That, of course, is nonsense. I can be just as critical of a system without singling out every compensated member of said system. Are there bad teachers? Absolutely! And I can say that without meaning that every teacher is bad. In fact, I can even criticize it at a narrower level without meaning that every specific teacher with a name is failing.
I also understand that when a person stands up in a state conference, a government house, or a school board meeting, that person can say some blunt things without referring to me. At the last school board meeting in Joplin, there was some concern that parents were not supporting teachers at home. With high school students meeting at school, in person, every other day, and expected to have virtual instruction and complete work on the off days, it seems that some have not performed well in the times away from the physical setting of a schoolhouse. Some parents appear to be concerned that this is because teachers are not doing the virtual portion of their jobs.
I have seen the response from teachers who took offense at the parents' concern. While such concern may be stated with lack of discretion, I think we need to look deeper to see if there is really a point to the parents' expressions. We need not take such concern personally when it speaks to an overall system. No teachers were "called out" for their laziness or inability to keep up with the job, so how about we have a conversation about it? I think the school board handled disagreements on this issue with respect to conflicting opinions, speaking candidly with each other about possible solutions. The problem, of course, is that we are trodding through uncharted terrain in a virtual atmosphere during social distancing and city mask mandates. The problem is the fluid manner in which the Centers for Disease Control change their suggestions. The problem is that no one knows the effects of the alternatives. Many are frustrated, and many have thrown discretion out the window.
That does not mean that these parents were attacking me or any other teacher. I know that I am doing my part in advancing the education of my students. I know that I am making materials available online for my students who have been quarantined. A person may not like me, or may not agree with my methods or materials, but their attacks on education or on our local system are not attacks on me. I just don't see it that way. Still, I must consider that within their words, there may be a legitimate issue that we can address - either as a district or as a teacher. If some teachers have difficulty keeping up with the technology or the requirements, how can I make sure that I do not have the same issues? And if some teachers are doing a whiz-bang job with all of this, how might they reach out and assist the others?
See how that works? I can delineate the real issues embedded in a person's comments without turning their worries into personal attacks. The same may be said of many of the political statements made in the recent election cycle. The same is true of our society, which seems to spiral out of control trying to pin labels of racist, misogynist, xenophobe, homophobe, and other horrible accusations against people when they fail to express themselves with respect. Even when they make such comments, is it possible they are not referring to every individual in a group? Could it be that they only see a part of the picture? Or could it be that they misunderstand a situation? I'd like to give people the benefit of the doubt, as hard as that can be, before taking personal offense.
The whole world is not thinking about me as much as I may think.