I know I have been inactive for a while now but I have been so busy. I moved from Alaska to Missouri, moved from my parents into an apartment and moved into a classroom all within about a two week period. It was exhausting. Now, I'm settled in and life is rolling right along. I have my dog back, Emma. She seems very content in her new living environment:
So anyways, my classroom is up and running smoothly. I have already had a few students move into town, into the classroom and then out again. I knew that this school district was like that but I didn't realize how hard it is from the teacher's point of view. Another thing I didn't realize was how hard it is to deal with parents. I feel like some of them wouldn't like me even if I was the best teacher in America, simply because they don't know me. There really is no sense in trying. I go to work every day and I try my hardest to teach the students all the things they need to know and then some. I try my hardest to keep them safe from each other and from themselves. I try my hardest to keep them happy and laughing so long as they are following the rules. AND I try my hardest to help shape them into good people. I have found that the worst part about teaching is that people just don't understand the job. They don't realize how difficult the task is. All they see is that we are "paid to take the summers off." Really people, use your head. That's not the case at all. Actually, the money I'm paid to teach your child (and we all know how little that is) from August until May is simply split over twelve months. This way, teachers don't have to plan money for seven months in the future. Another thing people don't understand about teaching is that the field of education is constantly changing. Your child will not be learning in the same way that you learned. This is NOT a need to criticize the teacher or become hostile. Feel free to ask questions with genuine interest about your child's education. However, try not to pass judgment. People probably thought the way you were being taught was terrible when you were a child.
The most annoying thing about being in this field is the fact that everyone dogs on America's Failing Public School System. I just want to clear up a few things. The majority of teachers and schools are not the problem here. I cannot point out a single teacher in school who isn't giving 100% or who doesn't show up early or leave late. I know I'm at school everyday early and leave late (time that I'm not being paid for) as well as taking papers home to grade and lesson planning at home (also not being paid for). I do these things because, probably just like you, I want to be good at my job. I want to make a difference. I think that the major problem our educational system has is the fact that the community doesn't back the schools. I'm speaking in general, of course. Parents have to make their kids do homework. Not only that, but parents have to help their kids work on other assignments at home, such as multiplication facts. I would love to see a study showing the amount of TV and video games children are exposed to every week and the correlation between that and grades. Your TV is not a babysitter. Come and teach my class for a week. Come and see what teachers all across America see everyday and then you will better understand.
It's very disheartening. To work so hard and see such negativity towards your field is crushing. I don't mean to write this to offend anyone. I'm simply unhappy and embarrassed by what I have noticed in communities across the US. Today I voiced my opinion on something and I was laughed at. "You're such a new teacher. Full of excitement. Wanting to change the world." How condescending. You would be appalled if I said "You're such an old teacher. Half your body already in the ground. Dull and stagnant." So what if I want to be good at my job, if I want to make a difference and if I am actually excited about my future. If you aren't maybe it's time for you to leave and find something new to do. Don't rain on my parade.
When frustration sets in, I like to think about a few things. Firstly, I love my class. I love the students. They are so innocent and hardworking. They want to impress me and their fellow classmates. They want to be good people. (When I see these hardworking students get defeated because of their parents then I get upset.) I love my classroom setup right now. I've been thinking of changing it but it is working well. I love the things that come out of the students' mouths. For example, one girl asked if we could do "arts and craps" one day. HA! I about died. They get grossed out by the littlest things, like a boy kissing a girl on the cheek in our read aloud book. They confuse words like Bra and Brawl...or Precipitation and Percussion. While outside one day for a short lesson the temperature dropped and it started to rain. The class clung together, wrapped their arms around each other, and shivered with smiles on their faces. Being that I had just moved from Alaska, I didn't realize how cold it seemed to them. Overall, I love my job. I love almost everything about it. Do I get run down? Or course. It's impossible not to when you throw yourself into something. But my hope is that it will get easier. Even if the attitudes don't change, I hope that it will become more bearable the older I get. AND I hope I NEVER lose my will to fight and my want to make a difference!
