Counting Down the Days For All the Right Reasons

Those of you who "friends' of mine on Face Book know I have been counting down the days to the end of my 10 year teaching career. No, it does not mean I will never-ever go back to teaching science. It just means I am getting the amazing opportunity to be a 'stay at home' mommy next year. And maybe for a few years after that? I am not sure what the future holds with where God wants me to go.

Those of you who know me as a teacher know I LOVE MY STUDENTS!!!! I am really going to miss that part of teaching. I love to interact with teenagers. I know some say it's crazy, but I do belive that is my gift from God. You have to know how to work with them. Not all are 'blessed' in this way. Some are better with younger kids. Some are better with babies. Some are NOT good at all with kids and they have their own calling. I will continue to work with the youth group and I pray that they can fill that void for me and I help them out too. I will miss my students and the ones I may have had to come to my classes.

But I am excited about not having to deal with the BS in the public school system. I come from a line of teachers...my grandma, my mom, both of my sisters....you get the jist. And I do not believe that teaching has always been JUST TEACHING. Teachers are more than just communicators of information. And yes, I am fully aware that not all teachers are good at the actual art of teaching. And yes, it is an art.

Two of my former students came back to see me last week. (I love it when they come back and I can hear how everything is going with them) Ok, back to the point....one of them took a type of a teaching class...kinda like an ethics or something like that, I do not fully remember, but I do remember he said they discussed the question of is teaching an art or science?

After 10 years of teaching, I believe it is an art. I say this because I have seen other people want to get into teaching and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It doesn't mean they don't know the information they are teaching. Some are super smart in their content area, but can not get the information across to their students in a meaningful way. And yes, that is the tip of the point of being a good teacher:taking this meaningless information (in the childs perspective) and making it meaningful to them. It is not easy. Do you know how many different types of kids are out there? Do you know all the learning styles that are out there???? It's crazy! and when you think of the true impact you have on 130 some odd kids...it can be overwhelming. Teachers have a lot of influence over their students. It is amazing the impact we can make....good and bad.

Now, what the public hears is a lot of the bad stuff that can go on in teaching. They hear of teachers that are inappropriate with students, they hear of "all the sick days we take" (thank you NBC 12 for that one, especially during Teacher Appreciation Week), they hear of the lazy teachers who only teach for the breaks and summers off...the list goes on and on.

SO let me (of course) straighten some things out:

1. Most of teach because we love the students. Real love. Real compassion to see them do their best and know we had a hand in that. I believe teaching is a calling. I have seen so many get into teaching for the breaks or summer or any other 'all they do is babysit' reason. And FAIL AT IT! ALL realize it is not as easy as it looks. Most realize its not worth the time off. All realize it's not worth the money. But those if us who do it for the right reasons, know it's worth it when we see our kids succeed.

2. Most of us do not abuse our sick days. I read a commentary response from a teacher to NBC 12 after they pulled that crap with how many teacher sick days and how the public pays for them w/ tax dollars...well, NO CRAP!!! It's the same way we get paid...tax dollars...idiot!! (as you can see this bothers me a bit).
We are teachers. But we are also human beings with lives outside of our jobs. We get sick. Our kids get sick. Our family members pass away. We get in car accidents and other things that make us take a day to get checked out or go to court. Oh, by the way, we get called to jury duty too!! All that stuff that happens to others happens to us too. We are not locked up in our classrooms over night and weekends just waiting for our students to come to school for us to teach them. So yes, we have to take days too. And your tax dollars pay for it. They pay for it all. And we teach your kids, so you have to pay us for that or go do it yourself...(but truth is you still oay us whether your kid in in public, private, or home school).

And another thing...those of us who teach for the right reasons HATE taking any days off. Why? Well, how many of you who are not teachers have to find someone to cover your class for you (which is what we have been having to do at PHS for some time now)? When you call in sick or have to take a day, do you have to write down lesson plans for anyone else who works with you so they have a meaningful lesson all day when you can't be there. Damn, how many of you even have to worry about who is going to do your job because you can't stop coughing or puking or your kid can't stop coughing or puking....or do you just call your boss, leave a message, and go back to your bed? Cause as a teacher, that AIN'T how a sick day works. Most of the time we have to come in to make copies or deliver plans while we are sick. We don't get to roll over and rest in bed.
And on top of that: what a pain!!!! When you return to work you have double the work since you know have to grade what you left for your kids to do. You have to make sure all went well and if it didn't you have to redo your lesson because your students have to lean the information they will eventually be tested on and if they fail YOU are blamed.
So it is easier for us to come to work sick than to call in a sick day or heck to even call in a personal day....

I could go on and on...yes, the pay isn't great, but again, those of us who teach for the right reasons don't do it for money. As time has gone on, our responsibilites have gotten heavier and heavier...for some kids WE are the only true parents they have. We are their only adult role models. We have so much weight on our shoulders....we have to make sure the students are healthy (both mentally and physically), we have to watch them to make sure they are not depressed or suicidal, or bullied. And we have to report it if we think they are and if we happen to be wrong, a parent can go off on us. If we don't see these things and a suicide or fight or something breaks out WE get in trouble for not seeing it. (In addition, the ones of us who do what we do because we really care are more concerned that our student was hurt or dead than if a parent yells at us). But it is all put back on us. We have to break up fights but not defend ourselves if a student tries to hit us, cause we could be sued by the parent. Again, on and on.

Our job description should include: mother or father figure, police officer, therapist, disciplinarian, nurse, mediator, oh...and yeah...don't forget to teach.

Now, is every teacher out there a good teacher. HELLZ NO. I see many in the school I work at everyday (well, every other day) and yes, it makes me sick that they are still in our schools. Every school has them, not just where I work. And yes, it is hard to get rid of them for a few reasons: tenure and no one else is out there willing to take thier place and actually do a good job at it. I again, could go on and on. But that is a entirely different blog.

Now, I am not asking for sympathy or praise or anything here. But don't put my profession down and not expect me to stand up for those of us who do teach for all the right reasons. If you think we have the best job ever with summers off and breaks and don't forget those snow days we all love so much (and again, those of us who teach for the right reasons see those days pile up against our students for when all that testing comes around and if they do not have all the knowledge then we are blamed for their bad scores)...then go back to school, get your teaching degree and quit your bitchin!!!!
So, yes, I am counting down the day where I can only be concerned about MY KIDS. I am ready to be selfish in that aspect of my life. I am ready to have more patience with my 7 1/2 year old who takes longer to do homework than most 1st graders, I am ready for giving that time I have given to so many others to my family.

But I am also SO EXCITED to see where God takes me with this chapter in my life. I am ready to be sent in a new direction. I know I still want to have time for my teenager small group. I am hoping more doors open for those opportunities.

Will I ever return to the public school classroom? I do not know.
I think I will. I have also thought about Christian schools to possible teach at..because I do love to talk about God and teach about Him too.
But I also hope something else as fullfilling as teaching science falls into my lap as well.
And hopefully it will carry a little paycheck with it too! One day.