Letter: Teachers deserve our respect and support

Wally Walter's letter about class sizes (TCH, Aug. 12) mentioned his opinion that the difference between 30 and 22 students per class will not really matter (depending on curriculum). As a weekly volunteer in my children’s classes, I can tell you it does matter. When there are more bodies crammed into a room designed for less children, personal attention for each child is significantly reduced.

Perhaps you aren’t aware of the rise of kids with issues in today’s schools. There are a lot of kids with ADHD, Autism, Aspergers, etc., many more than when you were in school, and they aren’t in a separate classroom but integrated with the mainstream kids. Teaching kids like these takes strategies and more time, which teachers don’t have because of such full classes.

Teachers deal with tiny attention spans, disruptive kids, crowded classrooms, teaching for testing, uninvolved or uncaring parents, and sometimes public scorn. They give back love to the children, and oftentimes spend their own money and time on their job. They deserve our respect and support.

West Richland

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 6:52 AM with the headline "Letter: Teachers deserve our respect and support."