Teacher Appreciation

Dear Caroline,

The world is bananas.

This week is teacher appreciation week. It is a week where teachers are told thank you and patted on the back for what they do day in and day out. I didn’t get into teaching because I wanted appreciation. If I did, then I picked the wrong career. Education is probably the least appreciated profession out there. We are always the problem. We are always the bad guy. We are always, always at fault. No one listens to what we know to be true. And policy makers think we are asking too much for asking for a wage we can live on.

That is not to say I don’t feel love or appreciated. I love my kids. The snotty kisses and the “I love yous” make it all worth it. Our school has an amazing PTO that can always make me feel special. Our staff breakfast this morning made my day!

Imagine my surprise when I get home and this story is running on the news.

A teacher was taken to the emergency room after police say she was badly beaten by a parent.
According to Chief Investigator Greg Long with the Donalsonville Police Department, 49-year-old Neotha Fedd was arrested Tuesday morning.
Long says Fedd entered Seminole County Elementary School shortly before 8:00 a.m. and when the teacher told her that she needed to obtain a visitor's pass, Fedd attacked her.
Investigator Long says during the attack Fedd grabbed a custodial broom and began to hit the teacher with it. He says she then dragged the teacher down the hall by her hair.
The teacher was taken to Donalsonville Hospital for treatment but has since been released.
Fedd has been charged with aggravated assault, battery, cruelty to children, obstruction of an officer, disruption of a school and giving false information to law enforcement.

Investigator Long said that as a precautionary measure, the school was placed on a lockdown, but that no one else was injured during the attack. 

I was shocked and horrified. As a teacher, I wear a lot of hats. For better or for worse, one of those hats is dealing with parents. So many of my kids have great parent, but so many of them don’t. Many times I’ve been shocked by how a kiddo acts. Until I meet mama! As a teacher, I have never been personally afraid for my safety though I have seen the police come to take away some angry mamas! This is the world we live in and I am scared for what this means for you. How can I possibly teach my kids respect when everyone is so disrespectful?

In the wake of the national tragedy in Newtown, every school implemented new rules about adults interacting with children. For the safety of the children. This teacher was attacked for asking this “parent” to follow the rules, to protect her child, and she was brutalized for it. There is no respect for teachers anymore. Forget appreciating them!

But in all honesty, what appalled me the most was the comments of other “parents”.

            “Don't mess with a Mother's child, you will be sorry.”

            “dont mess with us Ga moms when it comes to our babies”

I work hard to protect my kids, and I will never apologize for that even if that means protecting them from crazy mamas.

I am sad Caroline. I am sad for myself. I am sad to think about my future in this profession. And I am sad for you. We will do our part and raise you with morals, value, and respect. It is scary to think of what you are going to encounter in this world. We will do our part baby girl. For now, I am letting go and letting God!

Wish #80: I wish for the kind of world I hope for you to live in.

Love always