I have to admit that in one way I feel that I am probably not qualified to comment on the state of education in our schools today. However, I certainly do feel qualified to comment on my own personal experience and I will leave it up to you as to what extent my experience translates into the reality of the state of our classrooms today. I will simply let you be the judge.
Yesterday, it seems like my day was focused on education. After church I had the opportunity to go to lunch with a young friend of mine and I must tell you that for a young man who is only in the second grade, he is wise well beyond his years. During our conversation we covered every topic on earth from his favorite race driver on Mario Cart, which happens to be Toadstool, to the proper way to care for a pet tarantula, which thank goodness he doesn’t have yet, but he is sure hoping.
However, when the subject turned to school, I could see an immediate change in his demeanor and his level of enthusiasm. My heart broke as we talked about how on a daily basis the other kids picked on him on the bus and at school. It seemed that no matter what he did, he just couldn’t avoid the constant bombardment of torments and teasing. And, no matter what his parents tried, and no matter how many converstaions with the school officials they had, nothing seemed to help.
For me, it was as if I was suddenly transported back 40 years to another young boy that I knew very well, that was the smallest and youngest in his class, a boy who always seemed strange to the other kids because he was better at things like music than he was at sports and because of this, for some reason, he always seemed to be the favorite target of the bigger kids and those who just went along because it was easier to pick on the weak than it was to stand up for what was right.
As I listened I couldn’t help but wonder why this type of bullying is still allowed to happen in our schools and on the bus. Haven’t we learned some way in all of these years to protect these kids? Now don’t get me wrong. I have always been a big supporter of teachers. My Mom was a teacher, my aunt was a teacher, I have two cousins that are teachers and my sister is a teacher. I come from a long line of teachers, but with that being said, I just don’t feel that there is enough done today, or ever for that matter, to protect those who can’t protect themselves.
I think back to an experience that we had when our son was finishing 5th grade. It was the last day of school and the kids were on the playground. Our son, who followed in my footsteps as far as being the unfortunate target of bullying, was struck in the face by another student. With a bleeding face and broken glasses he went up to the teacher on duty who immediately told him to stand up against the wall, that recess was about over. No investigation, no talking to the bully who perpetrated the attack, not even an attempt at justice. It was Ben who was punished for getting his face in the way of the other boy’s fist and forced to stand up against the wall.
After calling the principal and asking why no one seemed to care what happened, I was told that the teachers are very busy watching all of those kids and that she made the decision that she thought was best at the time. I simply asked the principal what message was he sending? Knowing that you are going to be the one punished, why would you ever be willing to do what you are supposed to do and go to the teacher when something like this happens? I asked the principal, would you like for me to teach my child that the next time this happens to knock the "holy bee gees" out of the other kid? Of course, the principal then answered, “Well, of course you know that fighting is never the solution to the problem,” to which I agreed and said that he was right, the solution is to go to someone in authority and tell them what happened, but we could see how far my son got following the "right" course of action.
I realize that this problem is as old as humanity itself, and that there are no easy solutions to these problems. It just breaks my heart to know that there are kids going to school everyday that are bullied and terrorized and our schools, despite their rhetoric, are allowing it to go on seemingly unchecked.
My prayer today is for all of those kids, who really ask nothing more than that they are allowed to go to school in peace, and that they be respected and allowed simply to be themselves. I pray for our educators who are charged with a tremendously difficult job, often not being given the resources that they need to do the work the way it should be done. And finally, I pray for the kids who do the bullying, that God touch their hearts and allow them to see their fellow students as God sees them, as children of God.
Blessings
Yesterday, it seems like my day was focused on education. After church I had the opportunity to go to lunch with a young friend of mine and I must tell you that for a young man who is only in the second grade, he is wise well beyond his years. During our conversation we covered every topic on earth from his favorite race driver on Mario Cart, which happens to be Toadstool, to the proper way to care for a pet tarantula, which thank goodness he doesn’t have yet, but he is sure hoping.
However, when the subject turned to school, I could see an immediate change in his demeanor and his level of enthusiasm. My heart broke as we talked about how on a daily basis the other kids picked on him on the bus and at school. It seemed that no matter what he did, he just couldn’t avoid the constant bombardment of torments and teasing. And, no matter what his parents tried, and no matter how many converstaions with the school officials they had, nothing seemed to help.
For me, it was as if I was suddenly transported back 40 years to another young boy that I knew very well, that was the smallest and youngest in his class, a boy who always seemed strange to the other kids because he was better at things like music than he was at sports and because of this, for some reason, he always seemed to be the favorite target of the bigger kids and those who just went along because it was easier to pick on the weak than it was to stand up for what was right.
As I listened I couldn’t help but wonder why this type of bullying is still allowed to happen in our schools and on the bus. Haven’t we learned some way in all of these years to protect these kids? Now don’t get me wrong. I have always been a big supporter of teachers. My Mom was a teacher, my aunt was a teacher, I have two cousins that are teachers and my sister is a teacher. I come from a long line of teachers, but with that being said, I just don’t feel that there is enough done today, or ever for that matter, to protect those who can’t protect themselves.
I think back to an experience that we had when our son was finishing 5th grade. It was the last day of school and the kids were on the playground. Our son, who followed in my footsteps as far as being the unfortunate target of bullying, was struck in the face by another student. With a bleeding face and broken glasses he went up to the teacher on duty who immediately told him to stand up against the wall, that recess was about over. No investigation, no talking to the bully who perpetrated the attack, not even an attempt at justice. It was Ben who was punished for getting his face in the way of the other boy’s fist and forced to stand up against the wall.
After calling the principal and asking why no one seemed to care what happened, I was told that the teachers are very busy watching all of those kids and that she made the decision that she thought was best at the time. I simply asked the principal what message was he sending? Knowing that you are going to be the one punished, why would you ever be willing to do what you are supposed to do and go to the teacher when something like this happens? I asked the principal, would you like for me to teach my child that the next time this happens to knock the "holy bee gees" out of the other kid? Of course, the principal then answered, “Well, of course you know that fighting is never the solution to the problem,” to which I agreed and said that he was right, the solution is to go to someone in authority and tell them what happened, but we could see how far my son got following the "right" course of action.
I realize that this problem is as old as humanity itself, and that there are no easy solutions to these problems. It just breaks my heart to know that there are kids going to school everyday that are bullied and terrorized and our schools, despite their rhetoric, are allowing it to go on seemingly unchecked.
My prayer today is for all of those kids, who really ask nothing more than that they are allowed to go to school in peace, and that they be respected and allowed simply to be themselves. I pray for our educators who are charged with a tremendously difficult job, often not being given the resources that they need to do the work the way it should be done. And finally, I pray for the kids who do the bullying, that God touch their hearts and allow them to see their fellow students as God sees them, as children of God.
Blessings
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