There are some days that I really love my job. I love the
idea that every day, I can sit down with a group of young minds and make them
think about things that they have never thought of before. I love to watch them
debate about topics they care about, see them get excited when they totally
understand a new concept. I love to see the smiles on their faces when they
actually work for that “A” and get it.
And then there are days that I wonder why I do this job.
Lately I have been contemplating a career change. I have
been thinking about going to law school. I've been reading books, asking
opinions, and eliciting those that are experienced in the law. I do find it fascinating,
especially international law. I also find that I like the idea of dressing in a
suit and going to an office where I do something amazing for someone….and make
a shit load of money doing it.
But what I think I like the most is the fact that lawyers
are considered professionals. They go to school and get advanced degrees, dress
well, and in some areas, they are well respected for the craft they do. At
least, we seem to think so because we will pay them $300+ an hour to get us out
of a speeding ticket.
But I am a teacher and I don’t dress in a business suit
every day. In order to do my job, I needed 4 years of college with extra
classes in the areas I wanted to teach in order to be highly qualified. I also had to take special classes to teach
AIG kids. I had to take 2 standardized
tests and pass them and then pay for my own license. Each year, I have to
accumulate a certain amount of additional credits to renew my license and I do
these through “professional development” classes. If I want to make more money,
I can go back to school and earn an advanced degree or apply for the National
Boards.
I work upwards of 50 hours per week at school and
sometimes a few more at home. I am required to stay after sometimes for parent
conferences, games and events. I am required to submit my lesson plans weekly,
and if they are not clear enough, I am asked about them. I get observed 4 times
a year—3 by administration and one by a peer. I am required to keep my grades current
and post them online so that parents can see how their children are doing
daily. I do all of this for $35000 a year.
No doubt—I do a lot. And I do it for those few moments I
get when a child (and even parent) is appreciative of all I have done for their
kids. But there are days that I wonder why I am still here.
I was reading Adam Kirk Edgerton’s Huffington Post
Article on “Why I Quit Teaching,” the other day and he pretty much summed up my
attitude of the whole mess. He quit teaching
because he was “tired of feeling powerless.” Teachers are not treated as
professionals. We are treated very much like children. And most of us don’t
quit because of the kids, we quit because we feel as if society doesn't value
us as professionals. If you haven’t read it, I totally recommend you do.
Ron Clark, educator and founder of Ron Clark Academy in
Georgia recommends that if teachers want to be treated as professionals, then
they must dress the part. I know that I feel differently when I come to school
in a nice blouse and slacks instead of my khakis and sneakers. But the truth
is, it doesn't seem to matter what I wear to work on those days that are not “casual
Friday.” I am still paid the same, I am still observed the same, I am still
treated the same. It seems to me that if I am a defining moment in a child’s
life, and they see me every day for 180 days of the year, if I am teaching them
values and morals along with history and math and science and social studies
and literature (and dance, music, PE, theater, computers, and all the other
subjects I didn't mention) that I should be treated as a professional. I should
be valued as an asset to our society and that I too am worth $300 an hour for
my services.
As for me, the jury is still out on law school. My
purpose this year is to find my bliss and make money doing it. It’s been a hard
road so far, mainly because it is hard to find something (besides a good book)
that truly consumes me. But today, I sat down during my planning period to work
on a new unit for my discovery class. This is an “enrichment” class for
students who do not need all the extra help in math and reading and a free time
to learn something different. My science teacher and I have been doing a
forensics unit with them and they have really enjoyed it. So I want to do something
equally as fun the next quarter. And as I was frantically typing out my brilliant
plans, I realized that what I really love to do is design curriculum.
Curriculum that makes sense to these kids, allows them to be hands on, fun, and
works in the real world. I was
totally caught up in what I was doing, I lost track of the time and almost
missed the bell. That’s what I want for my kids: to get so caught up in learning that they lose
track of time.
