Modern Education

Well today was interesting.  I suppose everyday is at some point.  I have four boys ranging in age from 11 years to 6 weeks.  Not to bore you with a million stories of humor, frustration, and love, but today, as I said, was interesting.  The oldest started middle school this year.  He is shy and the team of teachers has requested a conference already.  Not looking forward to it at all.  Anyway,  he was bitten by ants while feeding the chickens. (Yes, we have chickens, but that's another story).  Apparently, in class, he scratched and one started bleeding.  Not having any tissues with him and not wanting to get up with blood dripping down his leg, he tried using a piece of notebook paper to sop it up unnoticed.  Well, apparently they think he's a sociopath.

The boy is eleven and eleven is gross.  For those who do not have the privilege of watching boys this age grow up, this is when their future perverted tendencies start to awaken.  For example:  while going over math homework he asked me to spell "Associative" for one of the properties of multiplication.  After the first three letters he couldn't stop giggling.  My boy is in full-on Beavis and Butthead mode.  Yup, I'm so proud.  Anyway, back to the story.  I received an email while my son was actually in the class.  The teacher seemed disgusted and mortified that he would do such a thing.  Did I mention the kid is eleven years old.  Oh, and now she is extremely worried about him since he seemed so fascinated with his blood issue.  Again, eleven.  Anyway, I assured her that I would send him to school in long pants, even though it's about 100 degrees this time of year, and if he did wear shorts that I would make sure he wore a band-aid and brought extras just in case.  What, they couldn't send him to the clinic for a band-aid or better yet pull one out of the first aid kit that each classroom is required to have?

The fact that teachers are now taking class time to email parents about nothing relevant is beyond me.  I can see if he was disrupting the entire class or being rude and disrespectful.  I can understand the teacher wanting to make an example of that.  But to contact me for needing a band-aid.  Give me a break!  Now I get to go and speak to all 6 of his teachers and the guidance counselor and I will be sure to mention how ridiculous this whole thing is.  It's not like he smothered his hands in blood and was chasing people around the classroom.  The kid was trying not to call attention to himself.  He was surprised that it bled that much and really didn't want anyone to notice.  Now, he's mortified and swears that his teacher thinks he's a freak.  Do teachers not have anything better to do nowadays?  I could have sworn that teaching was not only sticking to the curriculum, but also engaging young minds and encouraging them in all ways positive.  So, tell me, how does public humiliation to the point of giving a shy kid a stigma qualify as motivation?

With all this stupidity, it's a wonder that more people don't drop out before graduation.  Who wants to go to school to be treated like a degenerate.  I wouldn't want to be there either.  I feel bad for all the kids that have this lady.  There are kids out there much worse than mine, kids that are defiant and nasty, disgusting on all levels and downright repulsive in both behavior and hygiene.  With all that to write home about, I wonder where she'll find time to pretend to teach these kids.  Boy, that conference will be something else.