Public Shaming: It's Not Okay

To The Teacher At my Children's School,

I love the school you teach at. I'm very involved there, and the staff is amazing.

Since I love it so much, and I know you teach at a great school, with great kids, I hate to have to ask you this, but seriously, what is wrong with you?

Do you hate your job? Do you eat mean teacher Wheaties in the morning? What is it?

Every time I have seen you, you have been publicly shaming one or more of your students. Every. Single. Time.

Like it'a thing that needs to be done.

It's not.

Today, though, I watched you combine public shaming, with turning your students into snitches. Well done.

Did it matter so much who was being loud on the stairs, that you desperately needed your students to turn in the ones responsible? Because, let me tell you, that's not good for their relationships with their classmates.

Did you need to pull them out as the kids watched? And the other students on the stairs? And me, a parent you don't even know?

I get the feeling that maybe you don't really like kids, which makes me wonder why you're teaching Kindergarten. At least this time you weren't calling anyone a liar in front of the class.

Yeah, I saw that happen. These kids are five. So, I'm still asking, what is wrong with you?

And public shaming, that's just not okay. Didn't that go out in the 1970s?

If you were doing something wrong in your job, you would expect to be spoken to privately, and discreetly. Why shouldn't your students? How will they learn to trust you and believe in you when you clearly don't respect them?

Next year I'm sending my sweet Brennan to Kindergarten. I'm going to make damn sure he doesn't have you. I'm kind of thinking that no one should have you.

If you want the respect of your students, I'm suggesting you give them a little. Or seriously, stop teaching. Public shaming is damaging to kids. They never forget it. And every time I've seen you, I didn't think, "Wow, what awful students she has". Nope, I've thought you were a poor excuse for a teacher.

You're surrounded by amazing professionals who've been doing the job for years. Go watch then. Learn something. And stop treating your students like that.

*****
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