I say this all the time to Seema on a variety of things relating to life. I really believe this and sometimes the stupid isn't a person being stupid, but rather policies etc...
So here is the rant of the day. Seema was mistakenly marked absent in her Algebra class. No big deal, mistakes happen. Let me say right here, right up front - I have the fullest respect for anyone that teaches, my BFF Mr. Warren is a teacher. It is a HARD job and one that I would run so fast from teaching that your head would spin.
Moving on - so I said to her let your teacher know she made a mistake and have her correct it. Seems super easy and straight forward - a SIMPLE mistake. Well, no... actually the teacher can't correct the mistake - I am assuming here due to some backwards policy at the admin level. And Seema ALSO can't correct it by talking to the school registrar. ME - the PARENT has to fix it... REALLY!!! WHAT THE HELL... I am the only one responsible enough to correct a mistake - I don't think so. I am the LEAST responsible and I don't want the responsibility. I want my kid to be able to learn that advocating for herself is a good thing, not the school tossing out barriers to her learning that lesson. I want the teacher to be empowered to make mistakes and fix them. BUT - NO neither can occur with whatever cockeyed policy or thought went in to saying 3 people at the school can't fix a simple absence but rather the parent has to tackle the issue.
I am not saying I don't want to parent or be responsible but more often than not it is the policy to pass the torch to the parent rather than hold the kids accountable. What are we teaching them? I can't tell you the number of releases and forms I have signed - to the point that Seema really needs to learn to forge my signature. Releases and forms that say I understand and my kid has my permission or I will be responsible. I honestly can say I don't recall having my parents sign a bunch of stuff for school and truthfully I don't recall forging it either. We as a society have gotten so far in to pass the buck that we forget that you can fix stupid if you actually take time to teach accountability, responsibility, constructive criticism, healthy debate and the like.
In the end though that may seem far to Pollyanna for most and for me as well. So I fall back to that you can't fix stupid, just learn to go around or for me send a simple (and nice) e-mail to the registrar and ask that she correct the mistake.
All is well...Mistakes happen and if you really really want you CAN fix stupid, but why try?
So here is the rant of the day. Seema was mistakenly marked absent in her Algebra class. No big deal, mistakes happen. Let me say right here, right up front - I have the fullest respect for anyone that teaches, my BFF Mr. Warren is a teacher. It is a HARD job and one that I would run so fast from teaching that your head would spin.
Moving on - so I said to her let your teacher know she made a mistake and have her correct it. Seems super easy and straight forward - a SIMPLE mistake. Well, no... actually the teacher can't correct the mistake - I am assuming here due to some backwards policy at the admin level. And Seema ALSO can't correct it by talking to the school registrar. ME - the PARENT has to fix it... REALLY!!! WHAT THE HELL... I am the only one responsible enough to correct a mistake - I don't think so. I am the LEAST responsible and I don't want the responsibility. I want my kid to be able to learn that advocating for herself is a good thing, not the school tossing out barriers to her learning that lesson. I want the teacher to be empowered to make mistakes and fix them. BUT - NO neither can occur with whatever cockeyed policy or thought went in to saying 3 people at the school can't fix a simple absence but rather the parent has to tackle the issue.
I am not saying I don't want to parent or be responsible but more often than not it is the policy to pass the torch to the parent rather than hold the kids accountable. What are we teaching them? I can't tell you the number of releases and forms I have signed - to the point that Seema really needs to learn to forge my signature. Releases and forms that say I understand and my kid has my permission or I will be responsible. I honestly can say I don't recall having my parents sign a bunch of stuff for school and truthfully I don't recall forging it either. We as a society have gotten so far in to pass the buck that we forget that you can fix stupid if you actually take time to teach accountability, responsibility, constructive criticism, healthy debate and the like.
In the end though that may seem far to Pollyanna for most and for me as well. So I fall back to that you can't fix stupid, just learn to go around or for me send a simple (and nice) e-mail to the registrar and ask that she correct the mistake.
All is well...Mistakes happen and if you really really want you CAN fix stupid, but why try?
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