An important sequel to 'Teacher' that dissects the many issues faced by teachers today.
In 2018, former teacher Gabbie Stroud published a hard hitting memoir called Teacher. It detailed Stroud’s personal journey from a young graduate teacher full of hopes, dreams and ideals to an exhausted, disillusioned shell that felt crushed by the weight of her workload and the seemingly non-existent support from the governments and administration around her.
It sent shockwaves through the teaching fraternity and sent a warning that our teachers were leaving in droves because teaching really is THAT TOUGH!
This follow-up, aptly titled Dear Parents, takes on a similar theme but details a year in the life of a jaded and worn out teacher (Stroud herself) and the many obstacles she faced. Written in the form of weekly emails to the parents of a fictional school, Stroud blends humour with some of the most thoughtful writing you are ever likely to read on this subject. It is quite possible that you will find yourself laughing, crying and raging in the space of a few pages. The story of an assembly rehearsal that goes belly-up will elicit all of these emotions in quick succession.
It details the many meetings staff are forced to attend, the interactions with parents who seem uncaring, the other staff members who rally around her (and who she rallies around) and a Principal who seems out of touch with the needs of his staff. The temptation to just whine about her lot without addressing her own actions or looking at a different perspective must have been incredible, but in her own way she acknowledges that even principals want the best for their students and do their very best to juggle the demands of their own job. She acknowledges that all jobs have their difficulties and that there are similar struggles across the board.
Through the course of her emails she also discusses working with difficult students (the most memorable character in the book is a young boy called Reaxton) and then skilfully dissects the core issues teachers have with NAPLAN testing. Any parent that reads these chapters will seriously want to consider how much value to place on these tests as well as the impact they have on young children.
Stroud writes from a place of affection. Her love of the profession is deep and it obviously aches for her not to be able to do what she loves so much. This is much more than a bunch of demands from a jaded teacher. This is a cry for help from an industry that feels more and more undervalued with every passing day.
This is as important a book as her previous volume and should serve as a warning to all parents and government officials who think of teachers as cattle and servants. Every parent of school children should read this and take note.
Reviewed by Rodney Hrvatin
Twitter: @Wagnerfan74
Distributed by: Allen and Unwin
Released: February 2020
RRP: $32.99
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