Early in his career, my father, Jim Fay, was a schoolteacher and principal, and the roots of Love and Logic stem from his efforts as a principal to help teachers with their classroom management. All of us at Love and Logic treasure our teachers and we are continually impressed by their dedication and expertise.
Having said that, I do have an apology to make to the many teachers of my youth who put their heart and soul into trying to maintain order while I was sitting in their classrooms. I wasn't a downright malevolent child, I simply liked to keep things entertaining by continuously testing the sense of humor of my instructors. My tenth-grade biology teacher passed the test with flying colors as he reacted to the frog cadaver that I suspended from the ceiling tile above my desk. "Mr. Fay," he replied with a dry smile, "life around here would be so dull without you."
Like many of my teachers, he was able to see the good in me, even when I couldn't see it in myself. Great teachers are like that. Somehow, many teachers manage to use their x-ray vision to spot the gifts in even the most difficult kids.
Let's send a big thanks to educators by helping our kids view them with great respect. A powerful strategy for achieving this goal involves allowing them to overhear us talking positively about their teachers. You've probably noticed your children's eyes glazing over as you've tried to lecture them about some essential truth. In contrast, have you noticed how closely they try to listen when they sense that you're trying to have a private conversation!
Experiment with this: At least twice a week intentionally let your children overhear you saying something positive about their teachers. Do this for the rest of the school year.
As we all know, the past few years have been extremely challenging for teachers as well as their students. Keeping things positive goes a long way toward helping your children learn while showing teachers that we appreciate their hard work and dedication.
Summer break is rapidly approaching, and school will be out soon. Like many parents, you might be considering what gift to give your favorite teachers. Our book, Teaching with Love and Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom, is an excellent resource for introducing Love and Logic to teachers and can give them the skills they need to take control of their classrooms and allow them to do what they do best—teach.
Thanks for reading!
