Blog: Max Dawson
August 18, 2016
Well, it is time to go back to school. The kids are all excited–I am sure! Parents will be hustling to fight the traffic around the school every morning and afternoon. And the teachers…what can you say about them? Two words that come to mind: overworked and underpaid!
One teacher was recently hired by the school administration. In the interview she was given a list of do’s and don’ts for the classroom. In reply, she wrote what I have copied below.
“Let me see if I’ve got this right.
“You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.
“You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self-esteem and personal pride.
“You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job. You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure they all pass the final exams.
“You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their heritage, gender or ethnic background, and communicate regularly with their parents in English, Kazakhstani, or any other language, by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.
“You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps. You want me to do all this, and then you tell me…
“I can’t pray in my classroom?!?”
THE FINAL WORD
Let’s appreciate all that teachers do. Let’s also appreciate the value of prayer and the help God gives–even to the teacher in the classroom.
Let us also value those parents who are actively engaged in the education of their children. In the bottom line, the teacher in the public school is only an aid to the parent in the education of the child.
Parents are responsible for their kids’ education. Take charge. Be involved!
And, speaking of parenting, don’t forget the most important of all principles in raising your kids. It is found in .
“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.”
Blessings to you my dear friends,
–Max