I would like to add grist to the mill (if I may say so) to the text Ideas “It is time to take off our rose-colored glasses, dear fellow teachers”, by Simon Bucci-Wheaton, published in The duty from May 27.
I was a teacher for 27 years, from K-5e high school, and raised three children, now ages 32, 29 and 21.
When I was young, if I arrived with a bad report card or a dictation full of mistakes to sign, it was my fault.
Afterwards, when I became a teacher, if I had students who performed poorly or who did not do well, it was also my fault.
I really enjoyed my job as a teacher, which brought me a lot of joy and pride, but also a lot of pain and discouragement. Many parents lose sight of the importance of standing up to their child, of telling them no, of telling them that their work is not great, of forcing them to do something shoddy again, of forcing them to apologize, teach him to respect adults and teachers (who, by the way, are not his friends!), etc. Parents must also teach their children the importance of being kind, respectful, polite, accommodating and sympathetic. (These qualities open many doors in society, when we are small and even when we are big!) All this, of course, by showing the child, on a daily basis, the infinite and unfailing love that we, the parents, let’s take it to him.
In my teaching practice, I have stood up to many children and adolescents. It usually ended well, but not always. And that’s emotionally hard. I have tried very hard to practice my job as a teacher with respect and openness. Most of the time, I managed not to be angry with the child or teenager who made me work too hard, but not always. And that too is hard. I then remembered that he or she was the fruit of the education received from his or her parents.
What has kept me and delighted me all these years is the ability of young people to adapt and learn, whether academically or behaviorally. Parents and teachers, let’s not give up, nothing is ever lost!