Friday, December 20, 2019

Growth Rings: God Bless Teachers


Growth Rings: God Bless Teachers.
“It takes a whole village to raise a child.” African Proverb


This phrase has been repeated many times in recent history, not as a fact, but in remembering and longing for a time past. Raising children in American communities was once a shared responsibility amongst families, neighbors, schools, and churches. Unfortunately, this is not so today. 

Being a “baby boomer,” I can remember playing outside and having free run of the neighborhood “until the street lights came on.” My behavior and the behavior of my friends were closely monitored by neighbors. They watched out for us. Their direction was just as meaningful as if it had come from my parents. Adults were trusted. Churches and schools were on the same page as parents in teaching and reinforcing morals, values, and citizenship. Sadly, this is not the case today. 

Children and Families “At Risk”
There have always been “At-Risk” children in non-traditional families and historically, “The Village” used to step in to help and assist. We see this across history, from Moses being abandoned by his mother, to Jesus being born to an unwed teenager, mothers selling their children as indentured servants during the American Colonial Age, and families sending their children out of England during WWII. These historical situations exemplify how extreme situations have impacted families and the challenges of raising children. 


Fables, books, movies, and TV shows time and time again have lifted up this condition. Cinderella and Snow White had to put up with wicked stepmothers. Dorothy, from The Wizard of Oz, lived with her Aunty Em and extended family. My Three Sons was the story of a father navigating life with his three boys and no mother. The Andy Griffith Show featured bachelor Andy raising his son Opie with the help of an extended family. Then there was One Day at a TimeFamily AffairThe Brady BunchWelcome Back KotterDifferent Strokes and more recently Full HouseReba and This Is Us. All of these reflect the challenges of raising children and the impact, or lack of, “village” assistance. 

For human beings, music is an emotional release and songs like "A Boy Named Sue" "Fancy" "Time Marches On" "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" "Never Again" "Grandpa Tell Me about The Good Old Days" and "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning" reflect just how deep family feelings go. 
God Bless Teachers
Children spend more time today in preschools, schools, afterschool programs, and sports than they do with their biological parents. Working moms and dads, divorced families, children born out of wedlock, and non-committed fathers, amplify the challenges children have in growing up. Not belonging to a faith community, and in many instances grandparents raising their grandchildren, biological parents feel isolated, frustrated and guilt. Teaching acceptable social behavior has become an unfunded mandate and an inferred responsibility for teachers to teach.

Special Education programs now not only include student academic goals, but also behavior goals. It has been my experience that in some instances to help the child, you have to help the parent/caregiver as well. This all comes at a cost, both emotionally and financially for all involved. Going forward, healthy and thriving 21st-century communities must address this. Teachers are not fully trained or equipped for these overwhelming challenges. More importantly, the current educational system is not designed for the social, emotional, behavioral, mental, and basic physical needs many students bring to the doors of our school houses each and every day.

It’s a wonderful life.
I rewatched the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” the other day. The story, which I am sure most everyone has seen, centers around George Bailey and the impact he had on his community.

Towards the end of the movie on Christmas Eve, financial tragedy hits, and George panics. He comes home to find his young daughter Zuzu sick and in bed. Her teacher had given her a flower. Zuzu had come home, in a winter storm, with her coat unbuttoned so as not to damage the flower, and got sick. George, already upset, goes upstairs to check in on his daughter. He consoles her and then hears the phone ring downstairs.

He goes downstairs to find his wife, Mary, talking to Zuzu’s teacher. The teacher had called and was concerned about Zuzu and her health. George got on the phone and proceeded to yell and demean this well-meaning teacher. Mary is humiliated and pulls the phone from George. George leaves the house, in the winter storm, and driving his car runs into a tree.

He then enters a local bar for a drink. The bartender is a friend of George’s, and he consoles him. A patron at the bar overhears the bartender says George’s name and becomes very angry. As it turns out, the patron is the husband of Zuzu’s teacher! Angrily, he yells at George, proclaiming the dedication his wife has for her students and in a rage, punches him in the mouth. 
At the end of the movie, George returns home and is greeted by family and friends that help him with his financial challenges. The movie ends with George holding Zuzu in his arms. They hear a bell ringing. Zuzu says “The teacher says that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”

For me this is powerful. It was Zuzu’s teacher who was on the receiving end of George’s anger and frustration. But in spite of that, it was Zuzu’s teacher that planted a seed in her about goodness and good works. It was Zuzu’s teacher that made a difference to the little girl even while her family’s life was in chaos. Ultimately, it was the teacher’s lessons that remind us all of faith, of love, the importance of family and friends, and perhaps most of all, of Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Man.

Many children, through no fault of their own, live today in chaos. Their parents are doing the best they know how to do, but need grace and support. My prayers reach out for teachers to have grace and strength to provide the support their students and their families need during this Holiday Season. 

Thank you for your words, your deeds, your care for students and families. You make the difference!

God Bless Teachers!