From: candlewickjeep2@webtv.net
Date: Sun May 08 2005 - 21:50:33 PDT
Mark, your answer is the closest answer to the voice of reason posted so
far. People tend to oversimplify what's going on in our educational
system when in fact it's a very complex problem. An example is the
statement I saw that roughly stated, "If the student doesn't learn, the
teacher isn't teaching. ANYBODY that has been in a public school system
has learned in a very pragmatic way that that is not only wrong.....it's
silly. I can't say what's going on in a military teaching situation
BECAUSE I HAVEN'T DONE THAT!!!
I have taught both in Vocational Education as well as the traditional
academic classroom. I understand that doesn't make me an expert in all
facets of education, just as being a career military person doesn't make
them experts in all facets of civilian life, but I have first hand
experience that has helped me make some observations that I feel are
true.
Teachers have been rendered impotent in the running of their classroom.
The ability to discipline and maintain control in their classrooms has
been undermined by overprotective parents as well as administrators that
are afraid of public opinion.
In some situations disciplining a child has resulted in teachers being
attacked.
You can't lump ALL schools into one category. Inner city schools are
quite different from suburban schools....issues aren't necessarily
different, but usually are.
For some reason discipline and character training in the home has been
left out of the rearing of our children. I'm just talking about simple
stuff here. Things like doing what you say you'll do, being obedient to
parents and teachers, knowing what the honorable thing to do is, and
doing it.....we know the drill.
For some reason children have been given the same rights as adults. Do
you remember disobeying your Dad and then discussing what your rights
are? You might have been raised on Walton Mountain or the Little House
on the Prairie, but most of us weren't.
I think that the school and the child were in the wrong when the
Military Mom called.......but wouldn't a little communication in advance
have worked wonders here? But since there apparently was none, what
would YOU DO if a 17 year old, in front of other students, was
disobeying, cussing, and fighting you so he could talk to his Mom?
Seems to me HE set the course.
Got out of hand, but SOMEBODY has got to be in control.
just food for thought,
Mike P.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Fri Oct 28 2005 - 22:42:50 PDT