Sunday, January 24, 2010

Anonymous...BITE.ME

A few days ago I made a comment on a friend’s blog about teaching... my opinion...in relation to my job situation. Then someone made a comment about my comment... funny how the person made the comment anonymously...
Anonymous stated that "I remember all my teachers and hope that I have had the impact on my students that my teachers had on me. I enjoy every day of my profession and try to stay positive for my students."

You know I am truly happy for her that the school/district that she works in is obviously doing something right in that she loves her job.... but unfortunately she then felt compelled to take a potshot at me by saying ”Perhaps Life in Mom Lane needs to do a little reflecting about herself."

I decided out of respect for my friend’s blog to not make another comment there, but the more I thought about it the more annoyed I became.

So "Anonymous" here is my response to your comment ... BITE.ME.

Do not PRESUME to know anything about my job or to infer that it is in some way shape or form my fault. I showed my comment and your response to three other teachers I work with and all three felt I showed great restraint in my original comment. That I really could have ranted about the crap that goes on in our district.
I also remember that part of my comment said "the kids are awesome... if all I had to do is work with the kids then I would LOVE my job." Even though I am unhappy with many things our district does I do not carry that over to my students-my students are great- they keep me going, but I am also not going to lie and say everything is wonderful when it is not.

I wish my district made me feel the way yours does, but unfortunately that is not the case. Our district (at least at the secondary level where I am) is not so much about education the past few years as much as it is being run as a business. I could list multiple problems but am not going to do so here.

So Anonymous, the next time you decide to pass judgment on another- take a moment and think. Until you have walked in another's shoes you are in no position to imply that they have a problem. My suggestion is to rather thank God that you DO have a wonderful job/district that you love. And if you can't do that, then perhaps it is YOU who ultimately has the problem- at least I don't bash someone else with a holier than thou attitude or hide behind an "Anonymous" name without knowing anything about that person's situation.

8 comments:

  1. Bah. I hate anonymous posters, but sometimes people don't have a blogspot account and so they go around posting anonymous. Take the five seconds and get an account anons!

    Anyway - when are people going to realize that not every place is the same. We and the kids all attended/attend schools in very nice communities [raising the kids where we grew up] and they are getting a prime public education. That is not a brag - it is a simple fact that we have a high tax base and a LOT of the money goes to the schools. On the other hand my sister had her kids in schools in Alabama [no offense to Alabamians] and they were miserable, the teachers were miserable - and the stories she told me were heartbreaking. There were no resources or funds for anything.

    I guess the point I am trying to make is don't judge until you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes. That anon poster has no idea what your district is like, what the kids are like, etc. But I bet you are great at what you do!

    Just ignore the anons - if they can't step up and name themselves then they don't really exist, right? :)

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  2. I love that you have a voice here! Good job on being the bigger blog and not going back to continue the comment volley.

    And....Bite Me has more teeth because you are not doing it anonymously (-:

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  3. Oh, this is great! Please, please, feel free to go back onto my blog and vent your wrath. I would absolutely LOVE IT!

    Just the other day, my blog about mice in my house got comments that skewered me for leaving the mouse in the trap and waiting for it to die a prolonged, tortuous death. I was called names for not killing the mouse to put it out of its misery. My husband suggested I delete the comments (there were two, by two different screen names but posted within minutes of each other, so I'm guessing it was one guy.) I did not delete them because I thought maybe someone would come to my defense and I could get a good debate going. (Although, really, how can anyone defend what I did? It was wrong, yes, but, as I explained in the blog, I didn't want to touch the mouse!)

    Anyway, not to digress. I'm with you all the way. Feel free to address Anonymous on my blog. I'm so rarely controversial. I would love a good cat fight!

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  4. OK, and one more thing: You didn't even say anything that bad about teaching. It wasn't like you said the kids were little monsters.

    Sorry, I just can't let this go . . . :)

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  5. I agree with SkippyMom. It's easy to set up an account, so commenting as Anonymous is a copout.

    - Anonymous

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  6. Good for you... we all need to have a voice, and for someone to slam anonymously is weenie cowardly!

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  7. Good for you for writing this! I hate when people do stuff like that!

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  8. okay, you really are a bigger person than i, because i would have gone back to the blog and tried to lure anonymous out of hiding. and what a sanctimonious comment! but i am feeling extra crabby today and very combative. but still... those people who are always so quick to point out how blessed and perfect their life is? well, they usually have a big ol' skeleton in their closet.

    so, that felt good to rant with you.

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