One of my biggest faults, or one of my biggest assets depending on how you look at it, is my inability to keep quiet when wrongs are being done. Whether it would cost me my job or not, which by the way it never has, but I’m just saying it could, I have made it a point to share the things that go on behind the scenes. Why do I do that? Because quite simply it boils down to a code of conduct I think human beings should personally hold themselves accountable to whether or not anyone is looking.
This includes e-mail messages, private messages, cyber-bullying, phone conversations, texts and the like. Just because you can’t see someone, does not mean they don’t have feelings. I honestly wish I didn’t have a hard time with people being nasty…maybe I could be like the see no evil monkeys and just sit there and pretend it doesn’t happen like so many people. But you see, that’s why the world is in the mess we are in now.
As a teacher, the desire to teach tiny people social-emotional skills was very important to me. We are losing our HUMANITY as sure as I sit here and type this. Parents were not showing respect to teachers, principals and other school staff. They were not showing respect to other parents, and they sure weren’t able to teach respect to their children. This week alone I saw friends post about children doing horrible things out in public and the parents were…on their phones ignoring the children. The children then acted out more, etc.
So adults have taken on a kind of behavior that was not seen 20 years ago. They think they can say anything on Facebook, post anything on social media, and it is okay. We need to bring back social skills to our children. We need to teach interaction with other human beings and we also need to learn the word “NO”. No, you can’t treat me that way. No, you can’t act a fool in public. No, you can’t come in here on the first day of school and kick your momma. I am going to have something to say about that. Just as you can’t “cuss” at folks. So teachers, hold your ground. Hold. Your. Ground. As you prepare for this year, do what you know is right. It’s okay to take time to teach social skills. It’s okay to say no, you can’t act that way in my room. Period. Maybe, just maybe, the tiny ones will go home and show some of these very fine social skills to their folks.
Hold. Your. Ground.
