I know of very few jobs that ask for so much and give so little. I mean this literally and figuratively. Yes, we teachers do embrace the feeling of accomplishment when we know we've made a difference in the lives of children. And yes, we get a ton of time off but that doesn't make our job any easier. I get paid for 6 hours a day and put in 10-12 hours a day on average. Often times I arrive at work at 6:45am, work through my recess and lunch breaks, and I don't leave until 7:30. Many people believe that teaching is a job for those who can't. To those very people, I offer you this invitation...walk a day in my shoes. Actually, to get the full effect, walk a week.
There is no tired like beginning of school year teacher tired. The first 40 days are devoted to routine teaching and testing the boundaries on both ends. My parents wonder why I come home a little later or don't have so much work to do at home. The answer is, I'm teacher tired! I'm physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. As a matter of fact, the teaching Gods have blessed me with my most challenging group yet for my 10 year anniversary. Yeah, yeah, I already know, you're not given more than you can handle. I may beg to differ this year!
This group gets an "A" for their creative storytelling. In fact, one of these stories actually sparked an investigation on my behalf. As you can imagine, that was a lot of fun (Takes sip of beverage). I work in a district that will pull a teacher first and ask questions later, much later! Character education is vital to the education of a child that is often neglected due to the overwhelming directives to test the children.
My class presents a wide range of academic abilities and interests. The range is very wide, wider than I've seen before, this is one of the perks of being at a small school. I know I'm a teacher but many people don't understand I'm also a mom, friend, psychologist, counselor, mentor, nurse and referee to my kids. I spend more waking hours with my kids than most adults in their lives. I am happy to take on all of these roles but can I get a little respect!
Going back to my original point, teaching is hard! I toyed with the idea of possibly leaving the classroom this summer. I figure the best use of my impending doctoral degree would be to obtain a position of leadership and effect greater change on the educational process as a whole. A couple positions came up that caught my eye, but nothing panned out for me. I suppose that means it's not my time to leave the classroom and my current group of kids need me. Being in the classroom is always fun and each year is very different.
Even with all of the challenging situations, I have been very fortunate in my teaching. There is no greater joy than hearing from past students and being reminding you that you did a good job. I am very fortunate to be in somewhat regular contact with Andi (circa year 2 teaching) and Britney (circa years 4-5). Social media has been a great platform to be found by former students. At last check, both are doing great and ironically both are living out of state.
At the end of this school year, I will look back and be extremely proud of all of the hard work that both the students and myself have accomplished. We have a long ways to go, but we'll get there. Teaching is hard, but it's worth it!
