According to a teacher, this inevitable sign makes it possible to know in a fraction of a second which children will be the most complicated to manage.
In a Tiktok video that quickly went around social networks, Ashlyn Cooke, an Alabama teacher, is addressed directly to parents. His message is clear: their attitude towards school authority has a direct impact on the behavior of their children in class. “Parents, I beg you to listen to me. There is a sign that shows that your child will have behavioral problems in my class all year round”, she says.
Indeed, a teacher for several years, she has identified a scheme that is repeatedly repeated. Students who pose the most concerns are not necessarily those who lack interest in school or those who find it difficult to follow the program. The real problem would come from outside the classroom, and more specifically from the parents ‘reaction to teachers’ comments.
According to her, it all starts when parents systematically take the defense of their child, without ever considering that he could have committed a fault. She explains that in these cases, the teacher becomes the enemy to be killed rather than an ally in the education of the student. “You hurt your child by not empowering him. If the objective of forming a good person is not shared between the teacher and the parents of the child, the teachers have their limits”she deplores.
The video, viewed more than 650,000 times, has thus aroused many reactions. Some parents felt attacked, while others approved his words. She insists that it is natural for parents to want to protect their child. What is problematic is when this protection transforms into a systematic questioning of teachers’ rules and decisions. “When you start by saying:” My child would never do that “and you attack me, you do not do your child service”, she adds.
According to Doctor Deborah Gilboa, a specialist in education and youth development, this phenomenon is worrying. She explains: “When we attack people who suggest that our children may have done something wrong, we teach them that if they are uncomfortable or unhappy, it is always someone else’s fault.” She concludes: “Parents must show an example by listening to the point of view of others”.