately none of them read my blog! My sister is a retired teacher and principal, my brother is a teacher, the other brother is a part time teacher, my sister-in-law is a teacher, my sister's son (my nephew) is a teacher..and his wife is a teacher.....and of course my hubby is a part time teacher of evening classes, and my eldest son has done some teaching and hopes to be a college professor very soon(and I think that maybe he reads this the odd time...when he's bored).........so..ya...like I said...lots of teachers.
Now, a good teacher is worth their weight in gold. I would not want to be a teacher in todays schools! There is absolutely no respect by the students towards the teachers, the teachers certainly don't have the leverage, discipline wise that teachers of yesteryear had....which makes their job extremely difficult.....but.....
I am in particular frustration with the teachers in Maya's school. Maya is my 17 yr old and she attends the local highschool. Maya has some academic learning disabilities which, as she's gotten older, has really caused a problem for her. Her comprehension level, academically, is extremely low, so her academic subjects are all at the essential level......that's the level that is the lowest that you can be at without being put in a special class. Maya excels in other areas.....in particular, sports, music and her ability to look after babies and small children. She is fabulous in these areas.....there isn't a sport that she doesn't do well in.....she plays a brass instrument in three bands, and my youngest grandaughter thinks she's her second mother!
So, where is the connection between Maya and my frustration with the teachers? Well, I'll tell you...... since Maya is involved in these other activities...band and sports....sometimes she misses class time....not due to her own doing but when the coach says you have to leave class by a certain time to get to the game on the other side of town...well, you kind of have to leave...and when the music teacher says that she's having an all day practice because of a band concert that night...well, what do you do......and when you have a big, huge interview for a special co-op placement for next year and the placement people schedule it during your english class...the same class that you've missed and had to leave early from before....a few times.....what are you supposed to do?
They've all been getting on Maya's case...causing her tremendous stress.....she's scared that the english teacher is going to stop her from doing the co-op placement next year...(he threatened to go to the powers that be and get her stopped from being involved in anything next year)....
yesterday, Maya didn't go to this years co-op placement because she has a cold...no big deal...but...her placement is in a nursing home where there are fragile, senior citizens....but....when Maya mentioned about going to her athletic banquet tonight...her co-op teacher said...'well, if you don't go to co-op then you can't go to the athletic banquet'!!!! grrrrrrr.
Speaking of athletics.....Maya has been on the baseball team at school for the last few months.....unbeknownst to me they ordered her a t-shirt with her name on it and gave her a pair of sports baseball socks....and then said...pay up $40 please. Now, this is usual, sure...except they got her name, on the shirt spelt wrong! So, everytime the ump called her name or anyone addressed her...you guessed it ...they said her name wrong! I said...'well, I'm not paying 40 bucks for a shirt where your name is spelt wrong, they need to get a new shirt'...but by the time they were getting around to doing it, the season ended! They still expect me to pay for the shirt...with the wrong name.....when would she wear it again? (Maya wears her sports shirts all the time...she prefers them to girly shirts) That's $40 people!!!!! $40 is a lot of money!!!!! They even tried to scare her by saying that she wouldn't be able to go to the banquet tonight unless she payed for the shirt ....I told her that she already had her ticket and not to worry about it....but kids like Maya, well, they do worry about these things.....
So, now I have a very stressed teen....afraid that she wont be able to do co-op next year, afraid she wont be able to do sports next year, afraid she wont be able to be in the bands next year...and afraid she wont be able to go to the banquet tonight! Teachers don't understand Maya....because she has the academic disabilities, Maya needs these other things.....because she struggles so academically these other 'things' are what gives her the self confidence that she needs in this world.....it's what makes her Maya!
Like I said....a good teacher is worth their weight in gold...but a teacher on a power trip.....well, quite frankly....their worth..???
Just my opinion.
2 comments:
Sounds like some teachers are on auto-pilot, instead of looking at the whole picture. Argh! I hope Maya doesn't lose out on the things that she excels in, just because these teachers aren't taking her needs into consideration!
It makes you wonder how much teachers and staff talk to one another, or have any kind of coordinated effort. I know what you mean about students being penalized for missing class for school functions and it is frustrating!! Especially so for someone like Maya, who needs those "extra" successes outside of class.
I'll pray that she will be able to have peace and not be stressed over these situations, and hopefully a counselor could be helpful in understanding her situation??
40 bucks for a misspelled shirt is too much, I'm with you.
Post a Comment