You Are Not A Good Teacher. But Was I a Good One?

Jules Heartly |August 15th 2020

His name was Albert, he was a rather slim kid with ash blond curly hair and green eyes, a fine nose and a shy smile. He always sat on the first or second row of the 4^th grade class I taught.  His eyes followed the blackboard avidly and I could see he was one of the few kids taking notes.  He was a motivated student and soon that translated in good grades.   Albert had arrived to the school later than the rest of the class. and I did my very best effort to spend extra time with him to help him catch up.  I noticed he didn’t do his homework at home but rather stayed late at school or did what he could during recess with my help.

After two months, he earned the top-three- in- the- class diploma the school used to give out to the top students every month.

During the parent-teacher conference, Albert’s parents gave him all the credit for his achievement.  I asked them to make the home environment more conducive, so he was more inclined to do his homework at home.  Or perhaps provide him with some additional guidance with his school assignments.

A couple of months later, Albert’s performance started to go downhill. And he was even more quiet than usual.  I imagined there were probably some issues at home, so I encouraged him to continue doing the bulk of his study /homework while at school so I could guide him.  I asked a bit about what was happening at home, but he was reserved. He just said “my parents fight a lot, I don’t think they love me” but he gave no specifics.  He didn’t seem as motivated as before to do his homework, but he was more open to talk to other children in the class.

At the next parent-teacher conference, his dad came alone, and asked me why Albert  hadn’t been given the monthly diploma.  I explained to him, his grades were good but not as good as to qualify for it.  “You are a terrible teacher!  This is a bad school.  I want to send Albert to a better #school” he burst out. 

Albert continued attending the school, but his grades were never high enough to get the top-student monthly diploma again.   His mom came to see me one afternoon right after school dismissal.  “I might as well get Albert home-schooled because you are NO good as a teacher,” she said in a very upset tone.  After blurting all kinds of insults, she walked away with a blushed and sweaty Albert.

 The following academic year, Albert did not come back to the school, and I never heard from him or his family ever again.  The story came back to my mind, after being forgotten for so many years, when I listened to a conversation while doing the line to get into a store.   “I can’t home school my children anymore,  this online learning is  B###s#$%^, I love my children but I need them to go back to school,  I need a break, I am a mom not a school teacher” said one lady.   “My husband says he now understands how hard teachers work!” the other person replied.  “We got together with other neighbors and we organized a Pod, hired a tutor …. and we now have a mini-classroom. This teaching thing is tough work!” another listener chimed in.  

That’s when I realized, it took a Pandemic for a lot of parents around the globe to recognize the incredible work #teachers do at schools.  The challenges they meet and the importance of cooperation at student’s homes for getting optimal results.  All participants in a child education have responsibility on the child’s performance.  And at this moment, parents have suddenly been thrown in a world where they must juggle more than ever working from home duties, home chores, personal chores and educational ones.  

Would this make them finally acknowledge the vitality of the teachers work and help them fight for a decent wage and not only that but finally understand the need of a summer break for teachers?  I have heard on numerous occasions comments from parents about how “Easy” the life on an educator is, how the “work hours” are good and how “fortunate and etc” they are by getting almost two months of summer off.   If anything perhaps this pandemic has finally and hopefully for a long time, help parents to realize the work of the teachers is quite valuable, and the work to enhance students’ performance goes beyond the class.  It is a team effort among parent, teachers and students.   The example set at home by the family makes a big difference, as it does the emotional setting.

Also, the parent’s economic world makes a difference in how situations like the present one are being handled.  Parents in low-income families do not have the financial capability to hire tutors etc, and with no social programs like lengthy paid leave that would allow parents to stay home with their children, the situation is more critical.  Students need to go to the classroom so parents can work, but also because it supports the development of social and emotional skills, creates a safe environment for learning; addresses nutritional needs and facilitates physical activity.  How to achieve all this during #COVID19 times is the subject of another conversation.

An obvious thing is the need to making the #get-back- to -school a safe and healthy endeavor for the well being not only of the children but of their families. In the meantime, parents should put in their long-term memory the appreciation they now have for their children’s teachers and continue filling the school’s teachers shoes for as long as it is required for every one’s health and well being.  

And about Albert …. I wish I could talk once again to his mom and tell her, how Albert did the best he could under the circumstances, how it was also the parents responsibility to keep Albert motivated and emotionally stable and how the teacher in his classroom still remembers him as one of my best students regardless of her derogatory comments when his performance although still good was not at the top as it had been.

Today, my heart goes out to all the teacher’s going out and beyond to provide education to their students during this pandemic and always. And to the parents who are so thinly stretched out between the usual responsibilities and have embraced the academic education of their kids regardless of that.

Do you appreciate the work of school teachers more now than what you did before the #Covid19 pandemic? Let me know. Leave a comment below!

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