Parents do everything they can to protect their children, which is why Tomas Valerio felt utterly helpless when his daughter came home from school in tears every day. He thought she loved going to school, but suddenly, she seemed terrified of leaving the house. When Tomas asked his daughter why she was crying, she told him the bare minimum, leaving Tomas to fill in the blanks himself. But his thoughts made him feel sick to his stomach. Surely it couldn’t be that bad? He knew he had to get to the bottom of what was really going on, but first, he needed proof. And getting this evidence wasn’t going to be easy.
A New Beginning
For many parents and children, the first day of a new school is filled with excitement and nerves. Parents want their children to thrive in this new academic environment, while children often worry about fitting in and making friends. All in all, it’s a new beginning that could result in a wonderful future. But on the other hand, it could result in disastrous consequences that could shake both parents and children to their core.
While Tomas Valerio and his wife were confident in their daughter’s academic ability and her social skills, there was still a thought in the back of their minds that their little girl could struggle with the adjustment. But they had no idea that she would struggle so much.
Crying Her Eyes Out
Change is always scary, and it was clear to see that Valerio’s daughter was scared of her first day at her new school. All Tomas and his wife could do was encourage her to be herself and be confident around the new students and teachers. However, most people will know that when you’re scared and nervous, the smallest comment could make you cry your eyes out. So, when she returned home with tears running down her face, Tomas assumed that that had been the case.
Tomas wondered whether his daughter had simply been overwhelmed with emotion on her first day, but then she mentioned something that flipped a switch in his brain. Had another student said something mean to her? Or, even worse, had a teacher shouted at her?
A Broken Little Girl
As Tomas looked his daughter in the eyes, he could see that her first day at her new school had broken her. She looked like a shadow of her normal self, and he just wanted to get to the bottom of what had caused her to feel such a way. He wanted to fix the situation, and he wanted to make it all better for his little girl. So, he needed to uncover the truth once and for all.
Doing so wouldn’t be easy, though. And while some may think that he took his investigations too far, others will no doubt understand the protective nature of a doting father.
The Tears Didn’t Stop
As Tomas built up his dramatic plan in his mind, he also hoped that he wouldn’t have to put it into action. He hoped that his daughter’s tears were simply the result of first-day nerves and that she would get into her groove the more time she spent at her new school. However, that didn’t happen. The tears didn’t stop, and she seemed to be getting more and more distressed as each new day passed.
By this point, Tomas’s mind had gone into overdrive. He had suspicions about what was really going on at school, but he didn’t want to be right. That’s why he knew he needed to act as soon as possible.
Wanting to Stay Home
As the days progressed, things got even worse for Tomas’s daughter. As well as crying when she got home from school, she would also cry before she was due to leave, all while telling her parents that she didn’t want to go. Tomas and his wife felt helpless, and they still didn’t understand what was causing such a visceral reaction in their daughter. Surely this wasn’t just the work of a young school bully?
Tomas knew that if he didn’t act soon, his daughter could be traumatized for life. The last thing he wanted was for her education and her future to suffer because he didn’t step in quickly enough.
Getting Creative
Putting his plan into action wasn’t easy, though. Tomas needed to be sure that he was doing the right thing, and he needed to be sure that his daughter really needed his help. And while he and his wife tried everything they could to cheer up their little girl, nothing seemed to shake away the terror of what she experienced at school every single day. She seemed to be getting worse by the day.
Tomas assumed that his daughter was struggling to bond with her classmates or was being picked on by the school bully. So, he got creative to stop this bully in their tracks.
Keeping Mum
Of course, we know what you’re wondering; couldn’t Tomas’s daughter just tell him who was causing her so much upset? Although Tomas asked his daughter time and time again why she was crying every day before and after school, she wouldn’t disclose any details. All she told him was that she hated school and didn’t want to go again. And when she said this, Tomas’s heart shattered into a million pieces.
This new version of his daughter was not one he was used to. She used to love school, and she also used to tell him everything about her day. The fact that she refused to tell him the truth broke him.
Time Had Changed
The more Tomas saw his daughter change before his eyes, the more he longed for how life used to be. Before she started at her new school, his little girl was full of happiness and light. She loved going to her old elementary school every day, and she had so many friends who loved and cared for her. Alongside this, she had a keen zest for life and learning new things.
To see her outright refusing to go to school and becoming dependent on their support was extremely unusual. She wasn’t their little girl anymore. Something at school had broken her spirit. But what was it?
The Big Questions
As Tomas and his wife watched their daughter fade into a shell of her former self, so many questions ran through their mind. Was she just going through a developmental leap? Was she suddenly feeling more emotions than normal? Was she struggling to make friends? Was she falling behind in her classes? But the most baffling question of all of them was; Why wouldn’t she tell them what was wrong?
Their little girl was obviously so scared of the person or people doing this to her that she felt as though she couldn’t speak out. And this made things even more heartbreaking.
A Social Problem
The more he thought about it, and the more he probed his daughter, the more Tomas believed that she wasn’t struggling with her education. She had always been a high achiever who loved to learn, and she took pride in finishing her homework and achieving good grades. Plus, she’d never had any bad feedback from her old teachers. This led him to think that she was dealing with more of a social problem.
However, this didn’t make sense, either. His daughter had never had any problems making or keeping friends, and she’d previously loved socializing with others in her grade. So what was causing her to cry every day?
Feeling Powerless
Parents will know how tough it is to see your little one in distress, and Tomas felt his own heart break whenever he saw his daughter crying. He wanted to help her and make her feel better, but he also felt helpless. No matter how many times he and his wife asked her, she wouldn’t budge. She wouldn’t tell them what was happening at school. She just kept continued to repeat the same thing over and over; she didn’t want to go to school anymore.
His daughter was still so young and had her whole life ahead of her. He felt as though he needed to step in, and it was this drive to solve her problems that forced him to make a decision.
Wouldn’t Speak up
Although Tomas understood that his daughter didn’t want to talk to him about her problems, this just worried him even more. Before she moved to her new school, their relationship was based on trust and respect, and she used to tell her father everything. The fact that she was now keeping things from him made him feel uneasy, as it seemed that whatever was causing such a change in her daughter was a serious matter.
But if your child refuses to talk to you about something, what do you do? Do you respect their privacy? Or do you step in and help, even if that’s not necessarily what they want?
A Happy and Healthy Life
Tomas was especially upset because he and his wife had worked extremely hard to ensure that they raised their daughter in a happy and healthy environment. They had a great relationship with their daughter and felt confident that she knew that she was loved and supported every step of the way. And it was this close relationship that led them to the conclusion that their daughter was being bullied. By who, though?
Unfortunately, bullying is not an uncommon occurrence in school. But while it may be common, it’s never condoned - especially at such a young age. They knew bullying could impact their daughter’s life forever.
Patience Is a Virtue
At first, Tomas tried to be patient. Although he wanted to step in and protect his daughter, he also knew that she had a strong soul - and he hoped that she would either report the bullying herself or tell him and his wife so that they could step in. However, patiently waiting for this to happen also took a toll on the couple. They couldn’t bear to see their daughter shrinking into a person they struggled to recognize.
As each day passed and their daughter continued to keep her bully’s identity from them, Tomas and his wife grew more and more anxious. And Tomas knew that he’d have to step in sooner rather than later.
A Pivotal Moment
After all, this new school and new step in her life was a pivotal moment for his daughter. This was a time for her to uncover who she really was, and to learn important life skills that would take her into her teenage years and then adulthood. Tomas knew that a traumatic experience at this time in her life could have disastrous consequences, both socially and academically, and he didn’t want this to happen.
Tomas had waited and waited for the right time to put his plan into action, and he could sense that the time was coming. He just needed to wait for the perfect moment.
Student or Teacher?
Tomas was confident that his daughter was struggling at school because of a bully, but this still left him with one question. Was the bully a student or a teacher? Of course, he really hoped that his daughter wasn’t being bullied by a teacher, but he also knew that educators have their own way of teaching. While some are soft in their teaching efforts, others are strict - and sometimes downright mean.
As his daughter was still young and in the early years of her education, he didn’t see the need for any teachers to be mean. Instead, his daughter and her classmates needed nourishment and support. Was she getting that, though?
Behind Closed Doors
The more Tomas thought that his daughter’s bully was the teacher, the more irate he became. He couldn’t understand why any teacher would want to bully a student, and he wanted to do something about it. However, he knew that he couldn’t go in all steam ahead without proof. But how was he going to get behind the closed doors of his daughter’s classroom undetected? He needed a foolproof plan.
Tomas knew that he needed to be stealthy, and he knew that he needed to fulfill his plan without his daughter knowing. After all, he needed the environment to be as natural as possible.
Laser-Focused
As the doting father saw his daughter in tears every night, he became even more confident in his plan. He wanted his little girl’s pain and suffering to end, and the only way to do that was to uncover the truth of what was really going on. He was laser-focused on bringing the school bully to justice - whoever they were. And he was going to stop at nothing to catch them in the act.
When he explained his plan to his wife, Tomas expected resistance. However, his wife could see how much the bullying had broken her daughter, so she backed him every step of the way.
Staying Incognito
The biggest hurdle Tomas faced in his investigations was staying incognito. Of course, Tomas and his wife could have simply visited the school and sat in on their daughter’s classes to see what was going on for themselves, but this wouldn’t have been authentic. No teacher or classmate would act the way they normally would with them around, and it just wouldn’t be natural. So, Tomas had to find a way to be there without really being there.
Tomas came out with countless ideas, some that were much more out there and others that were a little more tame. But in the end, he came up with the perfect solution.
Using Tech to His Advantage
As he doesn’t have the power of invisibility, Tomas knew that the only way to be in his daughter’s classroom without actually being in the classroom was to use technology to his advantage. This would allow him to listen in on what was going on in there on a normal day and work out why his daughter would come home from school crying every single day. So, he bought a recording device.
With this recording device at his disposal, he knew he could hide it in his daughter’s bag and listen in on her day at school. But when was the best time to do it?
Waiting Impatiently
In the end, Tomas decided to stop thinking about the plan and actually put it into action. He stuffed the recording device at the bottom of her bag, somewhere both his daughter and her teacher wouldn’t find it. And as he did so, he hoped that his plan would pay off. After all, he was taking a major risk with his plan and could be caught at any moment if he wasn’t careful.
But in his eyes, the risk was worth it. He wanted to see his little girl back to her normal self again, and he wanted to see her smile again after so many months of torture. Would his plan uncover the bully once and for all?
Listening to Evidence
The day Tomas sent his daughter off to school with the hidden recording device was the longest day of his life. He waited impatiently by the door, wondering whether the device would record an incident similar to the ones that had plagued his daughter for months. As soon as she returned home, he grabbed the device and started listening as though his whole life depended on it. And in a way, it did.
Sadly, it didn’t take Tomas long to hear something that made his skin crawl. Although he was relieved to have evidence, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was no wonder his daughter was so upset.
Start to Finish
Tomas decided to listen to the recording a few times from start to finish to make sure that he wasn’t mishearing. But the more he listened, the more it all became clear. His worst fears had come true, as the bully wasn’t one of his daughter’s classmates. Instead, it was her teacher! And she wasn’t just coming down hard on his daughter, either. She was terrorizing the whole class of students.
Listening to the recording, Tomas could understand why his daughter had been so upset for so long. The way the teacher was talking to the class was abhorrent, and no way anyone should speak to kindergarteners.
A Power Trip
To Tomas, it was clear to hear that the teacher was on a power trip during her classes. She was using her power over the young students to instill fear in them, and she was incredibly rude throughout the whole day. Tomas couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and he was so sorry that his daughter had to go through such atrocities. But more than anything, he was extremely angry.
Not only did Tomas put his faith in his daughter’s teachers to instill good values into her, but he also paid a lot of money for her daughter to attend the school. The fact that she was being mistreated did not sit well with him at all.
What Next?
With the recording at his disposal, Tomas knew that he had the best kind of evidence to bring the teacher down. After all, how could she argue against her own voice? So, he knew that he had the power to fight back against the school and put a smile back on her daughter’s face. But how would he do that? Should he go to the teacher herself? Or should he do one better than that?
One thing he knew for certain was that he wasn’t going to let the teacher get away with it. Listening to the recording, it was clear that his daughter wasn’t the only one being mistreated by the terrible teacher.
Finding the Right Person
As Tomas thought of his next course of action, he weighed up his options. He didn’t want his hard work and scheming to be in vain, and he wanted to make sure that the horrible recording was placed in the right hands. And while he wanted to approach the teacher directly, he knew that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. He was too angry at her, and he wouldn’t be able to control his emotions.
But who could he go to? Maybe the head of the whole school? Or maybe the parents of the other students in the class? In the end, he knew exactly who needed to hear the recording.
Going to the Board
Instead of sending the recording to the school itself, Tomas decided to go one step higher. He booked an appointment to speak to the state’s school board and hoped that going to the top of the food chain would have a trickle-down effect that would change everything. But more than anything, he hoped that the teacher would be fired and the students would be free of her tirade.
On the day of his meeting with the state school board, Tomas played the recording and recounted everything he had experienced with his daughter over the past few months. They had to listen, right?
A Sad Response
With all of the evidence stacked against the terrible teacher, Tomas assumed that the school board would be on his side and immediately fire her. However, that wasn’t the case at all. The members of the board didn’t quite understand his concern, and they took the recording with a pinch of salt that the father wasn’t expecting. It was a sad and unfortunate response that left Tomas feeling heartbroken for himself and his daughter.
He couldn’t believe that the board members didn’t care, either. He thought they’d immediately get to work on disciplining the woman who had been so quick to discipline innocent children, but they didn’t.
Damage Was Done
Although Tomas believed the evidence against the teacher was more than enough to at least give her a warning, the board stated that they would only look into the idea of giving her a warning. They didn’t seem to be taking the matter seriously, and this infuriated the father. His daughter’s life had been made a living hell by this one woman, so why wouldn’t they step in and help?
After all, the teacher had been hired to guide the young children on a path of social and educational excellence. But instead, she was reducing poor kids to tears every single day.
Not Giving up
Tomas had been sure that his meeting with the board would go his way, so he was stumped when he realized that he was back at square one. His daughter would still have to be taught by an evil teacher, and she’d have to deal with her teacher’s bullying on a daily basis. However, Tomas wasn’t going to give up, and he wasn’t going to let his little girl continue to suffer during what should be the happiest years of her life.
So, he knew that he’d have to come up with a secondary plan. The first one hadn’t worked, but that didn’t mean that the second one wouldn’t. Not if he came up with a foolproof plan, anyway.
A Chance to Move
When the news of Tomas’s meeting with the school board made its way down to the school itself, they did offer the father the chance for his daughter to move into a different class with a different teacher. And while he appreciated the offer, it wasn’t enough for him. Of course, he wanted his daughter out of the teacher’s class immediately, but he knew that the issue didn’t stop at his daughter.
If she moved class, his daughter would be out of the way of the teacher, but he also wanted to look out for the other students and parents. He didn’t want to leave them there.
Damaging the Kids
Teachers can make or break a child, and that’s exactly why Tomas didn’t want to take the school up on their offer. While he wanted to make sure that his daughter felt safe and secure in the classroom, he also wanted other children to feel that same feeling. The last thing he wanted was for the teacher to continue terrorizing children year after year. That was a risk he was not willing to take.
As word spread of the teacher’s misdemeanors, Tomas even got the support of countless other parents. But despite the large group of worried parents, the school board still wouldn’t budge on their decision.
Making a Petition
Before too long, every parent in the school knew about the terrible teacher, Mrs. Duncan. They’d heard the recording, they’d heard all about Tomas’s struggles with the school board, and they’d heard of the school’s offer. But, like the concerned father, they weren’t on board with their plans. They wanted Mrs. Duncan to be fired, and so they encouraged Tomas to make a petition that called for the termination of her contract.
Amazingly, Tomas amassed over 2,000 signatures in just a few days - and they figured the school wouldn’t be able to ignore such a petition. But the school wasn’t the only one who saw this petition.
Media Attention
As news of the petition made its way into the spotlight, Tomas was inundated with requests from local and national press. They wanted to know more about the situation, more about his daughter, and more about his petition in general. Thankfully, this media attention worked in his favor. The world could see that he was a concerned father, and many parents that heard his story were on his side wholeheartedly.
To the world, Tomas was the concerned father who wanted nothing but the best for his daughter and who wanted to trust the school system. Was that really too much to ask?
Not Enough Discipline
Although the media attention did put pressure on the school board, they only budged a little bit. They refused to fire Mrs. Duncan, but they did start disciplinary action against her for the way that she spoke to the children. As you can imagine, this didn’t go down well with Tomas or the other concerned parents. Mrs. Duncan was extremely quick to discipline her innocent children, so why wasn’t she given a tougher sentence?
At first, Tomas was extremely angry. But as time wore on, he began to hope that this disciplinary action would be a wake-up call for Mrs. Duncan. Perhaps she would change her ways now.
Pushing Through It
More than anything, though, Tomas is worried for the future of his daughter and the future of the other children who suffered at the hands of Mrs. Duncan and her tirades. A terrible teacher who screams and belittles young children can have a hugely negative effect on their development and their future, and the last thing he wants is for these kids to be mentally scarred from their experiences with her.
After all, the school was supposed to be their safe space. Instead, it turned into a place that his daughter hated and took away her happiness during one of the most important stages of her life.
Caught in the Act
Thankfully, Tomas is confident that he caught Mrs. Duncan in the act before her actions could have a long-lasting effect on the students. Although they suffered at the hands of her screaming and shouting for a few weeks, Tomas decided to step in before things could get really nasty. And while he could have just gone to the school board as soon as his daughter started crying after school, he now wonders whether they would have believed him anyway?
Even with evidence in their hands, the school board were reluctant to do anything. But Tomas still stands by his decision to send a tape recorder into school with his daughter.
The Final Say
If this whole experience taught Tomas anything, it’s that parents are the best mentors that children can have. Although a caring and encouraging teacher can change the lives of youngsters, it’s the parents who really serve as role models in their lives. Perhaps that’s why Tomas felt the need to step in and prove to his daughter that the bad guy should never win? He wanted to teach her a lesson.
And it’s true. Role models need to be conscious of every decision they make, including how they speak to those who look up to them. Unfortunately, Mrs. Duncan didn’t follow those same rules.
A Lucky Girl
While Tomas’s daughter was no doubt traumatized by her experience with her teacher, she can definitely count herself lucky that she has such an impressive role model as a father. Tomas did everything he could to help her, from giving her space when she didn’t want to talk about her problems to going the extra mile to bring her naughty teacher to justice. He taught her so many amazing life lessons.
In fact, Tomas’s experiences also taught his daughter that life doesn’t always go your way. Even though Tomas wanted to come out on top, he ultimately failed in getting Mrs. Duncan fired.
A Bad Teacher
If you’re thinking of becoming a teacher, don’t be like Mrs. Duncan. Like parents, teachers are supposed to be role models who inspire their students to live, learn, and love. And while discipline is a huge part of teaching, it’s important to discipline in a way that’s constructive rather than mean and degrading. After all, teachers really do have the power to change lives - both in a positive way and in a negative way.
Sadly, Tomas’s daughter was unlucky with her teacher, but that doesn’t mean that she’ll have bad experiences for the rest of her life. Hopefully, her good experiences will soon outweigh the bad.
One Bad Apple
This story is proof that one bad apple really can spoil the barrel, but it’s important to remember that there are teachers out there who do everything they can to inspire a whole new generation in a positive way. These teachers treat children with respect while teaching them about the real world and molding them into wholesome human beings. It’s these teachers that are remembered as the heroes rather than the villains.
Of course, there are still villains in every story. But with every villain comes a hero looking to bring them down, and in this instance, it was Tomas with a tape recorder.
Paying Close Attention
Although Mrs. Duncan is still teaching at the same school, Tomas’s efforts have sparked a movement among parents across the globe. While there are some amazing teachers out there, parents have learned to keep a closer eye on their children. Just as Tomas and his wife couldn’t ignore their daughter coming home in tears every day, these parents are looking out for similar signs of distress. Hopefully, this will spark a movement.
For now, though, Mrs. Duncan has been given a second chance, and we really hope that she embraces this second chance with open arms that are willing to learn and grow.