Sad from School.

We plan on moving the kids from their present school. which brings me to the most crucial decision I have always had to face with bringing up my boys … “SCHOOLS”

So far the boys have been going to an american syllabus school for the past 3 years, but I have seen the downside of sending them here. 

• I wanted them to go to a multicultural school and although most schools do have multicultural ratio of children, perhaps this one had a majority of another. Maybe that worked against the kids.
• Or Perhaps I have been too hard on them, maybe my discipling them has held them back from standing up for themselves. They get bullied too often.

In my opinion, a school is where a child is taught about the world and taught discipline and taught to respect and is respected. This I feel is the foundation of schooling, now apart from this, ofcourse there are a load of other definitions that apply. Infact I feel the best form of education was that of the Convents, although they are less popular now.  However schooling all over Dubai has become more of major money making business today. There are different brackets of schools but nevertheless “all” schools boast of this that and this and that ,, they promise a great many things yet, its surprising how the rosy dreams disappear alittle after the child begins school.

I place the highest importance on the teacher, coz they influence the child the most, positively and negatively.  

• Yet it is shocking how little reserach or background check is done on selecting potential candidates for the teaching postions and whats worse is, before the second term so many teachers have moved on or have been thrown out.  
•  The teaching faculty is never once reminded of what the mission statement of the school is !

For most teachers its just a good time pass, its well worth earning an extra pocket money for just half a day. What most of them dont realize is that we trust our precious children in their care, hoping and trusting that they will be motivated by their (teacher’s) good example ! Pity, very few teachers are geniunely commited.

I really couldnt care less, about how sophisticated the gym is and how large the swimming pool is, or if a school provides horse riding lessons. These are very attractive extra curricular activities which would be great but what about how schools deal with issues of bullying and racism or negligence of staff members or which methods of teaching are used or what kind of punishments are imposed for disciplining !  

One very commom attitude I notice in almost all schools is that NO ONE WANTS TO LISTEN and if you are lucky enough that they are ready to even hear you, then rest assured they are siting there with an invisible shield between them and you, with a defensive attitude.

Your not there complaining .. .. .. You want to work with the school in patnership to bring out the best of your child .. but they have already decided his fate !  ” No we are not at fault .. our teachers havent done anything wrong .. the other child could not have been wrong .. .. I mean,  they dont want to even understand. 

Ofcourse, who else is going to talk on behalf of a 7 year old who is constantly being beaten. You as a parent are his guardian.  But ofcourse then you are accused of being “OVER PROTECTIVE”

My oldest son has been punished from Grade 1 right upto now Grade 4, just becoz he is slow in copying from the white board.  He is so traumatised that it breaks my heart today knowing that this happened only becoz the poor guy is dyslexic and we only found out just recently !!!!!! He could not follow the lines on the white board and hence had such difficulty between, apprehending the word from the board to writing it down. He is very intelligent  and hardworking and has been getting B+ in almost all subjects so far.

But for four years the school does not know and does not “want to ” find out why does he write slow, instead wants to teach him a lesson the hard way, by depriving his breaks, PE classes and yes, to the extent of not letting him have Lunch in class too !! All this to a child who is less that 8 !!

I wanted the school to build his charecter, what have my best wishes bought upon my lovely children.

I have been a teacher although for a short period, my father in law was a professor, my sister in law and her husband are teachers, I dont have anything against teachers, but although we all are human at the end of the day, I just wish to reach out to teachers and tell them that they have a responsibility with each and every child, they play a very large role in their lives and even if a child does not say it or show it, but critisizing a child does hurt him.  WE spend chunks of money on the school but whats more important is that little one sitting in the corner of your class in the second last seat is learning something more important from you than you will ever know, Its not what your teaching, its how your treating him as well, please please teacher, treat them all with respect.  They deserve it.         

I have more to add in this post which I will once I have sought another school for the boys.

Quotes on teachers or teaching

Some of the inspirational quotes are on teaching I hope to categorize most of these quotes alittle later.

 What you give for the cause of charity in health is gold; what you give in sickness is silver; what you give after death is lead.

 “If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere” – anonymous

 “It isn’t the load that weighs us down – it’s the way we carry it.” (Anon.)

He who dares to teach must never cease to learn. – Anonymous

All learning begins with the simple phrase, “I don’t know“.

When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece. John Ruskin

“They may forget what you said, But they will never forget how you made them feel.”

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless. ~ Mother Teresa

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.–Alvin Toffler

It is not so much what is poured into the student, but what is planted that really counts.” – Unknown

“The secret of teaching is to appear to have known all your life what you learned this afternoon.” – Anonymous

“One father is worth 100 schoolmasters.” – George Herbert

“By learning you will teach, by teaching you will learn.” – Latin Proverb

“If the student fails to learn, the teacher fails to teach.” –

“The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.” –

“To teach is to learn twice.” – Joseph Joubert

Challenge of the day : Find something good in everyone. – Unknown

“Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.” – Henry Ford

“Teach a child how to think, not what to think.” – Sidney Sugarman

“When a teacher calls a boy by his entire name, it means trouble.” – Mark Twain

“Teacher : The child’s third parent.” – Hyman Berston

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” – William Ward

“I touch the future. I teach.” – Christa McAuliffe.

“To teach is to touch lives forever.” – Anonymous

“Good teacher is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater.” – Gail Godwin

“Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best.” – Bob Talbert