Some of my teacher friends and I had been discussing our last two weeks back at work and as usual the talk turned to how tired we are and how bad our feet hurt. We are already coveting this wonderful 3 day weekend and wondering where our summer went. Back in to the swing of school. Back to the fast pace life. Back to school. Back to the world of education.
Some people, even some of my friends, have this false perception of being a teacher. Before I go any further, I will tell you I love teaching kids and love my job. However, this job takes every bit of energy from me for several months out of the year. The beginning of the year, right before the holidays, TAKS season....which lasts from March to June....and the end of school, all require extreme amounts of patience and energy.
One of my favorite comments about teachers is that we work only 8-3. Anyone who is a teacher or is married to a teacher or has a teacher for a parent KNOWS that is the furthest thing from the truth. These past two weeks my days at school have begun between 7 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. in my classroom. Yes, I am already there by 7 and never later than 7:30. Then, many afternoons it is after 5 before I leave. Some nights have been closer to 6. Yes, my job pays me from 7:45-3:45 but many more hours are put in to making my classroom run. It is not that I am inefficient during those hours but that we have limited time to plan, grade, conference, team meet, tutor, and handle the mountain of paper work that is required to properly educate the students. Lately, my hours have been more like 10 hour days instead of 8, but I never see a dime of overtime for my efforts to be a good teacher. These hours don't include the hours spent at home grading and planning as well as completing paperwork to just stay ahead of the game. Today I even brought a bag home that was so heavy, Mike had to carry it. It is my "work" for over the holidays!
Another one of my favorite lines is "But you all get PAID summers off. Must be nice!" That is actually not true. I get paid for 187 days of service. That salary is mandated to be paid out in 12 months instead of the actual days we work. It is nice to receive that check while I am sitting at home during the summers, but it is really for days I have already worked. We are not paid for any holidays or vacation. We get 8 sick leave days a year. Those are the only extra "paid" days we get. Most teachers fight for the spots to teach summer school and make a little extra. Many teachers even spend their summers in workshops that they pay for themselves and work in their classrooms to get prepared for the next year.
Again, let me say, I love what I do. However when I hear people not appreciate the time and energy that teachers put in to their jobs just to help children have a better future, it does bother me. I am so privileged to work with such dedicated and truly wonderful people. If we ever feel tension it is usually over the fact that we are fighting for the same disadvantaged children because we each want our chance to help them. We are an eccentric bunch. There are many extroverts, but just as many introverts. We somehow balance each other out. Math minds are our organizers and planners. Our arts teachers keep creativity and forward thinking in front of us. Some of our language arts teachers look at the global view and the whole picture while working to keep unity and somewhat keep us grounded. Our science teachers constantly seek ways to inspire the students and their fellow teachers. Our leaders lead, while not squelching the variety of personalities. It is a delicate balance and with most of the teachers being female, many emotions swirl around!
Another great comment I've heard is that it is glorified babysitting.......I won't even attempt to put my feelings about that comment on here. I will say, I would dare one of those people to spend a day in my shoes. They would be eaten alive!
Then there is my favorite...."those who can't do, teach." I have to say, it is easier to do than to teach how to do something. If you don't believe me, try teaching a 10 year old how to write a research paper or how to multiply mixed fractions.
I know that those of you who read my writings often are not those who are unenlightened or belittling to teachers. For that I am thankful, but I still don't believe anyone can truly understand this life until they live it. Not even our spouses really get it. There is such a desire in teachers to inspire and to do what is best for the children, but we are limited so often by lack of funds and supplies. We spend our own money on things that should be provided. There is also this responsibility that is so great. We are the shapers of the future. Many of our children come to us from brokenness. Broken homes, broken lives, broken dreams, and some are really physically broken. Yet, we are expected to make them excel above all expectations so that our scores show that we are a wonderful school. We watch children who can not stay awake because they have not slept due to the world they live in outside of the classroom. We may be providing them the only hug, the only kind word, the only hot meal, and the only safety they feel all day. We become teacher and mother and protector and counselor and mentor to them. Then there are those you can never reach. Those who by 10 or 11 are so bitter and angry that they refuse kindness and reject love.
In my day of 100 students who pass through my four walls, I teach many lessons. Most of them are from the textbooks we read, many of them are from life experiences. I get to spend 80 minutes a day with each group. In this 80 minutes, I need to inspire, counsel, discipline, redirect, teach and evaluate. I have a 30 minute lunch to share with about 20 other people and 5 microwaves. I have a 40 minute conference to contact parents, grade papers, lesson plan and collaborate with my department. If I sit down, it is to grade papers. I read my emails during my lunch break while I shove food in my mouth. I come home and collapse and wish I had energy to exercise, cook or even just spend time with my family.
Why do I do this to myself if it is so hard? Who else will do it? Plus, I love children. There is so much good and innocent in them. If I can for just one minute make a difference, then it has been worth it. If I could ask for anything as a teacher, it would be that our profession be recognized and compensated for what it is. The toughest job in the world that you ever love!
If you are friends of a teacher....besides me....or you know a teacher who has started yet another school year, give them a break. They are tired. They are stressed. They are working their tail ends off to make a difference while meeting all the requirements of our state. Just realize you are still important to them, they just are overwhelmed with the enormity of the task at hand. Give us a month to settle in to everything new and we can be ourselves a bit again. Please don't expect much from us until then. We are doing all we can and probably have nothing more to give.
No comments:
Post a Comment