In Teachers by Coachburk / Tags: care, holding a child back, Learning, student retention /
Lutheran Schools always have a motto that Lutheran Schools Cares… but do we?
I am not trying to bag on Lutheran Schools, because I LOVE Lutheran Schools. I am forever in debt to Lutheran Schools, but do we care? This could apply to public schools also and Catholic schools. DO WE CARE?
I have been thinking about my students this year and former students, and I might be as guilty as anyone, do I care for my students. I love my students, even when they drive me crazy. But, am I doing what is best for them? Am I making them better students, closer to God, and life-long learners? I know sharing my faith and openly discuss God has brought students closer to God, and no one can say I do not profess my love for Christ in my classroom.
But do I care enough to do what is best?
I think Lutheran Teachers are put into a hard spot many times. I have some students that are very distracted and off in whatever world they have created. I am friends with these student’s parents, even gone out to dinner with them and have them over to my house. How do I tell them their child needs to repeat a grade? I think our kindness and wanting to please parents put students behind the ball. I know I have passed on students, that I did not feel would be ready. Now some did fine, some struggled and were pass on to the next teacher.
Recently I brought up that I wanted try something new with a student, I am very close to the parent. The parent did not take to what I had to say. They did not want to hear their child needs extra attention and we need to find a new way to engage him. The student is smart, but does poorly on everyday assignments. He loses focus before he finds it. So do I give up and get frustrated when the student isn’t engaged and holding the rest of the class up? Do I care enough to say, this is his plan of learning and do it. Do my administrator and board care enough to back me up?
This thought process also turns toward teachers and those who are not doing their job well. Usually in Lutheran schools when a teacher has a problem, we tell them, maybe this isn’t the place for you, but we will give you a good word. So they move from one Lutheran School to another and never changing their attitude or techniques.
If we just pass a student on or pass a teacher on do we really care? I am not trying to question your love or even your quality of caring, just want to raise some questions and make you think. Are we doing everything for the STUDENT or to keep the peace. I know I don’t have all the answers and I am as guilty as the next person. I want to care. I DO CARE!
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You bring up some excellent points, but does it mean we care less? I don’t think so. It does mean that we need to recognize the fact that one of the challenges of teaching in our Lutheran schools is that we are part of a family. We worship and we socialize with many of our student’s families. Sometimes we have teaching in the school long enough to be getting a second generation. It puts us in a different position than a public school teacher, as we are ministering not only to the child but to the family s well.
Addressing the specific challenges of a child and the possible solution is one of the most difficult. Those of us who are parents can understand how sometimes our love for the child blinds us to realities. Our close relationship to the parents sometimes makes us hesitant to pursue what we as educators know is best for the child educationally. As Lutheran educators, we are in partnership with the parents in choosing the best educational path for the children. All we can really do is lay out an educational plan for the child (which may or may not include retention) but in the end, it is the decision of the parents and we need to work within the parameters of that decision. We also have to realize that we are not always able to provide the best education for a child and we have a responsibility to tell the parents that as well. All of the above requires administrative support, of course and MOST importantly, a lot of prayer. (Then of course there are the parents that threaten to remove their child because obviously they are not thriving in the environment we are providing for them – but that is probably an entirely new topic.)
Passing teachers (really all church workers) on to other congregations without addressing the real problems that exist I fear has always been a weakness in our system. It is difficult to see the line which divides caring for the church at large and for the individual.
You brought up some excellent “thinking points”. Prayers for wisdom, discernment, and an extra measure of love is always our first step. We are not perfect – we make mistakes. But we always strive to do all to His glory.
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