[TPIN] Education and dealing with students/parents in band

[Allegro69]

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 12:19:24 EDT
From: Vaxtrpts at aol.com
Subject: [TPIN] Education and dealing with students/parents in band
To: barta52 at comcast.net
Cc: tpin at tpin.okcu.edu
Message-ID: <cbe.afb8a3f.3335580c at aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"


In a message dated 3/23/2007 7:58:30 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
barta52 at comcast.net writes:

I am in  my 34th year of public education and it gets harder each year to
deal with  students who think they have the knowledge and background to
shout out
their  comments on anything being discussed in the  classroom.


<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Boy, Doug, did you hit home with this one.  My wife is also at around  30
years teaching, and it seems to get more and more challenging.  In many
ways, I
blame the parents, who think "little Johnny" is just the greatest thing  in
the world and that the teachers must always be wrong.  As a band  director,
Peggy is a pretty firm disciplinarian, as well she should  be. More and more
these
days, she has to deal with parents who complain to  the principal that she
"embarrassed their son or daughter" by pointing out to  the class that some
students don't know their parts yet, or haven't done some  assignment, or
haven't
turned in some forms for a trip. How can we expect  to turn out responsible
citizens (or musicians), if these kids are never  expected to be responsible
for
anything.  I know this is a little off  topic, but to me, as I have said
many
times, when I am in schools doing clinics  all over the country, I just
don't
see much commitment to anything any  more.
Mike Vax
*****************************************************
While it may be off topic Mike, you hit the nail on the head. Even though I
was a terrible student when I was a kid, to this day I have nothing but the
highest respect for teachers. Teaching is among the most honorable of
professions. The term 'responsible' has been replaced with 'pass the buck'
and 'deep pockets'. Let a teacher look at a kid cross-eyed, and the teacher
might end up in court - instigated by the parents.

A long time ago, when I was a kid, God help me if I messed with a teacher
(both public school and my trumpet teacher), cop, fire fighter, or even the
mailman. To my parents, they saw them as prominent symbols representing
integrity, responsibility, and authority. Hence the lessons STRONGLY taught
to me by my parents included respect and accountability. Go home whining
that a local cop gave me a kick in the butt and I'd be in deep doo doo, and
not the cop. "The cop is ALWAYS right. You're ALWAYS WRONG!" replied my
parents. Not so today, where many of my co-workers up until the time I
retired from the U.S. Postal Service were former teachers. What a waste of
education and talent! But they said "Enough is enough" were they weren't
only hamstrung by parents, but equally hamstrung by bureaucrats who'll not
give the rank and file teacher any latitude. Not all was lost where I gained
benefit by talking with some very intelligent co-workers. Maybe from what I
often hated about the old ways, there's something to be cherished and passed
on down to my own kids. Since they're adults and married with children,
maybe some of what rubbed off on me will rub off on them. Maybe they'll help
the pendulum to swing in the other direction. But only if they let it sink
in.
BOB