Valid for the classroom, valid for the home!

Welcome back! Your child has been horrible!

Have you ever been welcomed by complaints on incidents upon which you have no possible power?

There are times when a parent who picks up her child at school is greeted by such interjections. Chances are this parent had a rough day too, maybe something to put in perspective when considering why the child has been acting up especially on that day.

In most cases, the parent grabs the child by the hand, forgetting that this was probably the moment for which the child had waited impatiently all day long, mumbles to the teacher and marches on to the car. Some angry minutes later, the pair enter home and Mum spills the news to an equally tired husband, only for she does not have all the elements and gets upset when the father rationally expects and asks for more details.

The evening is ruined, the bed routine is slapped on the child, because, let’s face it, it is all his fault, or the teacher’s fault, which amounts to the same as far as the hug good-night is concerned.

This carries on to the next morning, with a tired Mum dropping off the said child at school, either avoiding the teacher, or snapping at her.

The nightmare goes on. Chances are great that the child will act up again, pushed by all kinds of negative emotions that he cannot express, and Mum will get yet another dose of “horrible”… “fighting”… “naughty” and the like.

Teachers have a duty to ease the day of anyone in their care. They often compare their actions with parents’ and they should not, for they are not in the same position. They get paid to do the job and parents give their child everything they have with no guaranty that it will pay off at one point or another.

Teachers have an amazing chance to see the big picture, because their vision is not clouded by emotions and needs. So, why is it that they find sympathizing so difficult to do? Is it a matter of training?

I don’t think so, on a personal side, I feel it is more a matter of humility and looking at the world with the willingness to come out from under the banana leaf. As far as the professional side is concerned, it is necessary for teachers to distance themselves from the emotions and negativity and look at what impact a behavior has on the individual. Thinking outside of the box in these cases means focusing on what the child can do, did achieve in one day, rather than retaining only the small mishaps of his day.