But I Smile Anyway…

Linda’s #SoCS prompt this week, hosted by Dan Anton of No Facilities blog!

Do you ever really thank the teachers of your children?

Are you really fully aware of what an educator, especially nowadays, has to do, over and above the basics of teaching a child to read and write?

I am writing this, (not so) fresh after an absolutely crazy week, filled with crowd control, rather than interaction, being bitten, listening to children use in inappropriate hand gestures and language, trying to teach them how to listen, use manners (please and thank you – forgotten words!), coping with children who have absolutely no respect for their elders, instead, laughing in your face when you are trying to explain to them that they are doing something wrong, and trying to give children who have NO CLUE about English a few words to help them settle in. And these children are all three!

Surely, before you send your child off to a place of learning, you would want to ensure that, unless there are special needs, your child has the basic etiquette of knowing how to listen for a short while at least, a few simple manners, and some understanding of sharing?

Like a plant needs the morning dew to quench it’s thirst from the night, in order to grow stronger, children need a stable foundation of good social behaviour before going to nursery or school.

An I wrong in thinking that that is something that is meant to be given to them at home, so they are able to learn as they come to us?

Instead, we spend the lion’s share of the time, trying to teach socially acceptable behaviour, and anything academic gets chucked out of the window. Then as the year comes to an end, we are questioned as to why children aren’t already writing their names/able to count to 10/trying to read words… Well, sorry, but if the majority of man power we have is being used to stop tantrums and fisticuffs, getting down to the nitty-gritty of ‘teaching’ is a tad hard!

And I truly feel for the children whose parents have instilled good ethics into them.  Those who can’t be given the attention they truly deserve, because we have to try and give the others the skills they haven’t acquired at home!

We do try to. Of course we do. If I had a majority of children with at least these basics, then I could really do what I want, which is to give them a solid foundation to their educational career. Instead it is a minority, I’m afraid.

And then, this continues to be a problem if we are trying to teach children values at school, and they are not reinforced at home.

Sometimes it feels like we are fighting a losing battle.

So, I ask again, have you recently thanked your child’s teacher?

If you haven’t I think you need to go and give them their due!

I think I deserve Bonus points and MORE this week!!!! Phew!