TEACHERS

Now that I’m a world renown columnist I’ve decided to use my power to inspire people to show appreciation for teachers. Okay, so maybe I’m not world renown but teachers still deserve some appreciation. After all, in what other profession can you get kicked and have your pocketbook thrown out the window all in the same day? That’s exactly what my husband did to his kindergarten teacher and she was still so fond of him that he got to sit right next to her for the first two months of school! Fortunately he grew out of his feisty attitude and became a good student. As an adult he’s seen firsthand the trials and tribulations that teachers endure. He is involved with a program called "Future Scientists" where engineers and scientists from his workplace go into local grade schools and conduct experiments with the kids. (WITH them not ON them). His first encounter with the students almost caused him to enter a permanent vegetative state. His colleagues gently guided him from the classroom while he mumbled something about teachers not earning enough.

I admire how patient teachers are when dealing with parents. They get parents in denial about their child’s behavior "Little Ralph was just expressing his creativity when he painted Suzy’s hair green". Some parents are convinced that their Johnny is much too advanced to be working at such a slow pace. "He’s been coloring since he was 8 months old and he stopped eating glue at a VERY early age!" Then there are parents like me. I’m one of those parents who come into the classroom to "help". Just before Thanksgiving I went into my daughter’s kindergarten class to help the kids make pilgrims out of construction paper. I’m always amazed at how teachers can handle a class of 20 or 25 kids. I was only working with five at a time and I couldn’t keep track of who was gluing what and where they were gluing it! After seeing that the first set of pilgrims looked more like aliens, the teacher decided to help out. Thank goodness. With a little more glue the table would have had a permanent collage of patterns and construction paper affixed to it! She even kept her cool when a kid at the next table threw up on his worksheet. Phew, it was almost time for me to leave. Not only did she have to stay but she had to come back the next day. These teachers keep coming back. Are they crazy? I for one am glad that they are. It’s a dirty job but someone’s got to do it.

Its human nature to complain about the bad things, but I challenge you to praise the good things your kid’s teachers do. Don’t do it tomorrow, do it right now. Pick up the phone and leave them a nice message on their voice mail or send a note in with your kids. Tell them something you like about them. Such as, "I like the way your nose matches your face" or "I am glad you don’t burp in class" or even "You’re a wonderful teacher and I’m glad my child has you". I sincerely hope teachers are flooded with compliments, they deserve it.


Epilogue: I wrote this a few years back, now my daughter who was then in kindergarten is now in fifth grade and my youngest daughter is in second grade. I'm still torturing the teachers with my "help". I'm surprised that sometimes they seem to appreciate it!
I see that I wrote that classrooms have 20 to 25 kids, now I've seen some with as many as 30 kids! Yikes!
A special thank you to Mrs. M. for teaching S., even through her tears. Just remember sometimes we all "just need to cry"!!