I have been meaning to post this since last summer and never got it finished but in light of all the recent school events it seemed most appropriate.
Last summer while at camp (always a great spot for learning!) I found my self eating breakfast one morning with the missionary and a few other leaders from another church. The missionary and his wife had just returned from 8 years in China, where their 3 young daughters had all been born. As you can imagine, education was a high priority. The other ladies at the table, as it turns out, were public school teachers. I have to admit I was a little disturbed to hear this. All week these had been the people who thought the music was too loud or too quiet. Camp too rustic or overtaken by technology depending on the gripe of the day etc etc...... They of course began to share how schools had "changed". One had taught kindergarten for 20 years and she lamented how spanking had been removed from school and how time outs could only last 15 minutes. All the children were terrible and the parents worse. No one wanted to learn and she was stuck in a room with them all day. Ugh.
Finally, I could take no more. I interrupted
"I have twins that just completed kindergarten and I don't think that's how my children's teachers handled things."
The extremely tall and very blond missionary who must have stuck out like a sore thumb in China turned to look at me, smile and ask "What did they do?"
I had jumped in out of frustration. I hadn't really considered what I was going to say. As the missionary looked at me expectantly, and the two women on the other side of him scowled at me in surprise and irritation my mind raced with things like dream dollars and prize boxes all the while realizing this is not what really made my kids teachers great. Then it dawned on me. I blurted out "They just loved them."
And that was and is it. Mrs. Gardner, Mrs. Bryant, Mrs. Talley, Mrs. Rupsh, Ms. Whittamore, Mrs. Walker, Mrs. Mitchell, Mrs. Graves, Mrs. Perry and especially Mrs. Fisher, Mrs. Spearman and Mr. Matt. These teachers do things differently. Some have more laid back styles, others are super structured. Some are the bubbly type and others more subdued. I don't think I ever heard Mrs. Talley raise her voice and Mr. Matt well........
It doesn't matter. They have all just loved my kids to pieces. And my kids in turn loved them, and loved school and loved learning. There are testing problems and security issues and curriculum that have just gotton out of control, but the real answer to what ails us as a society, as schools, as individuals is a little more grace. A little more love. A few more kindergarten teachers who turn their faces and choke back the giggle before redirecting little boys. A few more vice principals that sing in morning meetings. A few more teachers that can dress as leprechauns and still maintain order. A few more teachers who roll on the floor and climb slides and push swings and even laugh at explosive poop. And maybe a few more of the rest of us to support and love on them too.
