It's Not the Teacher's Job to Help Raise My Child
I Don't Expect My Kids' Teachers to Help Me Raise Them Because That's Not Their Job
I love my kids' teachers. As a former educator myself, I know how hard they work, and I try and give them as much support as I can. And that includes not holding them responsible for when my kids fail. It seems like in today's society, teachers are not only expected to teach our little ones how to add and subtract but to also help raise our kids into the kind of people we want them to be. Yes, I want my kids to study hard, be polite and kind, and work hard in school, but you know whose job it is to make sure that happens? Mine, not the teacher's.
Their sole responsibilities are to keep my child safe and teach them the content that is given to them by the state in the best way they can. The raising of my child, that's on me — the parent.
I've heard some of my parent friends complain that their child's teacher isn't helping their son or daughter remember to bring their homework to school, study for the big test, or simply behave better in the classroom. Because I've been in the trenches of the classroom before, I know that teachers today don't have time for all of that. They do so much already, including many things to help children learn and grow, but they can't do it all. And they shouldn't have to. Their sole responsibilities are to keep my child safe and teach them the content that is given to them by the state in the best way they can. The raising of my child, that's on me — the parent.
At the start of the school year, my son, who's in elementary school, had a hard time remembering his belongings to bring to school in the chaos of our morning rushes. One day it was his library book, the next it was his homework. While I was getting beyond frustrated with my son's lack of organisational skills, I knew it wasn't his teacher's fault. Instead, I created a morning checklist of things my son needed to both do and remember to pack before leaving for school. Yes, it was a time-consuming and annoying task, but over the course of a couple of weeks, it worked.
I know that teachers get countless emails and phone calls a day from parents asking questions about everything under the sun. "When is the field trip? What can I bring to snack day? Who has a peanut allergy? How can I get my child to stop talking in class?" While teachers can and should help my children academically, it's not fair of me to put all the other stuff on them, too. If I drop my daughter off at school one morning looking a little disheveled because we were rushed for time, I do not expect her teacher to comb her hair and make her look more put-together. And if my son says something unkind to another child, I do not expect his teacher to find the root of that problem and talk to him about empathy. I will.
Because so many teachers go above and beyond their job descriptions, a lot of them willingly help with things that don't pertain to school work. They teach kids how to share, be inclusive, be kind, and work hard. They help build upon the foundations that we, their parents, put in place at home. And that's amazing. But I don't expect it nor demand it.
My kids' teachers are rock stars for all that they do, and I'll continue to support them however I can. Instead of working against them and playing the blame game, I want to always try and take responsibility for my children and their behaviour. And when my kids are a little unorganised in the mornings sometimes, I hope they'll understand and support me, too.
Editor's Note: This piece was written by a POPSUGAR contributor and does not necessarily reflect the views of POPSUGAR Inc. Interested in joining our POPSUGAR Voices network of contributors from around the globe? Click here.
