Thanks Mom!

"The Manager at Little Caesar's gets paid more than I do to teach public school," -my colleague's comment while talking to his mom about the importance of unions

"Well, think of how hard he works. He deserves it. Teachers just can't make it in the real world," -his loving mother's response

As I have said and will continue to say: if it's so easy, come do it.

A Poem From My Colleague

Dignity

They attacked the building
an angry mob
bearing phones and axes.
'Devils," they cried,
'bandits. We've had enough'

As they beat down the doors
most of them wheezed
Their soft hands blistered
and bled and one by one
they dropped to their knees
in perfect pose
It'd play well on Facebook
at least
or the nightly news:
citizen uprising
people power
taxpayer revolt.

Meanwhile, barricaded inside,
the teachers drew their blinds.
The few bad ones cowered
under desks, but the rest
carried on with their work.
They'd learned to ignore
the circus outside
the taunts
the constant carping of
those who depict them as
selfish, lazy, inept-
who blame them for
society's ills
for the consequences
of poor parenting
of empty promises

'Teachers suck,' somebody
shouted from behind the
bright new bank. 'Fucking thieves.'

And the students snickered and
slouched deep into their seats.

Don't Blame (Just) Me

One of the things I am finding most frustrating (there are two parts to this "thing") is that society is unwilling to address the underlying social problems that are the main contributor to the lack of success on the part of many of our low-achieving students.

I understand that not everyone is a red-eyed radical like I am, and therefore providing assistance for basic necessities (food, clothing, shelter) for the low-income and poor among us, providing resources/outlets for single parents, encouraging responsible sexual behavior (in the real world, with real knowledge), the list goes on; these things are not the priority of most people in our government (or even our school district.)

However, the longer society continues to blame the results of underlying social problems on teachers, the closer I am getting to leaving this profession.

Part II:

I, for one, am aware that we cannot address these problems though emphasis on common assessments, PLC time (as it is structured), common grading practices or longer lunch periods.

But, I can address these social issues by fostering an environment in which all students feel safe, cared about, and feel like they are worth something as individuals.

The most important thing I do in my job is to be a caring adult and a positive role model.

I would like some acknowledgement that THAT is what is most important. I would also like to spend less time on esoteric, theoretical crap and more time on doing what matters.

What do you remember from high school? The main causes of World War I, or the teachers who treated you with respect, who made you feel like you mattered?