 |
| Image: oneteachersperspective.blogspot.com |
While mind-body techniques and positive thinking absolutely has its place, in reality, it would be much more truthful and accurate to say that my intrinsic nature has always been more in alignment with, "Get Angry & Change the World". So you could say that as of this moment, I am a recovering yoga teacher.
In the last few weeks, through several eye-opening events, (personal, domestic and international) much self-reflection, a few glasses of Sangria, (and yes, of course, meditation) I have finally gotten back in touch with my "Inner Bitch" and I think she may have saved me from a life of misdirection and a false sense of complacency.
So today, I am proudly coming out as my angry, ninja self. But I am not going to spew a bunch of hate. No-that is NOT what I am about; anger needs to be directed in a controlled, logical manner in order to be of any use to us. Rather I am going to present to you my insights. You are welcome to share them, or not, and if you don't agree, that is fine too.
My goal is still and will always be, to communicate, educate, motivate inform and entertain, because real education is a dialog-a sharing of ideas-not an imposing of thoughts or agendas.
These are scary times we are living in. There are many challenges and changes going on all around us and you would have to be living under a rock to not see it. But regardless of your personal views, beliefs or understanding, you have to know something is RADICALLY wrong with our education system, when you see these headlines:
7-year old Pop-Tart gun offender loses first appeal.
14-Year-Old Refuses To Remove NRA T-Shirt, Faces 1 Year In Jail
School Confiscates Cupcakes Decorated with Toy Soldiers
Girl’s bubble gun center of ‘terrorist threat’ at Pennsylvania Elementary School3 Year Old Deaf child's sign language name looks too much like gun
Now its personal.
Recently, my step daughter's high school cosmetology class was (illegally) searched by the vice principal, who burst into the room and vindictively asked them one morning, "Do you like dogs? Because I do!" He came in to search not only lockers, but also girl's purses and bags. With 2 armed officers and dogs. (By the way, I do not live in an inner city-I live near Perkasie, PA.) These girls had NO IDEA they could refuse or ask a parent be present before consenting to having their personal property searched. They were not told what the "reasonable suspicion" was, and were not informed they would be subject to a search nor what they were even looking for. They had no idea they could even ask these questions. They were intimidated by 3 men, two of them armed, and two K9 Officers. (If your boss came into your place of work in this manner, you would be intimidated too.)
The 'search' abruptly ended when the vice principal, found a squarish shaped plastic container in one girl's bag, and triumphantly requested it be opened. The girl gladly complied and dumped several tampons, feminine wipes and condoms out onto the desk. He turned pale, (as one officer stifled his laughter) and quickly exited the room-dogs, officers and all. (No further commentary needed on this one.)
Last week, my 13 year old daughter was harassed by a female teacher, for her t-shirt being "too low cut". (I assure you-it was not. she was not violating any school dress codes and she was dressed very conservatively in a crew neck t-shirt with no decoration on it. I look at how she is dressed every day, right down to earrings, makeup and footwear before she walks out the door.) My daughter is healthy, muscular and "built like a brick house" as the saying goes, and apparently that makes people- uncomfortable. (As if she has any control over her genetics.)
The teacher did this in front of other students, commenting to another teacher who proceeded to pull up her shirt by the shoulders as to "cover up" more of her chest area. My daughter was beyond stunned and mortified - (as if a teenage girl needs to feel any more self-conscious about her growing body). She has been taught to respect teachers and didn't know that she could back away and that teachers are not supposed to actually touch her. However, the teacher knew that.
I told her that if it happens again, to push/slap this teacher's hands away and say loudly "don't touch me!" and then go directly to the office and call me. I don't want her to have to do that. I don't want to have to tell her to do that, but I will. Its awful and nauseating that anyone should feel the need to instruct kids how to protect themselves from the people who they have to spend 7 hours a day, 5 days a week with and take instruction from for 9-10 months out of the year. (Homeschooling was discussed-the younger one won't let me as she wants to be with her friends. The older one has no problem speaking up, now that she knows she can, and will be a senior next year.)
I have always been and am usually supportive, defending of and helpful to educators-but NOT when I see them routinely falling into this pattern of compliance-of allowing kids to be intimidated-and actually assisting with the process. If my child is breaking a rule, it is MY job, and mine alone to handle it, correct it and discipline her. Period. This is not negotiable and teachers need to speak up and push back by refusing to deal with these issues themselves and referring discipline issues & remedies back to where they belong-with a parent or guardian, in the home.
These ridiculous headlines above and the equally ridiculous policies and the events that inspired them, are not about education nor about what is best for our kids.They are showing us and warning us of a frightening trend, that rewards compliance over free thinking.
Grab a yoga mat or a glass of Sangria and really contemplate that for a minute.
Education needs to begin in the home. It starts with educating our kids on what is means to live and learn here, and what their rights are as a citizen and a student. It needs to include logical & critical thinking, problem solving, self-respect, respecting others, how to make good decisions (based in fact, not emotion) and how to speak up and how to protect oneself against others who aggressively attempt to infringe on their thoughts, beliefs and liberties, and who try and make them feel guilty by acting "offended" at everything. We need to teach our kids to be respectful-but to themselves first. We are not teaching that, we are discouraging it.
Somewhere along the line we forgot that part. We forgot to teach them how to think critically, and how and when to put on their big panties and deal with people, teachers and 'stuff' without crying "bully" or "unfair" or expecting someone to give them a sticker, a trophy, a medal, or an "A" for just showing up.
So, my question is: what will it take for parents, educators and administrators to push back against the current trend, the indoctrination psychotic policies, and erosion of rights being imposed onto our kids, especially, it seems, our sons?
We have seen the kids already begin to push back-in the very wrong way, and we need to not wait to fix the problems after the fact and after they become unfixable - but prevent them before they happen. We can do that by showing kids with our actions, that we will be ever vigilant and do everything in our power to protect them, their lives, their liberties and their personal pursuits of happiness.
This takes on a doubly important meaning in the context of children with special needs-non-verbal children in particular-the most vulnerable of us all. I am now entirely convinced that ABA 'therapy'- (applied behavioral analysis) which insurance companies will now pay for- (in fact the ONLY kind of autism therapy that is paid for by insurance) is just another attempt to make kids more compliant and weak.(If you doubt me, look up "behaviorism", (what ABA is based on) Watson, and Skinner, (who came up with this theory in the early 1900's) and tell me that it doesn't strip every last bit of 'humanity', hint of 'choice' and shred of 'self-control' from humans?)
We can choose to ignore it all but its not getting any better by pretending its not happening. We can complain, Tweet and blog about it, but that is not causing anything to really change. We could also stand around and blame guns, video games, ADHD, teachers, Monsanto, lack of religion or absent mothers/fathers all we want, but we know that these are NOT the only nor the real root cause, they are only contributing factors.
Our kids are looking-waiting for someone to teach them things that matter, someone who looks out for them and advocates for them and who teaches them to advocate for themselves. Someone who really loves them. Buying things for them is not love. Making excuses for them is not love. Letting them just have things (like trophies, karate belts or diplomas) for participating without working for and earning them is not love. Making ridiculous policies that constrict them more and more is not loving nor protecting them. Saying "I love You" is a start, but showing them HOW you love them by teaching them how to think; acting on injustice; ensuring their rights (human and constitutional) are protected; unconditionally supporting their social & emotional well being, speaks even louder. This includes parents and teachers.
Many teachers feel that they are at the mercy of policies that don't work, and I agree with them. They are the ones in the classrooms, working with our kids and they need to be the ones calling the shots in education, not following some stupid, ineffective 'politically correct' government policy for fear of losing their job.
The more we stand by and allow ourselves, our kids, our schools, our teachers and our students to be systematically taken advantage of, intimidated, bullied, traumatized, lied to, censored and silenced by government and school administrations acting as agents of the government, in the name of "safety" and/or "education", the more our kids (and we all) lose. These policies have made the student mistrust the teachers, the teachers mistrust the parents and vice versa. A scared child who cannot trust the adults around him, does not learn anything but how to survive, and a scared teacher cannot teach anything useful. The more scared we all are and the more kids see us stand by and not act, the more they will feel a need to take matters into their own hands and 'survive' in the wrong way. This only puts everyone involved, at odds with each other and in danger.
 |
| Image: hideyourarms.com |
Is this what we want?
Related Links:
