One Fine LESSON LEARNT at my Niece's School!!!

Last week, I visited my niece's school for the monthly grand ritual— Parents Teachers Meeting, as her parents were out of station. It turned out to be one of the epiphanies of my life. Being a teacher myself, what I witnessed there caught me by surprise. It was a well-known school situated in the heart of the city. The students were seated in a classroom next to the hall where the meeting was conducted. There was a teacher deployed to monitor the students, all the while the meeting was going on in the next room. 

There were some four parents seated along with their children when I entered, shepherding my niece. The teacher was seated in her chair and a dozen of printouts were found scattered on her table. It was visible that she was juggling with all of them. 

She was no less than a machine with great agility to answer the parents as well as to get the number of forms signed. Every time a parent went to her one after another, she gestured them to sit and started in a polite yet firm way; showed the mark statement, and enquired about their whereabouts strictly attached to the child. Not even once did she complain nor did she hide the misbehaviours of the child to curry favour with them. 

She appreciated the students who had scored well and inquired the below-average students about the reasons behind their poor performance. And it seemed that she genuinely wanted to take the children to the next level. 

It was by then a parent came out of the blue, brandishing his child's answer scripts. The teacher maintained her composure still she was shocked by the way he approached her. "Be seated, sir!", she said, clearing her throat. 

Unlike other parents, he was yelling at her instead of talking. Had he given time, she could have explained. But he didn't. He enlisted all that was negative, one by one— from the school timings to the shuffling of the students. His distressed son stood petrified behind him. "What school are you people running? Why should I pay you this much to expose my child's stupidity instead of his ability?...", he levelled ruthlessly. But the teacher remained quiet all the while and responded finally that she could answer all the questions. When he proceeded irritably, she asked him back what was his question to his son who had scored less marks.

To my surprise even then he didn't budge. The teacher with all due respect reminded him that there were students, witnessing how their teacher was being treated. The parent, to my surprise, went on to claim himself to be a teacher too and added that he knew how to behave in front of students. 

It was indeed outrageous. Being a teacher myself, I wished I could back her up but my niece told me that her teacher could manage everything on her own. I couldn't help envying the reputation she had earned among the children. And as my niece rightly asserted, the teacher managed to tackle him in a diplomatically honest way. 

That incident proved how the teachers are treated by the parents as well as by the students. It also occured to me that not only the parents blame the teachers but also they indirectly teach their children to put the blame on others for whatever mistake they commit. The parents must know the fact that the children merely ape their elders. They might not listen to our words but watch our deeds and replicate them. It's the need for the hour to lead them by example. Helicopter parenting at times affects the children mentally and permeates to affect the bond they have with their friends and society.