As we move through life, we experience things, see things, and hear things constantly. What we do with and how we process those things also impact who we are and how we "view" the world. We are living our lives in a constant state of learning. Wow, until I wrote that statement it never really occurred to me. All we are bombarded with daily teaches us something. So, if it teaches us, is it not also teaching our kids and students? What we do is constantly teaching others. I'm pretty sure it is sometimes called inspiring others. In some cases we show them what to do, but in other cases it is what not to do. Yes, I look at people sometimes and just think..."What the hell!?!" Our kids don't always know the difference and they also think, "What the hell?!?" In that case, we must take the time to explain or show them what is right.
I had a conversations the other day with another teacher. It started something like this... "I don't know what is happening with these kids today. They use to not be like this." The wheels in my head began to turn. In part that statement is correct. The thing is, it is not the students that have changed. It is the parenting styles. What the kids watch on TV, the video games they play, and most of all the conversations and actions of the adults around them. There, I'm about to say it... it is society in generals fault and the parents that allow society to dictate how they raise their children. So, it is not 100% any 1 parties fault, but a combination of a lot of things.
Parents struggle. I understand that. I'm a parent and raised my daughter by myself. Parents should be able to ask for help without being deemed unfit to raise their child. Parents should not have to fear disciplining their child in public because they are afraid someone will call the police on them (yes, this happens). Our future depends on these children we are raising. As parents we must consciously make the choices to teach by example what is and is not acceptable. YES, there are things that are acceptable and not acceptable in society. <GASP!!>
Children are sponges... you've heard that before. They truly are! They take in EVERYTHING they see us do and hear us say. They are in a constant state of learning. We must always be aware of that. If our children hear us constantly yelling at them and others, they will learn that constantly yelling at people is alright. If we are constantly assholes, our children will believe it is okay to be an asshole. In return if we have positive attitudes, we teach our children to have positive attitudes. They learn how to handle situations that arise from us or whatever media outlet we allow them to use or watch.
So, back to the beginning as we move forward, we must use experiences as learning opportunities for us so we can begin to teach our children the skills they need to become better people than we are.
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