School is about to be off and running again. For Crawford it starts bright and early Monday morning. Some others started today. I vote that all those in the same area start at the same time. Just makes good sense to me, but of course they didn’t ask me about it.
This summer seems like it blew by much faster than usual. Since I haven’t been able to take a vacation, I’m actually glad that it did.
The heat has been almost unbearable at times, but personally, I’d rather have the heat that the extreme cold. I’m a warm weather kind of person and don’t like to put on heavy coats to be warm.
I know that schools rely on money from the federal government to operate but I believe since that has been the case, education has suffered. Too many things are mandated without additional funding and teachers have so much paperwork, I don’t see how they get anything done.
Personally, I think more emphasis should be put on teaching the basics and needed subjects than all those test scores schools need for funding. I understand the why, just don’t understand quite how we got to this point. Some kids just don’t do well on tests even though they know the material inside and out.
Teachers these days have so much to put up with I am so glad I decided in the beginning it was not for me. We blame a lot of the kids, but a lot of blame actually goes to the parents for allowing inappropriate behavior and trying to befriend their children, instead of parenting them. It doesn’t work and sooner or later, the parent will regret doing so.
Respect is becoming a lost art and I rarely hear kids say yes ma’am and no ma’am anymore or please and thank you. This reflects back on the parents. Today’s parents are not about discipline and the Bible tells us if you spare the rod, you spoil the child. Definitely can see that in some kids today.
Not all of them, I know, but there is just so much disrespect all the way around. The respect you show to people says a lot about you as a person.
I even say yes ma’am to people younger than me. it was just how I was raised and it comes out of my mouth without me even thinking about it.
If it were feasible for school systems, a return back to civics classes, manners, cursive writing and real history should return. When the government gets involved in education as well as other areas of our lives, whatever it is involved in seems to deteriorate. Government was never supposed to be so involved in our lives. You can’t legislate morality but the government sure seems bent on trying.
At any rate I pray that teachers and students have a wonderful year this year and there is a lot of learning going on in the classrooms. I also pray especially for the teachers. They certainly are a special breed of people and they need our prayers. When you run into one, be sure and thank them for the thankless jobs they do. They get a lot of grief, much of it unjustified.
My teaching career lasted six months. I wanted no more of it and it’s not that I didn’t enjoy teaching, because I did. It was the parents, their attitudes and the fact that I believed so many of the kids were being abused at home and could not do anything about it. I am one of those who takes everything on my shoulders and wants to fix everything. That’s not always possible. So, my hat is really off to teachers as I got a brief glimpse into their lives.
There were never enough supplies and you always had to buy something yourself. You think, especially today with all the free supplies given out at different back to school bashes, supplies wouldn’t be a problem. Believe it or not, it still is especially in families with several children. And sometimes, I’ve known a family to sell the backpacks for money.
Some parents would send their children to school without any supplies, only with a pencil. It was heartbreaking for me.
No matter what the child did, some parents still blamed everything on the teachers. Never mind they act up in class all the time, or don’t come prepared or haven’t done homework; it’s still blamed on the teacher.
Teachers make a difference in the lives of children. Had it not been for one of my teachers, I might have gone in a different direction, other than journalism after my brief teaching stint. There are days I’ve thought I should have but I also believe I’m where God wants me as well.
August marks my 12th year in Crawford County. I came in 2007. What a ride it’s been and I’ve met so many wonderful, caring people.
In two years, the Georgia Post will be 100 years old. We are contemplating what we’d like to do so if you have any suggestions, send them to us. We love hearing from the community. Don’t know what’s in store for the future of newspapers, but I do know that 40 years ago, someone said they would only last another 25 years. We’re still going strong, just having to make changes and adapt.
Wishing everyone a safe school year and thank you teachers.©2019

VICTORIA SIMMONS Is a columnist, author, motivational speaker, minister and publisher of The Georgia Post/Byron Buzz. Contact her at: vsimmons54@gmail.com