Not ever having been a parent of my own children (just stepkids) I have always had the luxury of being a parent without having the hysterics of having the umbilical cord attached if you will. Most folks are going to defend their children right or wrong to the detriment of the child in many cases. I will give you an example. My youngest stepson was taken away from my wife and her exhusband during their divorce and placed in the custody of the paternal grandmother. She in turn gave him over to friends to raise which they did between the ages of 5-12. Then he was returned to his grandmother and father because he was no longer the cute little boy that the friends had wanted. He is now 18 but since he was 15 he has been in and out of trouble with the law for drugs and alcohol. Everytime he gets in trouble his grandmother is down at the jailhouse immediately bailing him out and crying how he is getting treated unjustly. Theres your answer in a nutshell. Even though he is constantly breaking the law, his grandmother, and even my wife, think that law enforcement are picking on him. They think the cops are bad not our boy. Well I see things a little differently. Yes I love my stepson, however I also believe that he has done wrong and the only way that he is ever going to quit is to be punished for his crimes. This attitude that the ladies involved in the above instance can easily be tranferred to the situation that you are dealing with on a daily basis. Very few parents nowadays have the maturity to see the situation for what it really is and act unemotionally to solve the problem with you the teacher or, in the above case, with the authorities for the good of the child.

There is merit in what you say. You are however, providing a one-sided picture. It is like the person who hurt his left leg and all of a sudden notices that all the bumps that he gets is on his left leg.

All that you said is true as far as it goes. It does happen of course with parents and students. Many are like your description. Some of them feel if they scream loudly enough that they will get what they want. Some take the view that their little angels can do nothing wrong so it cannot be their fault that they fail or misbehave. It has to be the fault of the teachers or someone else.

You are teaching at the most difficult time in a child’s educational career and that may be a factor in what you say.

Sometimes we are so turned off by a series of incidents that we do not see the forest because of the trees.

The forest is the vast number of parents who are interested in their children doing well in school and know many of weaknesses and faults of their children.

Look at the good side instead of only the bad. Think about the “silent majority” who do not fall within your stereotypes. If you have children yourself do they fit within the mold that you have created? do you?

Perhaps it is time that you change grade levels take a sabbatical or leave teaching. You attitude must change since it probably affecting you in the classroom or in your dealings with parents.

I totally understand what you are saying. The 7th and 8th grade level is a time for kids to test authority, and parents need to back the person in charge.

Here’s a great example that happened to me:

I had a 9th grader that was constantly disruptive, talking, shouting, laughing. I took away a big ball of rubber bands, a metal ball, a radio, etc. Each day he came in with something different to disrupt the class. I finally let him have it and said he could not walk in my room unless his pockets were empty and he was to be silent. Well, he went home and the mother called and screamed into the phone that I yelled at her child and I had no right. She called my principal, she called me back. She hung up on me. When I went to my principal about what I should do, he said to me “Gee, I don’t want to get in the middle of the 2 of you. Let me know how it turns out”

How’s that for support???

I do understand what you are saying, but not all parents approach issues in this manner. I worked in the education system for 33 years, retired just a couple of years ago, and I met many very interested and understanding parents. No one is perfect, including us as educators. And for some kids, the only person in the world who will ever stand up for them is mom or dad. We all find it difficult to be truly objective when we are talking about our own children, and that objectivity becomes even more difficult when talking about our grandchildren. Take care, and keep the faith.

Because the British brand of socialism has allowed parents to opt out of their responsibilities, there are far too many kids being brought up without a Father figure. Also the kids themselves always have excuses made for their actions, until young people know that they WILL be held accountable, they will carry on behaving like savage brutes. I am afraid unless we return to the idea of “let the punishment fit the crime” we will continue to see our streets infested with the scum element. And for some reason, most stabbings seem to involve black lads, personally i don’t think that has anything to do with a race factor, more a social/cultural difference.

My father (retired) was a principal at an elementary/junior high and used to complain about the same thing. For some reason parents want to think their children are angels. He used to say the worst brats were the ones with parents who thought their kids were perfect. Used to drive him nuts.

Yes, you’re right, some parents do have their heads in the sand. They’ll find out the truth sooner rather than later.

Keep up the good work and don’t let the BS get you down.

I tell you why, because the problem with today’s education is that PARENTS ARE NOT HELD ACCOUNTABLE for their children’s education. This is the real root of the problems…what I often wondered was WHY would another adult NOT believe anothe adult! that often gets me? mmm…like do they think that we home and make this up? please, when education/society points out that parents should & must be held accountable then perhaps then education will be better…We are only teachers not miracle makers…Stay strong! Good Luck!

I agree with you, dont worry about the girl (who probably is a kid herself) who says “piblic” school. Kids today have everything handed to them and heaven forbid there should be consequences for wrong actions. Not only do these kids need to wake up but so do their parents.

Amen Sister.