Number 3 in the Family Series: My Daughter's perspective of being a teacher's kid.

Here is post 3 in the "Kids of a teacher" series.  This one is from my daughter, Kendra's, perspective.  She attended the high school where I teach.  She has been on the picket line with me in 2005 and last week.  She has seen, closer than most, how teaching impacts the lives of the people in the families of teachers.

Her outrage, which is pretty mild in this post compared to what she expressed in the vehicle on the way to school last week, is what inspired this little series in the first place.  Her post is succinct and heartfelt.  I now turn it over to her:

Most people only spend their elementary and high school years with or around teachers, and only the lucky few get to share and experience a close relationship with them.  For me I have and will spend the rest of my life with teachers, because not only are three out of the four of my parents teachers, but the majority of their friends are educators as well. 

As someone who has been raised by teachers I have seen and lived through what most students don’t even worry or think twice about. From the smallest thing like extra time they put in outside of work, to going on strike to stand up for what they really deserve.

When people bad mouth teachers, calling them whiney and selfish, they seem to forget who takes care and teaches their kids during and after school hours, from the age of 4 up to 18. Not only that but they prepare us for the “real world”, and yet here people are being completely ignorant of the fact that teachers really do shape the future.  

It’s unfortunate that there are teachers who could really care less about the students and do the job just for the pay and perks, however the people that genuinely care and love their students need the recognition and respect from the government that they deserve.

 More importantly, why wouldn’t you want to put the time and money into schools to ensure that your child not only gets a proper, efficient education, but that they can experience extracurricular activities without being “cheap” about it?