Tomorrow is the 5th day of school. The second week of school. The fifth year of school for my students. Tomorrow is also a day where President Obama is taking an opportunity to talk to students and children around the nation encouraging them to set goals and take responsibility for their education. Parents throughout our school have been calling in over the last week threatening to not send their child to school if the speech is being shown or asking for the student to be dismissed from the viewing. Unfortunately, because politics has to get in the way of supporting our youth, my students and all the students in our school will not get the opportunity to watch President Obama's speech.
As a child, I was told everyday to set goals because if I didn't, I would achieve them everyday (meaning=I would never reach a goal). As an elementary student, a high school student, and an undergraduate student, I was taught to set goals for myself, otherwise it was going to be difficult to achieve the things I wanted (it doesn't just happen because you will it to). As an athlete, I was taught to set goals (specific goals) for every year or tournament or competition to become a better athlete, so I set them and I became better. Now, as a teacher, I tell my students to set goals or hopes for their future. One day I would love to be a parent and I couldn't imagine not telling my child to set a goal and go for it!
Don't we teach and tell ourselves to be responsible. Why wouldn't we want to tell our children or students the same thing. Actually, in class last week, my students discussed what our classroom expectations should be. They discuss, I write their thoughts. The first expectation they came up with was...BE RESPONSIBLE...turn your work on time and do your best.
If we are telling our students and children these things, why can't our President?
I don't have a purpose for writing this, I just felt the need to express my heart and what I would teach my students, my children, and what I would expect others to do for our youth and myself, as well.
I have attached the speech President Obama is giving tomorrow. Read it if you like. You don't have to agree with me, but I know if you are reading this you are an important person in my life and would respect my thoughts on the importance of teaching our youth responsibility and the importance of goals.
Love,
Jennifer
Here's the link to President Obama's speech:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/?source=email
hey pretty lady :) I too read his speech he gave, just this morning, and I'm so glad that you were up on what was going on. I feel the same way you do. Its a shame - it was truly an inspiring and motivating piece and as citizens of this country do we not have the duty, the obligation, to listen to our leader? I found a good article on CNN one of the columnists wrote about the very same thing Jen; he made valid points on communication in families and if the parents do in fact disagree and don't want their kids to become socialists, that doesn't mean keeping them from hearing what he has to say - it means they need to do more on their part to talk to their kids about why they feel the way they do, and to allow their children to make their own decisions. I really liked that. Here I'll post the link to his article, in case you get an extra moment sometime to glance over it :) Its not too long! http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/08/ruiz.obama.students/index.html
ReplyDeletelove you :) i hope your year is going well! i would love a few moments to chat, so if you get some, give me a call! BIG hugs!
jen. thanks for sharing your position on this issue. i was dumbfounded to hear that parents and citizens of this country were up in arms about our president speaking to school children...it just seems insane to me (personally, i would be thrilled for my child to be able to see a speech made by the president that was directed specifically to them!) i hope this is just a small glitch in your school year and everyone is able to move on so that you can be the best teacher ever! ;)
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