I wanted to take the time to let everyone in our great community know how hard our teachers are working for your students and to provide a great education for them. Our teachers/staff have a more challenging task now with the added issues created by the COVID-19 Pandemic. Not only are they preparing lessons for the students that are here in the building, but also preparing lessons for students that are sick or in quarantine to provide instruction for online learning. Teachers are also making an intentional effort to address the ongoing impact the pandemic has had on students’ mental health. The workload has increased, the stress has increased, and teachers are more essential than ever. Despite this lofty expectation, each and every day our teachers/staff show up and provide a stable person to help students with their education and provide support when needed.
One item that is challenging as an educator is we do our best to hold students accountable for their actions. Students learn from their mistakes. If we let rules be broken, the students will not learn important aspects in life they need to be successful in the future. I'm not expecting every parent to agree with every consequence, but I ask that you respect our decisions and support us helping your child grow. Our intention is to prepare all students to be successful individuals after they leave the walls of Mound City. Sometimes consequences are part of the learning process.
We also try to hold students accountable for turning in homework. This teaches students the importance of responsibility. If they learn to meet deadlines at school, they will likely be able to meet the deadlines in their job after they graduate. Sometimes a lack of understanding might prevent a student from completing and turning in their work on time. In this case, we hope your child asks for help when needed. Teachers cannot help your child if we do not know what they need help with, so I encourage your students to ask the teachers and administrators for help.
I just sat in on a teacher meeting the other morning and part of the conversation had to do with providing positive comments to students. This had me thinking that it can work both ways. The last couple years have been tough on teachers, and we are still coping with the impact of the pandemic within our community. Our teachers have the best intentions and are working hard to care for and prepare your child for the world. With all of that said, it is important for our teachers and staff to hear how they are impacting their students in a positive manner. Schools all too often hear the negative comments and not the positive. Nobody in our building claims to be perfect and teachers/staff members are human. We make mistakes and learn from them just like the students. However, we make decisions based on what is best for the development of the whole student. Our intentions are good, and your child’s best interest is at the heart of all decisions made. If you know that any of our teachers/staff members has made a positive impact, please do not hesitate to let them know. Think about a time in which someone praised you for your hard work or dedication. It can really make an impact and boost self-esteem during such a trying time.