On ‘Teachers’ Choice…’
Almost every time there is a discussion about children and education, someone suggests that the educational process is a collaborative effort between parents, teachers and students. Some people event put forth the idea that parents play the biggest role in the equation, saying stuff like: “It starts at home,” or “how can the teachers teach them if the parents can’t do anything with them?” Sounds logical, right?
There are two types of people in the world; people who see the world as it “should be” and people who see the world as it really is. I agree that parents (should) play an important role in the development of their child(ren), including their education. I also agree that students should attend school eager to learn. However, the unfortunate reality is that social circumstances in this society are not equal for all parents and children.
There are no standard requirements for parenthood. And so, many children have parents with poor parenting skills, who are just a few years older than they, who are financially struggling, who can barely read, write and manipulate more than basic mathematics, who are wrestling with addictions and/or convictions, if they have parents present in their lives at all. Generally speaking, this fact makes it difficult for those parents, to do what they “should do” for their children’s development and for those children to be what they “should be” in school.
On the other hand, there are standard requirements for teachers. Number one, teachers must choose to be teachers (unless there’s a teacher draft of which I’m unaware). Secondly, teachers must complete college and pass certifications. Lastly, in HillsboroughCounty, teachers have the Hillsborough County School Board’s mission statement: “to provide an education that enables each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen,” as a guide to follow.
In my mind, “each student” includes the most difficult to teach student with the most uninvolved parents. When teachers sign up to be teachers, the challenge they agree to undertake is to be dynamic enough and creative enough to compel their students to want to learn what’s being taught.
Teaching ain’t for everybody. People who choose the profession should be commended, but if and only if their mission, for which they have been trained and tested, extends to each student- each of them.
Salute!
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