Sub Vision: Dear Teacher...

I know, I am just a substitute and what do I know about your unique style, your great students, and your special relationship with them. You do want a good substitute to guard your precious learners and protect that distinct dynamic. I do understand that, and would love to follow your heart, however it is not that simple... I know the endless hours you invest in your profession; I used to do that too. I see both sides. However, I learned from experience that the special balance you have with your students exists only when you are there. As soon as a replacement is present, students become the rebellious kids, who want to play, not to learn…

No matter how much you trust those perfect students of yours, please leave them with some distinct work, to be completed by the end of the period; not tomorrow, not next week. It cannot be an ongoing project they are working on this week, or a paragraph to read, or studying for a test. They won’t do it! If the work you assign is not on a paper, collectible by me, the preferred way of accountability, if it is electronic, make sure that the deadline is by the end of the period. Make sure they know it, they know you are going to check, and please do so. If they don’t have to show a completed work by the end of the period, trust me, they would NOT do it.

Please leave with me a seating chart. There is nothing as magical for behavior control as seating charts. As long as they know I can find out their names, and they will be answerable for their behavior, they will behave. Don’t just leave me a note to report to you the misbehaving people. They know I don’t know their names and they trust their friends not to tell me.

Please leave me some space on your white, or black, board, where I can find room to put on the date and my name. I would also like, if possible, to write your instructions on the board, just in case someone will claim I never told them…

Whatever instructions you gave the students before I came, please give them to me too. I would like to be informed of what I am supervising, and what your expectations are. I want to be able to tell students to do their work, and to know they really do have work, otherwise I will have to trust their word that they have nothing to do…

And… when they tell you I was mean, it is OK to sympathize with them, if you need their affection, but please be assured in your heart that I was doing my job…

Ch 14 of 20: Parents' Rights

Back in the days, the worst-case scenario following bad behavior was parents’ conference. If a parent was contacted and asked to meet with the teacher, it was a complete misfortune for the family, the student, and his/her social life.

My parents, unlike most parents at the time, were at least willing to give me a fair hearing of what had happened. Most parents would not even listen, and automatically side with the teacher. It would be considered a disgrace for the family if their student so misbehaved.

This type of parents’ reaction does not exist anymore, especially not in second-generation American families. It may still be true for families who recently emigrated from different countries, especially developing countries, where education and teachers’ authority is still taken quite seriously…

One of the reasons for this phenomenon results from parents losing authority with their children. They may be too busy working multiple jobs and thus being away from home, or they may start losing respect from the younger generation due to language deficiency or cultural background.

I have met so many wonderful, willing to help and supportive, Hispanic parents, who valued education and wish their students to succeed, and yet are completely powerless in their attempt to influence their child.

Situation changes for the worse, unfortunately, after families have been here for a while, and are swayed by a sense of entitlement; feeling that the system owes them. They neglect their responsibilities and lay it all on teachers, and school in general. From this group of people I often hear a blaming tone. They, often, refuse to take responsibility for their student’s behavior and blame teachers and administrators. Some even flatly declare that they are not going to do anything about their misbehaving student…

And then there is a third group of parents, parents of students who are fairly motivated, disciplined, and quite well mannered. Usually they live in affluent areas, and go to respectable schools. These are the schools where teachers have fewer problems with students but many more problems with parents…

Teachers who work in those schools tell me horror stories about parents screaming at them for not complying with their demands regarding procedures, homework assignments, and most commonly – grades. These teachers deal with parents who treat them like kids and try to control their teaching and decision making…

Imagine a corporate environment where a boss has to answer for employee’s parents’ demands regarding special treatment for their son or daughter…

Consider a situation where a worker is directly responsible before the law, not only for things he/she has done, but for things done by somebody else. A case where not reporting, or not even noticing, misconduct done by others, may carry a severe punishment that could cost him/her job, and even imprison...

Compare the education profession to other careers, considering the layers of “bosses”, so to speak, to whom teachers have to report. There is the department head, the administrator in charge, the principal, the school district officials, as well as other special supervisors and advisers, to name few.

…Add to that 200 students, and double this number of parents and guardians… all bossing the same teacher…