a facebook friend of mine just posted a very cute picture of her daughter, a teacher, holding up a poster with her classroom rules written on it. this scene is being repeated all over the country as schools swing back into gear and kids need to be reminded........not to hit each other.
really? that's how far we've deteriorated? that every schoolroom in america feels the need to post a list of rules for how to behave? because if they don't, no one will just instinctively know - not even by 10th grade - to keep your hands and feet to yourself? to raise your hand if you want to speak?
as a clinical social worker, i am in practically every classroom in franklin county, ohio, and i am here to tell you that yes, damned near every single one of them, regardless of grade level, has a posted list of behavioral rules. and the lists in the high school rooms are not that much, if any, different than the lists in the kindergarten rooms. am i the only one who sees the problem in this?
when i went to school, not a single teacher in the whole freaking system felt the need to post the "rules." we. all. just. freaking. knew. what. the. stupid. rules. were. for. God's. sake.
we knew what the rules were because we had parents -and churches - who taught us. and we didn't have parents who sued the crap outa the school system if their kid shoved another kid because the teacher never specifically said anything about not being allowed to shove.
there's this thing circulating around on facebook about how, back in the day, kids were "raised," not just allowed to "grow up."
well, at least facebook's doin' somethin' right.
