We have a granddaughter in her first year of teaching. Her assignment is a self-contained fourth grade class. Suffice to state, first year teachers and classroom control is problematic and requires some trial and error adjustments. She keeps her Nana and Boompa posted on her early journey and this past weekend she felt good about the week's events. It would appear that she has shifted gears and decided that she would not be able to 'save' all children with caring tender love but some students needed to be sent to the Principal's office. Upon the heels of sending her first behavior problem to the 'office' she noted it served as an attention-getter and seemingly altered some behaviors of others.
Of course, sending little 'show off Junior' to the Principal's office also got the attention of the kid's parents. I recall vividly, my third grade teacher, Mrs. Spayheart sent me out of the classroom into the 'cloak room' for the last two-hours of the day after I had misbehaved. (Note: You younger readers may not remember the 'cloak room.' It was that narrow closet-like area behind each classroom where kids hung up their coats and left their rain gear/goulashes during winter time. This was our 1940's socialistic public locker-area before Democracy set in and the schools gave us personal-individual lockers where the 1970's students would hid their pot). Anyway, when school let out, that day, Mrs. Spayheart called me in from that cloakroom, got her paddle out and swatted my butt once, gave me a note explaining her actions, which I was to have signed by my parents before returning the next day. The incident sure got my Dad's attention, he read the note, took his belt off and whacked my ass three times and told me to shape up! I never caused another school problem!
Well, this is NOT the parenting case in this wonderfully modern and 'bull-butter' Spock philosophy parenting world, which champions every 'feeling-emotional-desire' of the good or narcissistic-brat child! Our teacher-granddaughter received an email from 'Junior's' Mother stating that she thought it was 'unnecessary' to send HER kid to the Principal's office. I am sure the Mother also believes that her child is overweight due to the school's vending machines!
I explained to our granddaughter that she should continue to do that which is best for all 22 of her students and when meeting with such parents, explain to them that she will NOT suggest how they should parent one child and on-the-other-hand, she does not intend to entertain their ideas on how to teach a class of 22 children!
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