Doing what we love...

     To start off with, I'd like to share this letter:

     A Teacher Explains Why She Gave Up 

     It's very sad that a young teacher was reduced to leaving the job she loves.  However, it's not as uncommon as you would think.  A stat listed in the blog to give you an idea on how common this is:  more than 50% of teachers quit within 7 years of starting, and most within 5 years.  The ones that refresh this career, the ones with the fresh and new ideas and concepts, most commonly the youngest and most eager of us - over half of them leave before they are really considered master teachers. 

     I can relate.  About 5 years ago (my 5th or 6th year), I almost quit teaching.  I was having an incredibly hard time with the class I had and I just couldn't see that I was making a difference.  I remember standing in the hallway outside my classroom, staring out the window and watching the highway traffic driving by and wondered what I would do if I quit teaching.

     See, despite the stress, despite the headaches, despite all the hassles,  and the lack of pay, I really love my job.  There's nothing like seeing and talking to and with the kiddos, having them looking to me to guide them through the year, passing along knowledge - rather intended in lesson plans or spur of the moment - helping them because they need me, and being an authority/male figure that students want, need and remember year after year after year (and apparently like) is just pretty darn awesome.  Honestly, I've had several jobs in my 46 years and this one is the one I feel most suited and comfortable in.

     But, that horrible few months I was having back then was enough to make me seriously want to leave this wonderful career.  I was having problems seeing that I was making a difference (with one student in particular), rumors of teacher merit pay were flying around and had actually made it through a committee in congress (biggest joke ever - NO ONE is paid based on how someone else performs, nor should they be), rumors of more layoffs, lack of textbooks and general support from the state -  the list went on and on.  Kids were negative, not listening, not caring about their work and generally disrespectful (more than what I had seen to that point).  This profession that had once been considered a very noble and honorable profession had disintegrated into the laughable occupation to take money from, to place the blame for all student performance on, and to grind the collective cigarette butt of cynicism, negativity and doubt out on.  And I was feeling it.

     About two weeks after that, I was staring out that same window again.  I had just had a run-in with that same student again, and I had decided it was enough.  I was tired of the arguing, the not turning in of work, the lying, the fighting, the bickering, the contradictions, the interruptions, everything.  Outside of work, I was tired of hearing about how "I got weekends and holidays and my summers off" or "How I was paid for working half a year", and I was tired of feeling like I WAS NOT MAKING A DIFFERENCE (that I could see. See, we teachers don't work in tangibles.  We see the results of our hard work years later, if ever.) 

     However, along with these thoughts were, "What will you do if you leave?"  and "You're too old to start all over again!"  But there was a quiet thought also.  It said, "Why let one or two people ruin what you love?  Why give them the power to do that?  Why not see it through?"  And that little voice never stopped.  It was persistent.  It was kind, it was soothing, and it was RIGHT.  It was that day that I decided to really dig in and do what I loved - teach.

     Teaching is hard work.  I've heard stories and stories and stories about bad teachers and I always say the same thing.  Please don't let the one or two bad teachers you know affect your opinion of the rest of us.  And let me tell you this - being a BAD teacher is EASY.  Being a GOOD teacher is hard work.  We spend hours every day building lessons and units, grading papers, coming up with good ideas.  We spend our weekends and holidays playing "catch up" and getting ahead.  We take our summers and go to workshops, take classes at college, work on our Master's degrees and getting to know our families again.  We don't want the "Teacher of the Year" awards - though it's great when we get it.  We just want to do what we love.  We want to teach!

Now, get off my lawn!