Working as a teacher has to be one of the toughest jobs in the world. What makes it harder is when some parents think they can teach their own child better. Or don’t take it well when a teacher disciplines their child. Nowadays, a teacher scolding student would often more than not attract harsh criticism from parents.
However, one Singaporean mum whose child got “scolded” by her teacher, was able to see the other side of the story and look at things from the teacher’s perspective.
Mum uploads heartwarming post about teacher scolding student
Childcare in Singapore is a Facebook group whose members are parents of kids aged one to six.
This online community of parents does many things. One of them is reviewing child care centres, kindergartens and other institutions within the group.
It’s only to be expected that some posts are accompanied with a rant or complaint about a “bad” teacher scolding student.
However, one mum — Jacklyn Kong — recently uploaded a different kind of post. Her daughter had been pulled up by her teacher. But instead of going on a rant, Jacklyn explained why she fully supported the teacher’s actions.
Teacher scolding student: Ms Kong’s daughter was told off sternly by her child care teacher. (Image Illustration purposes only). | Image Source: Stock Photo
At first, the teacher was telling off the girl…
Jacklyn had accompanied both her daughters to a new childcare centre. One day, as she was bringing both their respective classrooms, the younger sister began crying.
She then handed her daughter over to the teacher, telling her that she’d return after taking her older daughter to class.
However, when she came back, her younger daughter was still crying. The teacher was now scolding her. Instead of intervening, Jacklyn chose to watch the scenario unfold.
Before long, the teacher noticed her presence, and Jacklyn entered her class. The teacher then began saying how sorry she was for telling off her daughter. Apparently, Jacklyn’s daughter had spat on her classmate when he was comforting her.
The teacher nervously explained what happened, as she waited for Jacklyn’s response.
…but, she didn’t fault the teacher
However, Jacklyn didn’t criticise the teacher for her actions, instead supporting her decision. She says that if her child was wrong, the teacher had no need to apologise for disciplining her.
Upon hearing this, the teacher cried “tears of relief”.
However, looking back, Jacklyn asks this question:
What have we as a society done, such that Teachers have to be afraid to do their jobs?
Raising a child is everyone’s responsibility
Jacklyn’s perspective might have been influenced by the fact that she’s a secondary school teacher herself.
She explains that she, too, encountered parents who only think teachers should teach — and yet fault teachers if the child misbehaves at home.
That is why she highlights the significance of bringing up a child as a society, instead of viewing it as a parent’s responsibility alone.
She then deduces that parents who truly love their kids should not stop other members of society from teaching children how to grow up and become better people.
Jacklyn then says that teachers shouldn’t be fearful of disciplining children so that they grow up behaving better. She also says that parents should support teachers who dedicate their lives in educating the children of today.
Here’s her full Facebook post:
An under-valued profession
It takes a lot of resources and people to raise a child, and it is our responsibility people who have more experience than a child — such as their teachers — guide them on the right path.
A teacher disciplining your child shouldn’t always be taken as a personal attack. Part of their role is to help mentor your kids become better adults.
Of course, there’s a fine line between emotional abuse and disciplining children. A teacher physically disciplining students over trivial matters should raise a parent’s concern. However, a teacher pulling up a student in order to teach what’s right should not be met with a parent’s complaints.
After all, teachers are there to do what we might not always have the time for as parents: to educate our kids on what life is about and help the next generation of people build a better society.
Let’s take the time to appreciate teachers’ commitment to our children.
This article was first published on theAsianParent.
