Honoring the Teacher’s Perspective

By Natalie Schwartz

When my son was in 3rd grade, the mother of one of his classmates felt the teacher was not challenging her child. To convey her opinion, she shredded her child’s homework and returned the pieces to the teacher in a plastic bag with a note admonishing the teacher not to assign her child such simple work again.

I didn’t have first-hand knowledge of the incident, and found the story difficult to believe. I was astonished that a parent would treat a teacher with such disrespect. And I wish I could say this was an isolated incident. But, unfortunately, during the past six years that my children have been attending elementary school, I’ve listened to many parents express concerns and complaints about their children’s teachers. I believe that the lack of respect teachers receive stems from the pervasive misconceptions about the teaching profession.

I’m not a teacher, but I was raised by one. My father taught for 33 years at an inner city intermediate school, and as a young child I had the privilege of accompanying him to work on occasion. I marveled at how the students admired him and relied on him. He handled every issue they laid before him, from academic questions to skinned knees. I also remember my father working tirelessly in his basement office after work and on weekends to attain his doctorate in education. Because of my father’s dedication to his students and his own academic pursuits, I developed an unwavering respect for teachers and a strong commitment to my education—values I’ve instilled...

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