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Letters to the EditorsChildren's respect for teachers starts at home© St. Petersburg Times published June 19, 2002 Re: Parents, kids don't respect teachers, letter, June 9. I agree with the letter writer's response to Miriam Hill's June 2 guest column, Why some dropouts are teachers. I was a registrar in a high school up North and witnessed a lot in the guidance office. The parents who treated the teachers with little or no respect always had the children who seemed to get into the most trouble. I learned from that experience. I taught my sons that no matter what happens with their teachers, they will always respect the teachers' decisions. Teachers might not be perfect, but neither are parents. We need to insist that children respect adults. I see children 5 years old kicking and hitting their parents. If the parents can't control or teach their children at that age, how do they expect a teacher or society to deal with these children at 16?
Income affects classroom behaviorRe: On teachers and commitment, letter, June 16. Commenting on a recent letter by a retiring teacher, this parent wrote, "The lack of respect for teachers does not come from the disintegration of society, but disintegration of commitment from teachers these days." He drew this conclusion from experience with just his son's teachers. Terrible logic. You cannot paint a complete picture with one stroke of the brush. For the past school year, I was a substitute teacher for 55 classes in 16 different schools. My observations, albeit like peeking through a keyhole, are far more revealing than those of the parent. It was my experience that the better the neighborhood (middle to upper income), the better the class (well behaved, respectful). My belief is people with higher incomes are probably well educated and undoubtedly teach discipline at home. Not surprisingly, money seems to be the magic in life's mix. So the parent was right to disagree with the retiring teacher that respect is absent because of the disintegration of society. It was unfairly broad. But the parent was wrong to say teachers get no respect because they are not committed. Trust me. I witnessed dedication that bordered on religious vocation. No doubt there is a problem with some teachers at the school not identified in the parent's letter, but that does not mean there is an epidemic in the school system. Perhaps the parents should take a day off and volunteer at the school. My guess is they will be shocked by the enthusiasm of the wonderful people responsible for nourishing the minds of our children.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks Letters |
