In appreciation of Canterbury's teachers
There has been a lot of teacher bashing going on in our political sphere lately (and by lately I mean the last three years). They say teachers are selfish, can't think for themselves, are unduly unfluenced by unions, have no consideration for the children under their care and are basically a lazy, good for nothing group of whingers. Every time I hear or read another one of these comments my heart twists a little bit more. I don't think any teachers deserve this, but I'd like to single out one group who I feel deserve it even less than their peers. I am talking, of course, about the wonderful group of people who have kept our Canterbury children sane and safe during what has been the most difficult year most of us have ever experienced.
Let me tell you a story. It is, as they all are, personal so I can only talk about the school my children go to. I'm not going to single it out, though, because I'm sure that all schools in Canterbury have just as dedicated teachers looking after the kids there and I don't want to aggrandise one group at the expense of others. One of my children was in a building which has since been demolished due to the damage it sustained. I have talked to some of the teachers who were in the classrooms in that building, and their stories of what happened and what it was like to settle the children down and get them safely out of a building that suddenly had non-functioning doors are amazing. Yes, the children were upset and scared but the wonderful teachers managed to get them all safely out of the classrooms and assembled on the field in relatively short order so that when we turned up to collect them they were all in one place. The teachers stayed there until all their charges had been collected, which many cases was hours later - many parents had been caught up in the CBD and the walk back home took a very long time. The teachers of Canterbury have, in many cases, experienced tragic family losses, their homes have been severely damaged, and their futures have become uncertain as school rolls have dropped in the area. They have worked, many of them, in schools that are damaged and partially demolished. Some have had to relocate and teach from other schools' facilities; some have generously opened their schools and their classrooms to other teachers.
Through it all, they have remained a clam, consistent presence in the lives of our children. It was our school's final assembly today and many of the children who are leaving the school to go on to high school spoke - they spoke of the difficulties they faced this year, they spoke of their love for the school and their friends, but most of all they spoke of their appreciation for the teachers who have taught them and shaped their futures. Despite the many hardships those teachers have faced since the earthquakes they haven't put any of that onto the kids they teach. In a time when, for many of our children, life is uncertain, home is a mess and many people around them are emotionally volatile, school has remained a place of routine, of stability and somewhere they know they will be looked after. This has been helped by generous donations from all over the country and around the world, but for the most part it has been because of the dedication and support of their teachers.
In June it all happened again, of course. Once again when we got to school after the first aftershock, the children were safe on the field and this time they were relatively happy. All children were in class groups, all had been recorded on a list and all were calm. One teacher, as we led our children away, sat down with some of those remaining and played a guitar while the whole group sang. There was no panic on the school's field and again teachers stayed with their charges until they were all accounted for, despite what must have been great fear for their own families and homes.
This year, our teachers have gone beyond the call of duty to care for our children. They have dealt with behaviour and emotional issues that are far beyond the normal in their classrooms and they have done so with grace, courage, compassion and energy and they have ensured that the quality of education our children have received has remained high. If there is one group that I would call the unsung heroes of the earthquakes, this would be the one. Anyone who thinks that these people are selfish, lazy and don't care about the children in their charge needs to rethink. I can't think of many people who are more unselfish, have given more of themselves and care more about other peoples' children than the teachers of Canterbury. They deserve recognition for all they have done. I thank them, from the bottom of my heart, for doing what they did to keep my children safe and well and to help them have a great year of schooling despite the many interruptions. They are my heroes and I just wanted to express that.
Let me tell you a story. It is, as they all are, personal so I can only talk about the school my children go to. I'm not going to single it out, though, because I'm sure that all schools in Canterbury have just as dedicated teachers looking after the kids there and I don't want to aggrandise one group at the expense of others. One of my children was in a building which has since been demolished due to the damage it sustained. I have talked to some of the teachers who were in the classrooms in that building, and their stories of what happened and what it was like to settle the children down and get them safely out of a building that suddenly had non-functioning doors are amazing. Yes, the children were upset and scared but the wonderful teachers managed to get them all safely out of the classrooms and assembled on the field in relatively short order so that when we turned up to collect them they were all in one place. The teachers stayed there until all their charges had been collected, which many cases was hours later - many parents had been caught up in the CBD and the walk back home took a very long time. The teachers of Canterbury have, in many cases, experienced tragic family losses, their homes have been severely damaged, and their futures have become uncertain as school rolls have dropped in the area. They have worked, many of them, in schools that are damaged and partially demolished. Some have had to relocate and teach from other schools' facilities; some have generously opened their schools and their classrooms to other teachers.
Through it all, they have remained a clam, consistent presence in the lives of our children. It was our school's final assembly today and many of the children who are leaving the school to go on to high school spoke - they spoke of the difficulties they faced this year, they spoke of their love for the school and their friends, but most of all they spoke of their appreciation for the teachers who have taught them and shaped their futures. Despite the many hardships those teachers have faced since the earthquakes they haven't put any of that onto the kids they teach. In a time when, for many of our children, life is uncertain, home is a mess and many people around them are emotionally volatile, school has remained a place of routine, of stability and somewhere they know they will be looked after. This has been helped by generous donations from all over the country and around the world, but for the most part it has been because of the dedication and support of their teachers.
In June it all happened again, of course. Once again when we got to school after the first aftershock, the children were safe on the field and this time they were relatively happy. All children were in class groups, all had been recorded on a list and all were calm. One teacher, as we led our children away, sat down with some of those remaining and played a guitar while the whole group sang. There was no panic on the school's field and again teachers stayed with their charges until they were all accounted for, despite what must have been great fear for their own families and homes.
This year, our teachers have gone beyond the call of duty to care for our children. They have dealt with behaviour and emotional issues that are far beyond the normal in their classrooms and they have done so with grace, courage, compassion and energy and they have ensured that the quality of education our children have received has remained high. If there is one group that I would call the unsung heroes of the earthquakes, this would be the one. Anyone who thinks that these people are selfish, lazy and don't care about the children in their charge needs to rethink. I can't think of many people who are more unselfish, have given more of themselves and care more about other peoples' children than the teachers of Canterbury. They deserve recognition for all they have done. I thank them, from the bottom of my heart, for doing what they did to keep my children safe and well and to help them have a great year of schooling despite the many interruptions. They are my heroes and I just wanted to express that.