Let's discuss the elephant in the room: the "poor" education system here in the United States. It is common knowledge that we aren't the highest ranking in our test scores. That we have a less rigorous schooling system than other countries. But you know what? Our teachers care about more than just our students' grades. And that's okay.

Here in America, we all have certain rights. Students also have certain educational rights. Such as the right to free appropriate public education, also know as FAPE, which China does not offer their students. In fact, due to China being a mainly rural country, many children don't even go to school. Students in America have the right to 13 years of free education, a luxury honesty. China only states that students have access to 9 years of education- 6 years of elementary and 3 years of secondary- and this is just access meaning it's not mandatory like in the United States.

Teaching is considered such an important job in other countries that parents actually get to select who is educating their child! To be able to select a teacher, there must be an over flowing supply. Much different from the US where teaching is an underrated and degraded career. Not only do parents get to pick the teacher, they can pick the curricula their student is learning. With all these options, schooling comes at a mucher higher cost, one that foreign parents are willing to pay. One that many parents in the US cannot afford. So be glad your child receives a 13 years education for free, after that it becomes very expensive!

Along with free comes appropriate and this is where many people get upset. Students who may not be as "advanced" as others are going to be in the same classroom as your child. This is not a punishment to your student. This is not a punishment to the other students. This is not a punishment for the teacher. It is because that student has the same right to learn in the classroom as your child utilizes. Countries besides the US restrict these students to other classrooms all day, where it might not be necessary, or they send them to separate schools altogether. That is if their parents are sending them to school in the first place.

So no, by including a special needs student into a general education classroom, the teacher is NOT punishing their other students. I am a firm believer in the sense that all students can learn in any situation. Students learn more from their classmates than they learn from their teachers. Learning isn't always academic, either. So when I see parents complaining that their students are bored during the day because teachers are spending too much time working with the "slow kids", I get offended personally. I was a Gifted student. When I finished assignments ahead of other students, it gave me time to draw. Or read my books I brought with me from home. Or do other work. I saw my free time as a time to be thankful for. These kids didn't have time to read for fun or do their homework during the day so they didn't have to worry about it when they got home.

If you believe your student is lacking important educational time when they finish their assignments early, give them supplies to keep them occupied. Or if the teaching isn't rigorous enough, ask for them to skip a grade or change schools to one that fits your students needs. The teachers have too much to do to supply your student with extra work that won't be counted nor do they need to be giving extra work in the first place. If you believe you can do my job better than I can, homeschool your child. I will not be offended.

As a teacher, my mission is not to cater to those who believe they are above others because they are smarter, wealthier, or "above average." My mission is not to do everything for those who require extra assistance. My mission is not to punish, neglect, nor favorite students over others. My mission is to teach every student that comes into my classroom. My mission is that when my students leave my classroom at the end of the year, they will have learned something. And as I have already said, not all learning is academic. We could learn a thing or two from our peers if we take the time to do so.