The Chronicles Of Nay

This might not be popular. Here is a public service announcement from a middle school teacher:

Parents! Let’s talk! So I am going to start with this is true for about 98% of teachers. I understand that there are some bad seeds but that is life. So remember that this is not all teachers and I understand that this might not be your current situation. I also encourage you to take a second and really think about what I am saying.

1. We are not out to get your child! We are not reprimanding them to be jerks. We care. A LOT! When we get on to your kid for being a jerk, for not doing work, for not following the rules we are trying to help them be the best version of themselves.
2. Which leads to: We don’t make the school rules. We just enforce them. We might think some of them are stupid too but we are expected to ask your child to take their hood off, or put away their airpods, or put their cell phone away. The handbook your child brings home at the beginning of the year has all of those rules.
3. I understand giving your kid the benefit of the doubt but kids lie! Especially when they are about to get in trouble. We don’t have time to call a parent to tell you that your kid was acting up or is failing just because we want them to get in trouble. If we call, please listen to what we have to say. We are calling for help, insight and really we want to be on the same team! I personally hate making phone calls! So if I took the time to call you… trust… I have done everything I can think of to try to handle it myself!
4. Making excuses for them isn’t helping, you might think it is, but it is only showing them that we are not on the same team. It takes away our authority at school. We see your kid in different situations than you see them at home. Again, KIDS LIE! We need your support if we are calling. Let’s be on the same page. If they
5. Which transitions in to we aren’t mind readers! 3 and 4 combined: I understand that stuff happens and we don’t know unless you tell us. However, when you tell us about the stuff going on at home please tell us to inform, not to dismiss their behavior. If something happened this past weekend and your student is failing, ir probably started before this past weekend. So let’s talk about the previous behavior too.
6. We give a lot more of our time and money than you realize. We stay awake at night and think about lessons and conversations with kids. We grade on the weekends. We do lesson plans. We purchase the supplies needed for some of the activities in class. We make the little things your kids bring home. Just because you don’t send the box of crayons or kleenex or whatever is on the supply list only means that we have to go out and buy them.
7. We do care about your kids. We wouldn’t do all the stuff from number 6 if we didn’t!
8. Remember we are human too. We make mistakes too: counting errors, spur of the moment decisions… please remember that when you don’t agree with a teacher.
9. If you know a teacher, just listen. We do love our jobs but sometimes it is exhausting and frustrating. So when we vent, that is all we are doing, venting.

So the big things I want you to take away are: Let’s be on the same team. We want the best for your kid. We are not picking on your kid. We expect your kid to rise to our high expectations and it will make them better for it! We will hold your kid accountable. We aren’t doing it do be jerks, we are doing it to help your kid be the best they can!