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What on earth can teachers be whining about? How difficult can it be to work only nine months out of the year and get off work at 3:30pm? Right?
*Read This And Enter The Contest Below*
During the last 30 years I have spent hours volunteering, working and spending time in the education system. My children have graduated and now my grandchildren have entered the public school system and I'm taking time out again, to lend a hand. I find myself in awe of what a teacher is required to do on a daily basis.
What would happen if people in other professions faced the same realities teachers do on a daily basis...
1. You manage 28 employees that all talk at once, won't stay at their desks, aren't catching on to the expectations of the job, stop you every 5 minutes to ask a question completely unrelated to the project at hand or don't finish their work. What happens? THEY'RE FIRED.
Teachers don't choose their students nor can they terminate being their teacher.
Teachers do it everyday.
3. You are an hourly sales employee and a big event is coming up that requires extra preparation and training which means you are working longer than 8 hours. YOU'RE PAID OVERTIME.
Teachers on average spend two hours each evening correcting papers, calling parents or planning curriculum.
Teachers may receive an apple, coffee mug, maybe even a brownie, however usually they are lucky if they receive a thank-you. There's no bonus for students that are successful on tests or graduate.
5. You work for your company long enough to earn six to eight week paid vacation so you plan a trip to Europe and maybe a cruise. YOUR VACATION IS YOUR TIME.
Teachers summers are filled with learning new curriculum, continuing education(at their expense) and running summer programs. And besides, who can afford a cruise on a teachers salary.
6. Banks take our money and invest it, create a sub-prime crises, shatter the economy and create the highest unemployment rates in years. THEY GET A BAILOUT. (Still our money.)
7) The average salary in the U.S. is $52,029 the average teacher salary in the U.S. is 42,225.
NO ONE GETS RICH ON A TEACHERS SALARY.
More and more quality teachers are leaving the profession in order to support their families.
I challenge anyone to spend an entire week in the classroom and see how easy-breezy it is. When was the last time you visited a public school?
In honor of the hard work teachers do on behalf of children I'm running a contest.
The prize is a five page critique and a $25 Office Depot gift card for the teacher of your choice or you if you're a teacher.
To Win:
1) Must be a follower.
2) Mention this contest In your blog.
3) Tweet about this.
4) Enter a comment about the teacher you would like the gift certificate for and why. Confirm that you have done 1-3.
Okay, I do get a little sensitive on this subject area b/c I was a teacher before I had children. Working with kids is only 50 percent of a teacher's job. Most stay until 5 or 6 and arrive early in the morning. Sometimes they work at night too. They must find work over the summer b/c they aren't getting paid, but, like you said, must prepare new curriculum for the coming year. It's not just a 8-3:30 job.
ReplyDeleteMy mom was a teacher for years (now a principal) and my dad is a teacher. Summer, Schmummer. They spend so much time on their job, it's crazy! Immense respect for teachers.
ReplyDeleteI used to teach full time, but now I am a subsitute teacher. Teachers have never gotten the respect that they deserved. I know that teachers don't go into the profession for the paycheck, it is a passion and a calling and they always do their job whole heartedly!
ReplyDelete@Laura I always love to hear from those that have been in the trenches. The rest of the world just doesn't have a clue.
ReplyDelete@Janet Love the "Schmummer" comment.
@Choices That is the thing that I find sad is that if it was about money, they would have chosen another profession. By diminishing the debate about education to $$$ it devalues what teaching is all about, the students.
I love this post, Pam! Teachers are unquestionably shortchanged and underappreciated. It makes me furious every time I hear about educational programs and teachers' salaries being cut. . .again. Don't people realize teaching's the MOST important profession (after parenting)? Thanks for this.
ReplyDeleteHalf of my family members have been teachers at one time or another, and I myself, was an English teacher once. I don't miss checking papers, but I do miss my students. Teachers are incredibly hardworking people and deserve more recognition than they usually get.
ReplyDelete