Dear Kate,
This post is not for you.
The barbed shards poking between each line are not pointed at your jugular.
21/05/2011
To The Collective Former Educators Of My Daughter,
RE: Super Kate, Student No.1
Your 'good old Christian charity' did not start at home.
In fact, whenever I mention your name, I am answered immediately with a sentence containing the word 'evil'. Do you think that unjust? Well I challenge you to ponder a few points.
"You are expected to know that by now! Students of your age do not confuse their /b/s and /d/s!"
Who exactly was this tirade beneficial for? Did you let off some steam? Did you feel better by making it clear that you are an inherently, easily successful person, and that you expect the same of others?
So this year you are on a mission. How is that treating you? Someone I know regularly laments the fate of the poor 3rd world children under your tutelage, but then is happy that you are not inflicting your 'evilness' on the Australian children who are her friends.
I bet you feel good about your personal sacrifice, to help the minions. I bet your colleagues and friends hold you in high esteem for your noble efforts. I bet you get a warm fuzzy feeling when you see the new schoolhouse that your international adventure has procured. That will look lovely on the resume too. Make sure you get a happy snap of yourself and some cute black children stood out front. God smiles on shit like that.
With all that gratuitous pleasure up for grabs, why would you want to help a silently melting child take her first incremental step toward becoming literate? Where are the accolades in that? You tried once but she clearly wasn't trying, because it didn't work and YOU are an 'awesome' teacher.
I .FIND. YOUR. CONTINUOUS. LIP. SERVICE. ABOUT. YOUR. OWN. 'AWESOMENESS' . REPUGNANT.
??
?
**************************************************************************
Now that I have spewed forth that diatribe I have the breath to say:
I think you are generally good, kind people.
I don't think that you are bad teachers when it comes to basic mainstream education.
I don't wish for you to stop being teachers.
I do wish that you would understand that your general success as teachers and as a school does not make you superior and well informed in all areas of education.
My opinion as a parent is valid.
Education is lifelong, for you too.
You are not informed on appropriate teaching methods for gifted children with learning disabilities.
The ramifications of your ignorance can be devastating and life long.
Ignorance is not an excuse.
I do not excuse you.
Kind regards,
Super Kate's mum
This post is not for you.
The barbed shards poking between each line are not pointed at your jugular.
To The Collective Former Educators Of My Daughter,
RE: Super Kate, Student No.1
Your 'good old Christian charity' did not start at home.
In fact, whenever I mention your name, I am answered immediately with a sentence containing the word 'evil'. Do you think that unjust? Well I challenge you to ponder a few points.
"You are expected to know that by now! Students of your age do not confuse their /b/s and /d/s!"
Who exactly was this tirade beneficial for? Did you let off some steam? Did you feel better by making it clear that you are an inherently, easily successful person, and that you expect the same of others?
- DO YOU NOT THINK, THAT SHE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO GET IT CORRECT?
- DO YOU NOT THINK, THAT IF SHE WAS ABLE TO DO IT, SHE WOULD HAVE?
- DO YOU THINK THAT THIS CANTANKEROUS ACCUSATION OF LAZINESS WAS IN ANY WAY HELPFUL OR CONSTRUCTIVE?
Several weeks before this event, I gave my daughter a ring. A small, conservative, silver cygnet ring. We worked out between us that she could wear the Ring on her Right hand which she wRites with. This helped her with directionality and therefore /b/ & /d/. YOU told her to take it off.
I pleaded our case and was told that jewellery was not allowed in any circumstances. This rule did not seem to extend to earrings, as they were worn by many (I guess because of the clear link between small pieces of metal stuck through earlobes and superior academic performance as well as Godliness). At length you made a concession and we were told that a skin coloured hairband could be placed upon the wrist. The very next day, my daughter was informed that hairbands were to be worn in the hair and not upon the wrist.
I pleaded our case and was told that jewellery was not allowed in any circumstances. This rule did not seem to extend to earrings, as they were worn by many (I guess because of the clear link between small pieces of metal stuck through earlobes and superior academic performance as well as Godliness). At length you made a concession and we were told that a skin coloured hairband could be placed upon the wrist. The very next day, my daughter was informed that hairbands were to be worn in the hair and not upon the wrist.
So this year you are on a mission. How is that treating you? Someone I know regularly laments the fate of the poor 3rd world children under your tutelage, but then is happy that you are not inflicting your 'evilness' on the Australian children who are her friends.
I bet you feel good about your personal sacrifice, to help the minions. I bet your colleagues and friends hold you in high esteem for your noble efforts. I bet you get a warm fuzzy feeling when you see the new schoolhouse that your international adventure has procured. That will look lovely on the resume too. Make sure you get a happy snap of yourself and some cute black children stood out front. God smiles on shit like that.
With all that gratuitous pleasure up for grabs, why would you want to help a silently melting child take her first incremental step toward becoming literate? Where are the accolades in that? You tried once but she clearly wasn't trying, because it didn't work and YOU are an 'awesome' teacher.
Oh, and you teach in an 'awesome' school. And 'the technology is just awesome!'.
I .FIND. YOUR. CONTINUOUS. LIP. SERVICE. ABOUT. YOUR. OWN. 'AWESOMENESS' . REPUGNANT.
How awesome was it to watch the little girl, seated (inappropriately) at the back of the classroom, slowly turn to dust, along with her prospects and aspirations ????
??? ??
?
**************************************************************************
Now that I have spewed forth that diatribe I have the breath to say:
I think you are generally good, kind people.
I don't think that you are bad teachers when it comes to basic mainstream education.
I don't wish for you to stop being teachers.
I do wish that you would understand that your general success as teachers and as a school does not make you superior and well informed in all areas of education.
My opinion as a parent is valid.
Education is lifelong, for you too.
You are not informed on appropriate teaching methods for gifted children with learning disabilities.
The ramifications of your ignorance can be devastating and life long.
Ignorance is not an excuse.
I do not excuse you.
Kind regards,
Super Kate's mum
Brava!!! How long have you kept that bottled up???
ReplyDeleteOn behalf of all parents with children with special needs, I thank you for your eloquence!
Why thank you. It was well-brewed and self-carbonating.
ReplyDeleteYeah, teacher' ignorance... Sounds familiar... Add principal's ignorance... Which together results on child's suffering that is not suppose to be happening... Learning should be fun and adventure not torture. Maybe they think that child's learning disabilities caused by parent imagination??? On the other hand, I am very grateful to ignorant teachers and principals that my son had, without them I would have never discovered the joy of homeschooling. Oh, one more thing. I haven't read the Bible but I would think that caring should be one of the main characteristics of a good Christian...
ReplyDeleteDear Melitta,
ReplyDeleteI remember too well the things that you have 'spewed' about. Starting with my daughter's first kindergarten teacher(for goodness sake)telling her as a June baby going into school at 5, that she was in BIG trouble because she didn't 'get it' when learning to read. I still have the letters to Dabby and the Easter Dunny! We had our own little laugh but truly whilst that was going on I beleive that God who is a loving person was weeping for my daughter.Wether your child is at a Christian school or not should but does not make a difference to how your child will be educated. What does make a difference is a Teacher who is loving, compassionate and has a desire to teach a child under their care. That is what a true Christian teacher would do but they are also humans and it is humans that make the mistakes not God.
When my daughter had a serious ongoing problem with incontinence and would wet during the day as well as night time, I asked her teacher for compassion and showed her the medical report. A lesion in her spine relating to bladder and renal function. A bladder wall so thick it could not contract and with no nerve supply telling my child that she needed to wee and chronic cystitis for 4 years. "Could she sit closer to the blackboard for her learning needs and near the door to pop out regularly and not distract the class?" Sure the teacher smiled "oh dear, what a terrible thing for her to deal with!!" So guess what happened? Everytime my girl slipped out of class the teacher drew attention to her "missing" and did not pass the imformation onto other staff.It was hell.Extra time for exams meant walking a good ten minutes to an admin block and having 'accountants and other staff' laugh at her predicament so that was worthless and heaped more shame upon her.None of this is how God who knew my girl before she was born wanted her to be treated.Every day was a battle in one way or another.Those educators etc my friend made a decision to either be kind or cruel by making her education a nightmare.Some were kind. Were they Christians?I
don't know but I know that God made us all and what we do with that knowledge is up to us. So please don't blame it on Him but pity the people who join a profession and perhaps are not taught well along the way? Keep doing what you are doing and yes be your Kate's Champion. That is what these children need your love, understanding and support.Kate has all of this and you will continue to get it right.The support of less fortunate children in a 3rd world country will teach compassion and hopefully make us a less materialistic society.
Thus the intentions are good and we all know people can wear 'masks'. Don't let that stop your determined path for your Kate.
Love and blessings.
Amanda
Dear Amanda,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your advice! What a horrible situation for your daughter! Your story gets more heart breaking each time I hear more.
Please do not think that I blame God or religion or am racist or do not see the value in helping people less fortunate than us.
What I was trying to convey (very facetiously I confess) is that I think people should live by their convictions all of the time, not just when it suits them.
I do not think that people should bask in their own goodness, because of one/a few good tasks.
It bugged me that the constant talk of loving, nurturing and kindness was not extended to my daughter when she needed it the most.
I will keep on keeping on and with a better frame of mind now that I have let go of all the above.
Thanks for writing. I always look forward to your comments.
Love Melita x
Hi again,
ReplyDeletejust an addition.
The school that we booked Tasman into as a baby
had the motto "Each child is an Individual and
we Care". I followed the school very carefully once it was obvious that she had Learning Difficulties to be sure of our decision. I remember being SO excited when she was dressed in that beautiful private school uniform heading through the gates on day one of Year 5.She was tiny for her age and could have been going into Year 3 so looked very fragile and vulnerable. We had already had years of serious horror. Well the Motto must have been for someone else's child it was not for mine.
Moral to this story. You never ever know and we all just do the best that we can. You my dear are doing better than best. Keep at it. x Amanda
Oh this so takes me back to our struggles! - Removing my talented daughter from a school that I thought would be more caring than the state run schools much closer to home, but no - they wouldn't accept the label 'Dyslexia' and therefore it didn't exist in their eyes.
ReplyDeleteHomeschooling was not easy for me and we had our struggles, but at least my daughter was getting one-on-one tuition and eventually learned to read and write.
She has now gone on to much greater heights now, excelling at University and gaining an honours degree through sheer determination. She has done this all on her own, far away from family support and the strife of my failed marriage. And I love her all the more for it. I am so very proud of her.
I just wish there had been more help at the time when she so badly needed it.
Have a look at this website about a new font which has been designed by a dyslexic for dyslexics to make reading easier - http://bit.ly/tHQHzv
Good luck with your home schooling x Pen
I just found your site and your story is emotional, heartbreaking, but all too often accurate. My 2e son was discriminated against and on the 6th day of school his teacher informed us that he " preyed on the weakest lambs and took pleasure in causing pain for others!". We were devastated! I have been a public school teacher for 20+ years and I was shocked by their statements and unwillingness to see him any other way. We got the administration involved and consulted therapists. It got better, but I will never forget those horrible words!
ReplyDelete