7 Responses to “An Open Letter to Teachers before School Starts”

1. Robert
   September 4th, 2012 @ 9:22 am

   I love it! I love it!

   Also, maybe we should meet together and learn & daven together, so Hashem will bless us with parnassah and brachot! Then we will surely become strong and capable of educating and supporting the education of these beautiful neshamot!

2. Bob Miller
   September 4th, 2012 @ 11:11 am

   Neil,

   What opportunities do your kids’ schools give you to talk with their teachers at the start of the school year?

3. Neil Harris
   September 4th, 2012 @ 11:34 am

   This letter is only partially biographical. I attempted to write, what I viewed, as universal concerns.

   Our school has parent orientation, 3 parent/teacher conferences, and phone numbers and email addresses are given out at the beginning of the school year.

   PS- The night after my son completed his first day (last week), we got a call from the Rebbe introducing himself and asking if we had any concerns for the year. Some of what is in the post above was said to him.

4. Judy Resnick
   September 4th, 2012 @ 11:50 am

   My youngest son (now 22) was a real pain in his fifth grade year. Bored by the slow pace of the class, he wound up engaging in inappropriate behavior, angering the Rebbi and nearly getting himself kicked out of his yeshiva. The Hanhala of the yeshiva finally (and very reluctantly) agreed to allow him to come back for sixth grade, but only on probation.

   That whole sixth grade year, my husband arranged, with the Rebbi’s permission, to call the Rebbi every single day about our son’s progress. If the Rebbi reported that our son had misbehaved that day, my husband made sure to speak to our son about it (and dole out punishment if necessary).

   That whole year, both parent and Rebbi were in constant communication, and totally in tune about what our youngest son needed: plenty of encouragement, but zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior. It was just what our youngest son needed to shape up and improve.

   Eleven years later, I am still thankful for his wonderful sixth-grade Rebbi, for working with us and helping our son get past his probation. Without that Rebbi, his patience and communication, our son would have been kicked out of his yeshiva. (Not to wind up in public school, but forced to scramble around for another placement, with the stigma of having been kicked out for bad behavior).

5. Scott
   September 4th, 2012 @ 7:22 pm

   “…So I’ll make you a deal, rebbe. I’ll let you know ahead of time when there’s an upheaval in our home, whether the good kind or the not so good kind, so you’ll understand why there might be a change in my kid, and you, rebbe, will let me know if you see the first signs of any concern, either academic or behavioral, instead of suddenly dumping it on me mid-year as a shocking surprise. Deal?”

6. Judy Resnick
   September 4th, 2012 @ 7:22 pm

   Here’s a priceless anecdote I read once in a community publication.

   When we talk about our Rebbis and Morahs, we frequently mention one letter of the Hebrew alphabet: Lamed, for Limmud (learning). Too bad we don’t stress a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet: Pay.

7. Mr. Cohen
   September 5th, 2012 @ 6:48 pm

   My plea to all teachers is that they not be apathetic about bullying.

Leave a Reply