What I've Learned From 30 Years of Teaching
1) I can really make a difference in the lives of many students. I am proud of my efforts to change lives for the better. There is rarely a week that goes by that I don't hear from a former student who says they are going into a science field because of my teaching.
2) I am too honest and direct for many administrators. This is the 30th year that I have not been nominated or selected as teacher of the year. If I "sucked up" more and was more diplomatic my photo would be on the wall of my school next to most of my fellow teachers. Fortunately my self esteem doesn't depend on this or I would be emotionally crushed by the yearly lack of appreciation by the powers that be of my efforts. I care more about honesty and integrity than kudos from superiors.
3) County administrators are very wasteful of money. They don't give teachers raises and then they turn around and spend huge amounts of money on silly things like online teacher monitoring. Educational priorities are completely screwed up. I also have found that no one wants to hear my thoughts on this.
4) Most teachers really do care about students. They have to fight daily against all of the time wasting things at school that distracts from learning.
5) Teachers should quit when they are there just to earn a paycheck. I value money as a way for me to help abandoned animals but I don't teach just for the money. At the same time I am ticked off that the county doesn't value teachers enough to increase their salaries. It would really help me to better support the 9 cats and bunny I have at home.
6) All students can learn and have potential to go far beyond their current goals. Many are lazy and they need to be motivated by master instruction and a varied curriculum. It is sad that today the most important thing in their school life is to excel on a standardized test. It saps their spirit and dampens motivation. We are increasingly being pushed to teach for these silly tests at the expense of true learning.
7) Science is a wonderful, creative area of teaching. It should be fun for the kids and should make them enthusiastic about learning.
8) I am really going to miss teaching. I am not going to miss the anxiety created by school agendas that stress image as everything. I don't give a damn about school image for its own sake. I want to give students a thirst for learning that will go with them long after they forget about our little school. Let others worry about school image. My students will have a future in science or at least will better appreciate and understand how science affects them. They will be able to intelligently discuss medical issues with their doctors when the need arises. School image is a selfish concept for those who only care about how parents and fellow educators view them. It adds nothing to the life of my students. If I do an excellent job preparing my students for their lives then our image will be a good one as a result. Anything else is just politics and useless window dressing that means nothing. I am not there to be a poster child for the school. I am there for the students. Our school is a good one in spite of the distractions. We have a core of educators who are great at what they do. We also have a very few educators who should be working in another field because they only care about self promotion. This is poison for true learning.
9) If teaching is done properly it is one of the most exhausting jobs you could ever have. It take a huge investment of time, emotional energy, and intellect to succeed. Many new teachers are not being taught how to maximize their skills to benefit students.
10) I love teaching!
7 Comments:
I am a fellow teacher and I really like this list. Unlike you though, I excel in Math, Language, and the Arts. Science is my weak point and I know it. But I do my best and hopefully my students wil be inspired in the future to become what they want to be.
You nailed it. From what my brother and other teaching friends tell me, you are correct on all counts.
Very good post. I concur with all, and especially the last two. I qualified as a teacher in 2000 at the advanced age of 43, and found it a real struggle with little support. I overworked and poured huge amounts of energy into my darlings, but burnt out very quickly. I LOVE teaching but have become disillusioned with the system. Now I teach an average of one day a week, and it is about right. Money, needless to say, is a problem.
I liked your entry. Good to know the teachers side of the story. I must say that through all of my elementary and high school studentship though I only had a handful of good and motivated teachers.
Boy, I surely wish I were getting paid 6 figures for teaching!! With 30 years and a master's degree plus 60 extra hours of coursework I get roughly half that. When I retire at the end of the year I will get $27000 before taxes. It's not a job that will make you wealthy.
I gave some singing classes some years ago and yes it´s really difficult to be a teacher. But also brings good things :-)
That article (mentioned above) is for an experimental NY charter school, not a public school. I've taught for 28 years and am near the top of my salary schedule. (no where near 6 figures) I loved science in college, but my passion is language and culture. My district claims to value it; it doesn't seem to equate to more money or support though.
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