This One Life
Right here.
Right now. We have this one life. Most of us, if not all of us in America have
choices. In November 2010 I had a parent
teacher conference with our youngest’s kindergarten teacher and her assistant/aide.
It was pointed out to me that our child’s behavior was just fine. That she appeared to be able to handle all
assignments. She participated in class
well. That she was inquisitive. However,
then came the ‘BAD’ news. Hopefully, you
people reading this have just played the music that goes with ‘BAD’ news
conundrum. I’m being snarky.
Over the
years, when I’ve gone in for a parent-teacher conferences concerning our
children. I really don’t care about their grades. I bring paper and pen. I have
questions written down ahead of time. My questions go like so, “Does my child
raise their hand when appropriate or are they rude?” “Do they interrupt you or
disrupt the class?” “Is their behavior appropriate?” “Are they helpful, without
being asked?” To me, it is mighty important to be kind to others. It is mighty important to consider others and
to be considerate. Our children know
that. It’s my number one rule. Next is, ‘take
care of your health’. Then, ‘do your homework’. I don’t care if it’s done wrong.
So long, as you made a valiant ‘effort’.
Now, our oldest
laughs in stating that her peers think I’m an ogre with her grades. It’s because she does well. So, her peers think its parental
pressure. Nope. The pressure was
inadvertent when the children were babies. It was, “You will spend time reading and being
read to when you cannot yet read. And you will be read to every day.” No cable
television has been allowed in our home. No easy way to cook or clean was
shown. Such as no dishwasher, no microwave oven. Dad rakes. Maybe you’ll help
him rake. He mows the lawn, walking back and forth over our farmer’s acre lot. Maybe you’ll wash a dish or two. Please set
the table two times a week. You kids can split that minor chore. We don’t pay
you for chores. We give you money and see what you do with it. Maybe I’ll have
you peel a carrot, or a yam or an apple when your five. But I won’t force you, I’ll make you a deal. Ohhhh, THE DEAL.
First, I
make certain you have five to ten books read to you per day. Mostly my
doing. Then, when you learn, you must
read something every day, especially before the allotted forty-five minutes of
television watching per day on the weekdays and as much as ninety minutes on
the weekend days. Computers, you will work with me twenty minutes a day three
days a week. That’s when your homework is done.
Reicher’s always do homework. We’ve
explained there is no excuse whatsoever to not do your homework. We’ve
explained not doing your homework is not only disrespectful to your teachers,
as well to your peers. Never mind your
parents who pay taxes into the public education system. Yeah, even when they were young, I laid it on
thick, with those thoughts.
So, now going
back to the 2010 parent-teacher conference. The teacher violated my rule number
one. I’ll explain. Now, the ‘BAD’ news,
our youngest she explained in front of her young not yet married assistant was,
“She is too global thinking”. So, I inquired, “Too global? Hmmm. Tell me what
you mean.” They responded, “She cares about others. We’ve never seen this in
our class, to this level. She doesn’t think like the other children. They are
more local thinkers.” I replied, “Oh, so
she’s a bit young for such thinking. Well, I emphasize kindness. It is one of the
most important things in life that one can contribute.” The two looked at each
other. Then the teacher sighed. I then added, “I’ll talk to her about it. But
it is really okay with me, if it’s okay with her. I’ll ask her.” That was their
complaint. And by the way two years before that was similar to that teacher’s
complaint about our oldest child as well in November 2008.
Well, at
some point over the next two years, I met a woman who knew the goings on concerning
the education system in our town. She appeared nearly as an older non-judgmental
person, who’d known much about our town. I asked her for her opinion on the
comments passed near a year or two before from the kindergarten teacher. Basically,
she mildly refrained from condemning the teacher, whom she knew. She let me know, we needed more global
thinkers. And that it needed to be
attended to at a young age. This one
life can make a difference in the world. If you let it.---Jody-Lynn Reicher
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