The same semester I read Whitaker’s What Great Teachers Do Differently, I also read Ron Clark’s Excellent 11. Yet another reference to that class in this piece by Clark for CNN, in which he sternly admonishes helicopter parents to let teachers do what they do best:
Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, “Is that true?” Well, of course it’s true. I just told you.
My friend Melanie sent it to me several weeks ago, but I finally had enough time to read it yesterday, and I can only say AMEN! Because, in the end, it’s all about the students. And even they are not served well by indulgence. They need to learn the rules of the classroom, and sometimes, their parents do too.
