When They Don't Listen

 

I have never been a principal or vice principal. I've always been a teacher. I've known many principals in my time; some very good and some worse than bad. One thing that always bothered me was when the principal wouldn't listen to the teachers. I mean, I get it, the school doesn't run without kids, but that doesn't mean that you have to kiss the parent's ass. Your staff is important too.

I had one situation when I had a child in my classroom who was clearly suffering from a disability. The parents refused to believe it, and this made it so much worse. I tried to talk to them and eventually, they agreed to have him see the title tutor. The first day she arrived, it only lasted five minutes. That was the longest amount of time that she could deal with him. He would scream and throw himself on the ground. The other kids in the class were afraid of him because he would hit and kick and push them. But I was supposed to deal with it every day with other kids in my class. It was exhausting!

I begged the principal for help. The response was, "just keep documenting." Well, let me tell you that I still have the notebook with all the documentation about this kid. No one ever saw it because no one cared. It takes a great principal to really see the needs of the students and the teachers. Sometimes, it's not just about kids in seats. Sometimes, it's about helping a child.


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