Death of Common Sense
My Mother sent me the following mass-mailing on the “Death of Common Sense”. It is a piece that was very likely written by a school teacher in America. Having taught in American schools in the early 1990s in Kansas, I was astounded at that time by the lack of respect and common sense that parents, school boards and administrators showed to those who were working diligently to raise the standards of childrearing and human development in my homeland as the 20th Century drew to a close.
However, I have to add that similar pressures are put on instructors increasingly in Latin America and in the Middle East where I have taught seven of the past eleven years. In the Middle East particularly, he fall in support has been extreme. Historically, there was high respect for teachers in the Gulf region where I teach now. This was primarily before the oil boom when almost no one went past elementary school. Wealth not only washed away good traditions of hospitality and desires to do good and show empathy for one’s fellow man, it dissolved a sense of respect for educators that administrators working in made-for-profit work environments are OFTEN doing too little to diminish.
Worse still, some parents are far more worried about the image of their child in society. That image consists of highly inflated grades in the classroom. That often contrast to the image that their child displays in and out of the classroom by failing to learn basic disciplines and how to treat others kindly and fairly.
ARTICLE ON MR. COMMON SENSE
I am 72 years old. My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed until today I read his obituary.Obituary - Common Sense.
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after the U.S. president continually lied to the U.S. voters and its Congressmen for years at a time without ever getting impeached or really being threatened with impeachment--and this, despite the fact that the war cost U.S. citizens 8 trillion dollars in total debt in 7 years.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.
He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
If you still remember him pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing. Author unknown
However, I have to add that similar pressures are put on instructors increasingly in Latin America and in the Middle East where I have taught seven of the past eleven years. In the Middle East particularly, he fall in support has been extreme. Historically, there was high respect for teachers in the Gulf region where I teach now. This was primarily before the oil boom when almost no one went past elementary school. Wealth not only washed away good traditions of hospitality and desires to do good and show empathy for one’s fellow man, it dissolved a sense of respect for educators that administrators working in made-for-profit work environments are OFTEN doing too little to diminish.
Worse still, some parents are far more worried about the image of their child in society. That image consists of highly inflated grades in the classroom. That often contrast to the image that their child displays in and out of the classroom by failing to learn basic disciplines and how to treat others kindly and fairly.
ARTICLE ON MR. COMMON SENSE
I am 72 years old. My parents told me about Mr. Common Sense early in my life and told me I would do well to call on him when making decisions. It seems he was always around in my early years but less and less as time passed until today I read his obituary.Obituary - Common Sense.
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault.
Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge). His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.
It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion or a sticky plaster to a student; but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.
Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault.
Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after the U.S. president continually lied to the U.S. voters and its Congressmen for years at a time without ever getting impeached or really being threatened with impeachment--and this, despite the fact that the war cost U.S. citizens 8 trillion dollars in total debt in 7 years.
Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.
He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim. Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.
If you still remember him pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing. Author unknown
Labels: Lack of Respect for teachers
posted by Kevin Anthony Stoda at 2:48 PM
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