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Thursday, March 28, 2013
Carl Walker Hoover's Mother Makes Her Plea To The World
As a childhood victim of bullying, I was angry at the teachers for not doing something to help me. Not only did they sit back and expect me to handle it myself, they even promoted it. The sponsor of our middle school newspaper allowed me to be labeled "Miss Appetite" in print! This might easily be laughed off by a child with a strong self esteem, surrounded by friends. It's hard to forget having the paper tossed in my face by students taunting, "Look, you're in the paper Big Pig"! Middle school became a blur at that point. I spent my lunchtime walking the halls trying to stay away from everyone, refusing to eat in front of anyone for years! I felt like I was floating on a cloud...like I wasn't really there. High school was more of the same thing. I'm blessed that I had a relationship with God and my family during this time. Looking back, I know that's how I was able to survive. As a teacher, I have a different perspective. Teaching children to respect each other is not just taught in a class. It's taught by our attitudes and example all day long. We must interact with the children with kindness and show them how to love. Each morning during the moment of silence, I pray that every child in my care will feel loved and respected in our classroom community. I pray that the children will experience the love of God and that He will protect them from emotional and physical danger. This prayer and a passion to protect the children prepares me to face the battle. Five year old children have already learned to pick at each other physically and emotionally for every reason from boredom to anger. For Ellen to speak so strongly about the failure of the schools without even a word about the responsibilities of our families is negligent! First of all, parents need to think about the example they set when they make fun of others for whatever reason. It's so easy to say things like, "I wish that bum would get off the street and get a job!" "Wow...look at that slob, she needs to put down the fork!" or "You're so gay!". These careless words are not spoken out of love and they teach our children to do the same thing. This virus is not usually taught by the teachers (except in extreme cases like my middle school newspaper sponsor, some coaches, and a few other "cool" teachers). It sneaks in from our homes and spreads like wildfire in a school community. If we're looking for deep pockets to go after with lawsuits, then blame the schools. We can always make the job of education even harder by draining them financially. If a solution is truly what we're after, we're going to need to expect more from parents too. I'm not saying that we have to accept every lifestyle without speaking up for what we believe. Parents should share their beliefs with love. "Life is more rewarding when we can support ourselves with a job that we enjoy. Have you thought about what you would like to do?" or "Eating fruits and vegetables helps us to feel better. Let's make sure we buy some that you like when we go to the store." Showing disrespect for people with our words doesn't teach our children what we hope for them. Careless words promote hate. We can love a person without accepting their choices. I think that is a good place to start!
As a childhood victim of bullying, I was angry at the teachers for not doing something to help me. Not only did they sit back and expect me to handle it myself, they even promoted it. The sponsor of our middle school newspaper allowed me to be labeled "Miss Appetite" in print! This might easily be laughed off by a child with a strong self esteem, surrounded by friends. It's hard to forget having the paper tossed in my face by students taunting, "Look, you're in the paper Big Pig"! Middle school became a blur at that point. I spent my lunchtime walking the halls trying to stay away from everyone, refusing to eat in front of anyone for years! I felt like I was floating on a cloud...like I wasn't really there. High school was more of the same thing. I'm blessed that I had a relationship with God and my family during this time. Looking back, I know that's how I was able to survive.
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher, I have a different perspective. Teaching children to respect each other is not just taught in a class. It's taught by our attitudes and example all day long. We must interact with the children with kindness and show them how to love. Each morning during the moment of silence, I pray that every child in my care will feel loved and respected in our classroom community. I pray that the children will experience the love of God and that He will protect them from emotional and physical danger. This prayer and a passion to protect the children prepares me to face the battle. Five year old children have already learned to pick at each other physically and emotionally for every reason from boredom to anger.
For Ellen to speak so strongly about the failure of the schools without even a word about the responsibilities of our families is negligent! First of all, parents need to think about the example they set when they make fun of others for whatever reason. It's so easy to say things like, "I wish that bum would get off the street and get a job!" "Wow...look at that slob, she needs to put down the fork!" or "You're so gay!". These careless words are not spoken out of love and they teach our children to do the same thing. This virus is not usually taught by the teachers (except in extreme cases like my middle school newspaper sponsor, some coaches, and a few other "cool" teachers). It sneaks in from our homes and spreads like wildfire in a school community. If we're looking for deep pockets to go after with lawsuits, then blame the schools. We can always make the job of education even harder by draining them financially. If a solution is truly what we're after, we're going to need to expect more from parents too. I'm not saying that we have to accept every lifestyle without speaking up for what we believe. Parents should share their beliefs with love. "Life is more rewarding when we can support ourselves with a job that we enjoy. Have you thought about what you would like to do?" or "Eating fruits and vegetables helps us to feel better. Let's make sure we buy some that you like when we go to the store." Showing disrespect for people with our words doesn't teach our children what we hope for them. Careless words promote hate. We can love a person without accepting their choices. I think that is a good place to start!