I was a parent before I became a teacher, and I was not always happy with the schools my children attended or the teachers to whom they were subjected. This disdain has been a guiding principle for me since becoming an educator. So have the words of a colleague bemoaning the state of the school that had just hired me. He said it was not a place he would want to send his own children.
That has become a mantra for me: Would I want my own children in the classes I teach or attending the school of which I am a part; and if not, what can be done to change that?
All educators should follow that – and I believe many do. And we should treat parents with the respect and inclusiveness with which we would want to be treated. Whenever possible, I mean. There are, of course, parents whose conduct warrants child abuse reporting, which is the legal obligation of teachers and other education professionals.
ragini singh
I was a parent before I became a teacher, and I was not always happy with the schools my children attended or the teachers to whom they were subjected. This disdain has been a guiding principle for me since becoming an educator. So have the words of a colleague bemoaning the state of the school that had just hired me. He said it was not a place he would want to send his own children.
That has become a mantra for me: Would I want my own children in the classes I teach or attending the school of which I am a part; and if not, what can be done to change that?
All educators should follow that – and I believe many do. And we should treat parents with the respect and inclusiveness with which we would want to be treated. Whenever possible, I mean. There are, of course, parents whose conduct warrants child abuse reporting, which is the legal obligation of teachers and other education professionals.
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