PTA: Parent, Teacher, Asshole

Mean Teachers Unite

...,and teachers who look down on mean teachers as being just bitter or worse uncaring...and parents who may find their child/children with a plethora of "mean teachers"...take a gander.

I love John Rosemond, and not only because he advocates parent rights before child rights, assuming laws aren't broken. But he also advocates teacher rights. As a teacher at an alternative academy where students go when they get expelled from their regular school...I'm not mean, I just have high expectations.

Read his recent column here: What's a Mean Teacher to Do?

In the end, it says that a good teacher has high expectations for his or her students' behaviors. Remember those teachers you hated growing up? Most of them you hated because they wouldn't let you get away with anything. They were good teachers. Good teachers are strict.

Students who don't create problems in the classroom? Typically, their parents have high expectations. Those who do? Minimal expectations at home. And think about it...How would you feel if no one expected anything from you? You'd either feel like they don't expect it because they don't think you can do it, which is insulting and even teenagers can figure that out...or there's a catch, and it is just a matter of time...You wouldn't trust someone who came up to you and offered you $1,000.00 with no obligations..."There's a catch...," you'd think, "I want that money, but is it worth it for whatever expectations arise later?" Imagine a child who's raised with no expectations other than being a child. No family obligations, no need to be respectful with adults, say what you want, do what you want...and then school, with rules and regulations...obligations...expectations, and parents suddenly aren't happy that their son or daughter pushes another student because he's playing with the toy they want to play with. Parents aren't happy that they are refusing to do what the teacher says. They've been betrayed...You told me it was ok to act this way, father...You said it was ok to behave this way, mother...Now these other adults are saying that I can't.

Resentment and distrust.

My children are exponentially more polite than my average student...more responsible...my four year old has chores. My four year old knows there are words you don't say in public, and there is a tone of voice you don't use with an adult. He knows to say please, thank you, and excuse me. He's four. If my four year old can do it...I expect a 13 year old to be able to figure it out. I mean, someone has to be the parent...right?

posted by Bodog @ 8:01 PM