WHEN TEACHERS VENTING ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN GOES VIRAL…

It has happened several times when COVID-19 forced many classrooms and meetings to go virtual.

A conversation among teachers, administrators or stakeholders in our children’s education was accidentally broadcast publicly and sometimes went viral.

Those conversations that have historically taken place in teachers’ lounges, empty classrooms, on telephones…privately were overheard.

Many of these conversations were moments of venting about the children they teach or unrealistic expectations placed upon them.

And, usually these are typical responses…

“What?”

“How could they say that!”

“They said they were annoyed at that child!”

“They said that child was bad!”

“They said they were glad that child didn’t come to school!”

“If they feel that way, they don’t need to be a teacher!”

“They need to resign!”

“They need to be fired!”

The fact is that every parent has vented about their own child or children. Parents know their own kids, and know when the teacher‘s complaint about their child is true. Every parent gets frustrated with their own children, and many are more than ready to send them back to school at the end of summer vacation, fall break, winter break or spring break. Parents vent about their spouse, boss, co-workers, politicians, etc…..teachers WILL vent about your kids.

Many teachers are forced to sometimes neglect their own children to fulfill the expectations place’s upon them.

Many teachers and administrators are sometimes accused of poor time management when the states and districts do a poor job of managing teacher bandwidth…equating managing to giving teachers an endless list of tasks.

With these pressures, how can anyone expect the people who have assumed responsibility for their children without being adequately compensated for the hours, level of responsibility and liability to NEVER vent about the same children with whom they sometimes lose patience.

Many don’t express how they really feel for fear of retaliation.

COME ON NOW! THAT’S NOT REALISTIC!

It’s healthy to allow teachers that space to release the pressure of teaching, co-parenting, counseling, and dealing with other people’s children.

Most of the time, after teachers have had the opportunity to ‘get that out of their system’ to their peers, spouses or friends, they go right back to giving children the love, care and patience required to do their job.

Remember these two things from scripture…

Children are going to act foolishly (be bad) sometimes.

Proverbs 22:15 (NKJV)

¹⁵ Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Even Jesus got impatient with and publicly vented about ‘God’s children’.

Matthew 17:16-17 (NIV)

¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

¹⁷ “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.”

When teachers vent about your children, don’t expect more from them than you do yourself or Jesus.

BE BLESSTIFED!