top of page

May we all remember

Dear educators,


As a new scholastic year is round the corner, I sit here writing my thoughts about significant issues which I want to share with you all. Some may hit a note while others will be a complete miss I'm sure. BUT here it is... Worth a try!




May we remember....


This new year to judge less those lunches sent by guardians. We may have policies to follow or different beliefs, however let us judge less and understand more why lunches are becoming less healthier. What if instead of lecturing the guardians about the don'ts we share the dos. Set up appointments to discuss the way forward together. Make sure that you listen and you are listened too. Understand if there are sensory issues, financial difficulties, health restrictions, cultural differences and above all plan out together how to move forward from there. YES, believe it or not food is scary but together we can make it fun. Discuss sources how to improve little by little, how we can be of an assistance or what services are provided. No, this might not change instantly, BUT a mutual understanding is the beginning of greater changes.





Yes we feel the pain of each child that seems to be left behind after a long day within our care, but please note it is not our responsibility to judge the guardians who have no other choice but do so. The long hours students spend at school, from morning till late afternoon are heartbreaking from all ends. Let us judge less their families as they are trying their best to provide more. Not every workforce has the privilege of flexible working hours. Some guardians may be out making a better living for their families by studying late hours to increase their potential and provide better for their loved ones too. Others may also be self-employed and have no colleagues to fill in their overtimes or emergency duties. Again it is heartbreaking but sit down, talk it over a cuppa and try to assist rather than commenting about their child's long hours within the education care. Believe me, guardians are heartbroken as much as we are and all it takes is some understanding and compassion.




May we remember that child who comes in crying day after day. Let us be compassionate, sit down and give them a safe place to calm down. Instead of speculating about this and that, let us try to understand what is the cause of this anxiety. Children go through different emotions especially at young age. They might have just recieved some good or bad news, someone forgot to say I love you back, had a disagreement before coming to school, has been involved in an accident be it big or small, hasn't seen their guardians for a while or simply because your effort is not in par with their needs. Let's sit down as a team and work a plan around how to make it easier to come in with a smile or simply understand what we need to do to make today better than the previous one. Instead of name calling or telling students to "STOP IT", let them cry it out, express themselves and feel all those big emotions. This way we are less judgemental and more importantly more mindful towards the situation at hand.



May we be less judgemental towards the guardians who don't send us resources on time. Let us send different types of reminders and also come forward with our concerns. Maybe it is miscommunication, a language barrier, lack of understanding or simply having a hard time to provide what we need. Think of ideas to help out and provide solutions together. Plan your expenses in the same way that guardians may be able to provide. Not everyone has a job to rely on monetary payments. Some families are on benefits, surviving with one paycheck or simply in debt among other things. What may seem like a simple yogurt cup for us might mean a struggling situation for others. Let us therefore judge less to why we have missing resources and carry on working with the families to ensure that they are more than just understood.



Towards those guardians who do not attend meetings. Let us understand them more and seek how we can make it work next time around for them to attend. Not everyone can take ample days off work, or have support to lean on when needed. Instead of bashing their absence, sit down and discuss how things can work better next time. Is it the timing? the language? the subject? Or is it over and above all this? How can we improve their presence in our settings better to ensure that communication is being forefront in it all? Instead of making our own assumptions, let us look beyond the possibilities and work things out between us for a better outcome next time. What may be a general accommodation may he far less for others. Let's think, work through and above all manifest great outcomes.



Compare less between those fashionable guardians vs the messy ones. Who are we to judge what we see without knowing the outcome of their appearances. The struggles a guardian goes through to keep up appearances in order to be accepted within social contexts vs the needs of pushing throughout the dangers they might be facing by simply being outdoors. We have no right in bashing our opinions on how far one may look. Everything may be deceiving. From a happy smile to a sorrow heart. Let us not base judgement on how one looks and focus more on how they are making a difference in the child's life. Compliment the littlest of things, smile even when it smells bad and show compassion through it all. Every guardian is trying hard in the best ways they know how.



Can we try to understand how tired that guardian must be from hearing bad reviews day after day about their child. The trauma, the tantrums, the peace they also need. School may be a way how they can take care of themselves in order to push through with what's remaining of the day. Everything may be overwhelming, for them, for us and for the child. Instead of pointing out the negatives daily, let's work around the positives and give/recieve recommendations based soley to better all ends. Maybe during school hours, that guardian is recharging for what is yet to come, maybe they need to cry it out or simply sit in peace to take everything all in.



We may be trained professionals but just like parenthood, everything else is simply trial and error. So here is me hoping in being a better version of myself in order to understand others more. This way I can truly understand the hardship of each guardian, raising a child in this fast pace generation and starting with an open mindset for what the next scholastic year may come. I too have my flaws, so let's not state an obvious when in reality there might be a bigger picture to it all.



Disclaimer: This does not mean to close all eyes and ignore any red flags that may in danger a child or yourself. Any suspicions must be reported for further investigations by the appropriate personals and take matters furthermore as protocol recalls. This is just a reminder to myself to be considering towards all stakeholders including myself that may have bigger stories to tell other than what meets the eys.








 
 
 

Comments


Created by Charmaine Attard

bottom of page