OK, OK, I admit it. I TEACH LIFE LESSONS IN MY CLASSROOM.

There, I said it, and I am not ashamed. I have sometimes been
accused of spending too much time on them and not enough on the
standards. I know what you are saying, “stop spending time teaching the
kids responsibility, and what to expect in life, preparing them
for when they are on their own and are going to have to make decisions
that will affect them for the rest of their lives… spend more time on
the Abassid, Gupta, or even the Roman Empire!”

When my ex-students come back and see me, the one thing I hear more
than anything else is how much they don’t remember about the history I
taught… but DO remember the lessons I taught about LIFE. What to
expect… how to handle certain situations when they arise… how to
learn responsibility so that when situations DO arise, they would be able to handle them. I try to teach my kids… errrr… students (sorry)… no, my kids…how
they will handle whatever life throws at them. So that no matter what
the situation is (drugs, drinking, riding with someone who has been
drinking, no matter what the situation is) they will know how to act appropriately.

I know what you’re saying.

Students get those lessons at home.

Don’t be so sure.

If I am going to err, then I will err on the side of helping my kids
get through life. That’s what they remember anyway, so that is what I’m
going to stick to.