20 years experience with teachers

october 8 2008

I'm celebrating 20 years of experience with schools.

With 6 children in the system I can say I know quite a bit about good and bad teachers, honest educational efforts and lots of hidden negligence.

I simply love some of the teachers of my children. They've become good friends and whenever I meet them, a breeze of inspiration flows right through me.
They care they took of the children who were trusted to them was without boundaries, and they did all they could to make the years as happy as could be.
They succeeded.
Oh yes they did.
My children slept well, woke up happy and went to school without the slightest problem, came back full of stories and radiated happiness. They were relaxed and felt on the top of the world.
Even my autistic boy showed almost no signs of troubles, nor did the others.

Acceptance and real interest in the child creates miracles.

I feel grateful for those years, and sometimes days, because I've seen fill-ins like angels. They came to take over for one day and made a lasting impression.

But some others have caused lots of pain and stress.
Maria Montessori has turned in her grave many times.
Not to speak of the other saints who are linked to schools forever.

I'm still not able to tell why some people have chosen to be and stay a teacher.
Are they incapable of reflecting on their daily behaviour and intentions?
Or do they have such strong egos that they can wash away the pain and stress they cause day after day?

I've seen hard working, motivated children change into silent, introverted kids who were afraid of failure and who had no self-confidence left.
More than once I've seen groups of parents take their children to another school because they couldn't cope with a certain teacher anymore, and more than once I've involved the schoolinspection in cases where the well being of young people was in danger.

20 years of experience.

When I started I thought teachers were far better than other people. That they had set themselves high standards, because they had an enormous sense of responsibility.

I expected to meet the same kind of people who taught me so much.
And as I said before, I've met some on my way.

But they're like an almost extinct group.

Right now I'm dealing with some teachers who think the world of themselves.
They almost choke in their own self-righteousness, and the only reason why their backbone is straight is because their pride and blindness for the feelings of others supports it.

After 20 years of dealing with all sorts of teachers I still don't know how to get my message across to the persons who should decide about the education of my autistic son.
It's a brick wall and iron skulls I have to break, and even when I would succeed I doubt whether the amount of brain tissue (if any) is able to function properly.
Are they without hearts, do they come from a different planet?
Why on earth do they tell me they care?

It would be lonely to be the only one with the same feelings, but I'm not.
But those other parents have normal children, who can tell themselves that better times will come.

This afternoon I thought that maybe I should go on hungerstrike to get my message across. Or chain myself to the porch of the school.
But it wouldn't help at all. They would declare me insane and take my children away.

All I can hope is that divine intervention will stop these people from thinking and feeling the way they do.
Something needs to happen to give my son a night of relaxed sleep, feelings of hope during the day and self-confidence.
Something needs to happen to raise this child above himself and give him purpose in life.

There is more in life than education to the letter, at a school that's contra-indicated by his psychiatrist.

Give him the chance to find out who he is.
Maybe he's a painter, a sculptor, or a good gardener.
Maybe he can just sit with the elderly and smile, read them a book or bring them their tea.

He deserves as much time he needs to get to know himself.

Maybe the people behind the brick walls and iron skulls need to take the same time to get to know themselves too.