Today’s Thursday Thought was not going to be on this topic. This happened too recently to not write about. In the past, I have written lots about education and teachers in particular. Why? I’m married to a teacher. I watch her sacrifice so much for her students. She works extremely hard, so that her student, co-workers and school is an outstanding place to be. Last December, that sacrifice landed her in the emergency room and ICU. I have on a number of occasions written that she is my hero. What she does is just short of amazing. The good thing is – she is not alone. There are 100’s that I have met that are amazing as well.
I wrote a post in 2014 that centered on the switch to attacking teachers. For those that don’t want to go back to read the complete post… I will summarize! It was about the old days when parents automatically assumed the teacher was 100% correct and whatever the teacher said was golden. That has made a shift in many people’s eyes. It is fair game to attack the teacher at every opportunity. I asked the basic question, “who has the most to gain from what is being discussed? The teacher telling you what happened or the student’s version of what happened?”
Onto this Thursday’s Thought! Is it okay to just post stuff to social media from one side of view and I will add without facts? I just we can ask that question of the media as well. I want to stay focused on the teaching side of the world.
A parent wants to vent on what they perceive to have happened during the school day from the students point of view and posts to Facebook (open to their friends and once commented on their friends and so on). This post does not include names of the school or teacher, but does mention the student. Does not take a detective to fill in the blanks. Out come the comments about how the student was wronged and the teacher is a bad teacher… Does not take long before a friend of a friend sees the post. Teacher got alerted. Damage is done!
Teacher can not get involved in the Facebook post as she would probably get fired for something in her contract about use of social media. I know if it was me, I would have posted what really happened – to put a light on the real story – rather than what was said in the beginning.
Was is it okay for parents to have an outlet, but not the teacher? I know I could never do that job, as I would love to us same outlet to share my frustrations. If I was a teacher, I think I would share something like this one:
Today was a very frustrating day. My first class had 50% of their homework completed. I asked those that did not get it done, “why?” Got the usual answers – I forgot; had football practice; my family was busy; and left it at home. There was one answer that just got me – my parents said I do not have to do anything I don’t want to. These are the parents that attack me for his grades not being acceptable. The same parents that do not attend conferences. The same parents that will not sign assignments. The same parents that when the start time of school is. I guess my student has some outstanding role models to follow in life!
That would not be allowed. If that got out, I would be fired from my job. Probably would go viral and need to make a public apology for my actions. The parents post – just sits there and the feeding frenzy continues.
Your Thoughts?
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