I'm tired of the blame game.Teachers are not responsible for everything their students do, but parents are not all to blame either. This year, as in pat years, I have met lots of concerned parents, parents who have done everything and more to help their child succeed. They've been checking homework and signing tests. They've showed up in school whenever they were asked and even when they weren't asked. They've punished and they've rewarded. In spite of this, their kids screw up.
I don't have answers, only observations and from what I have observed, there are people out there that will never do what is expected of them, what is correct, no matter what the consequences or rewards might be. It is time to stop pointing fingers. Sometimes there are no solutions.
3 comments:
I can't stand it when people try to oversimplify a complex and nuanced problem. I think this oversimplification (and the "not my fault" mentality that comes with it) is a huge reason why we never get anything good done.
Amen! When are the STUDENTS going to shoulder some of this responsibility? I realized this applies more to your students than mine, since mine are only 6 (!) but as a parent of a teenager, I say, "Grow the hell up, and accept responsibility for your actions!" Or, lack of actions, in some cases.
Poor student achievement often gets blamed on bad parenting, but a bigger and more common problem is poverty. Even good parenting can't always counter the effects of poverty (e.g., lack of health care or good nutrition; lack of enriching summer activities like travel, summer camp and sports; pollution; community violence, etc.)
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