Teacher Criticisms...(rant)

I'm a teacher. I've read every page. I've read every post. I don't even know where to begin. My career has been spent in Title I schools - all 26 years.

This much I know is true ... over the last 26 years I've seen many changes occur in public education. Some for the good. Sadly, some for the worse.

Students today are not like the students of 15 years ago. Many are not like the students of just 5 years ago. There's a sense of entitlement like never before with Americans. Not just in education, but every where. It's a systemic problem. I believe it's going to get worse before it gets better. And to me, that's scary.

I believe we're a nation in crisis. Children are raising children. Right, wrong, or indifferent - that makes things difficult. Some of today's parents aren't equipped with the tools necessary to raise healthy, well adjusted children.

I teach in a school corporation of the very affluent and those in extreme poverty. When I started teaching we didn't feed children breakfast. Now we do. When I started teaching we didn't offer day care before and after school. Now we do. When I started teaching we didn't send food home with children on the weekend. Now we do.

As the most abundant nation in the world, we still have problems.. Serious problems. And to help solve them, we need people from all walks of life - those in business, those in non-profit, those who are educated, and those who aren't. And, please, can we add teachers on the committees that are trying to figure out the solutions? We can add valuable insight to what is really happening in the classrooms and we might just have some good ideas to bring to the table.

As a teacher, one of the things I'm most proud to say is that I'm an ISTA and NEA member. I feel honored to be a part of such professional organizations. My arm wasn't twisted to become a member. I pay my dues willingly.

Over the years I've lobbied many times. My representatives and senators know my voice when I call. As they should. When I drive to the state house to speak with them, they know what I look like. I work like the ****ens to get meetings with them while I lobby. Most often I'm successful. Many sit nicely while I talk and share my joys and concerns about public education in Indiana. Some even listen.

However, only one has agreed to come to my school and see first hand the issues I speak so passionately about. One. To me, that's sad. My own senator won't even come to my school. Every year I ask him. Every year he declines. Nicely, but he still declines.

My point with that is we have for the most part middle income people with middle income values making decisions about those in poverty. I get they're busy. I really do. But we have serious problems and we need serious solutions and until we have representatives go to the schools and see first hand our struggles then we are climbing an up hill battle.

Education is not unique to other professions. We have good teachers and we have not so good teachers. Most, however, are great teachers.

In a perfect world those who have posted about the ease of my job would be able to shadow a teacher for a week ... from Sunday night to Saturday morning. This would give you a better understanding of our job responsibilities. My guess is you would have the same remark as the one representative who chose to come to my school, "Wow, I had know idea." His words. Not mine.

And, for what it's worth - you're darn right I like June, July, and August. I like spring break and winter break, too. I love the perks of my job and certainly the calendar is one of them. So, you kinda have to take the good with the not so good sometimes. I will never apologize for the calendar we keep.

I'm not complaining ... just trying my best to do some explaining.

Bytheway, although I disagreed with you on your last two paragraphs, I emphatically agree with your first three or four, about this being an "entitled nation." You are right on there.

In my 17 years as an educator in alternative high school settings, despite having an EXCELLENT rapport among students and colleagues alike, I’ve:

- Been punched by students on numerous occasions
- Been bitten, kicked, and spit upon
- Had a fork held to my eyeball
- Broken up countless fights
- Had “F&@# You 8!tch” keyed across the hood of my vehicle
- Had 2 cell phones, 2 iPods, 2 laptops, and countless other less valuable items stolen
- Had my vehicle stolen (pretty good idea that it was 3 specific students, but can’t prove it, and hearsay means nothing)
- Been threatened so many times it’s like being called to dinner
- Taken about 10 lifetimes worth of verbal/emotional abuse
- Can’t even remember what else

…and still made time to love on and educate these same kids. A lot of that time came at night, on weekends, and anywhere else I could squeeze it in. The 10 weeks off (only got those during half of my years of teaching) were partially consumed with continuing education classes and more planning (though obviously not the entire vacation). Spring break and Christmas break usually had their share of working days, too.

I loved my students or I never would have continued it. But it came at a pretty hefty cost, socially, within my marriage (RIP), and financially. Even with my M.A. in education (which I’ll be paying for till I die) I’ve never made over $40,000/yr. Yes, I chose to work for private non-profits who serve kids that get expelled from everywhere else that they merely “attended.” But if not me, who? Someone has to do the work. It is necessary, and sometimes pretty ugly. I’m not ready to just give them up to the prisons, which is frankly where many of them belong (just haven’t been caught and tried yet).

I have been a mentor to dozens upon dozens, and have practically been a parent to many others, and yes, I am proud to say that I have played a big part in salvaging many students who were headed to self-destruction, at a minimum. Despite our efforts, I’ve also watched as some have continued along that path, and will not see the outside of a prison again. Of course, I’ve buried a few, too.

Teachers simply don’t have control of all necessary factors that would make a student as successful as they can be. They don’t have the ability to turn off the student’s video game at 2:30 in the morning, or to make sure they eat a healthful breakfast, or to help them balance study time and everything else time. Parents have to do that part. But when teachers repeatedly “nag” the student to stay awake in class, or ???, the *** hits the fan, the teacher is out to get the student, etc. I had a barber once rant about how it was teachers’ jobs to virtually raise her kids, and especially to educate them, including “Why are they sending homework home? It’s their job to teach them. That’s what I pay taxes for.”

The point is, most of the teachers I’ve worked with (secondary) make sacrifices that go far beyond what society would expect of them… at least in writing. They pour themselves out, they take a LOT of B.S. that would get people’s *kitten* kicked in almost any other setting, and yet they are often the first targets when students don’t perform, or when students create problems in the classroom or school.

I have seen bad teachers… poisonous teachers, and I will be the first to agree that they need to be eliminated. In fact, had one teacher not announced his decision to resign by the deadline for stating intentions, I was prepared to give him an ultimatum that I would interfere. The students deserved better, and I was prepared to take that awkward risk. Fortunately, he did resign. It’s not a game. People should scrutinize the faculties in their community, but they should also recognize the bigger picture, a fuller picture, of what is really going on in that profession.

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Not trying to belittle your working, but frankly, if you consider yourself a professional, then you truly have it easier than any other profession. Take lawyers, for example, first they have to get into law school, graduate and pass the bar. Most are usually in debt. Then as a reward they get a job working 16 hours per day for several years. When they finally make it, they still work 12 hours per day.

Take doctors. First they have to get into medical school. Then after four years, Internship, working sometimes 2 or 3 days without sleep. Then they go into practice, heavily in debt, or take a fellowship and work several more years. By the time they get out and can finally start making money, they are in their thirties.

Sorry, if I don't feel your pain, but you are the only "professionals" who get several months per year off.
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And exactly who teaches all of you lawyers and doctors?? Yet YOU make the "big bucks". Maybe teachers should earn a percentage of what their students end up making....

This is simply my opinion and you can disagree all you like, but PUH-LEASE! You can chose to make your day as easy or as difficult as you like. If you care about your students, you're going to have a more packed day, if you choose to sit back and relax, your day is going to be a breeze. I've had good teachers, and bad teachers but seriously, the job cannot be as bad as you're all making it out to seem. You get weekends off, multiple weeks throughout the year off, plus 2 months during the summer off. Give me a break, if your job is that difficult or you're not enjoying it (not saying you guys don't) then find a job where you do enjoy yourself. Teachers should be prepared for the work load, and love children. If you're not and you don't, then keep flipping through the book of careers till you find something you like. My sister-in-law is a fourth grade teacher and all she does is complain about how the students shouldn't be in the class or are acting like brats... blah blah blah... I just want to tell her to find a job where she'll actually care about it. If you're just going to complain all day about things at your job then move on.

I agree here too. There are a lot of people who become teachers just because the college is paid for. You have to be passionate about it or don't waste your time.

The college is not paid for? I guess it depends on where you live... It's not paid for in California.

I must have missed the memo about college being paid for because a good portion of my check goes to paying my student loans.

Very interesting post...it certainly stirs up a lot of emotion from teachers and non-teachers alike.
So, here's my two cents (for what it's worth)...
I've taught for 21 years.
I've poured my heart into my job and had parents and students love me.
I've poured my heart into my job and had parents and students dislike me. That's just the nature of working with people.
I didn't go into the job for the money. I did it for the kids.
The job is full of successes and failures on my part, the part of parents, the part of students, and yes, even our government to some degree.
I don't expect anyone to fully respect or understand how many long hours I put in after work or on the weekends (but my husband and kids sure do).
But ultimately, I have to remind myself of one thing..."Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Colossians 3:23-24
I'm sure God put this verse in the Bible specifically for teachers.

It's not so black and white. There is so much wrong on so many levels. SO many parents don't do their part, and So many teachers don't do there's. I'm in and out of different classrooms every day, I see many excellent teachers, and I see many horrible teachers.
To me, it's not really a matter of who's to blame. The fact is that as a nation, we are failing our students. And something different needs to be done.

I have two graduated, one graduates this year and one next year. If I had to do it again, no way in hell would my kids be in this school system.

I pulled my kids out of public school and successfully homeschooled all of them, while working a full-time job. Even the NEA estimates that actual instruction is only 20% of a teacher's day; management and administration is the other 80%. It's not the fault of individual teachers... most are dedicated, caring people. Our education system is flawed at the very premise. There is no repairing it as it is - it needs to be completely dismantled.

This is simply my opinion and you can disagree all you like, but PUH-LEASE! You can chose to make your day as easy or as difficult as you like. If you care about your students, you're going to have a more packed day, if you choose to sit back and relax, your day is going to be a breeze. I've had good teachers, and bad teachers but seriously, the job cannot be as bad as you're all making it out to seem. You get weekends off, multiple weeks throughout the year off, plus 2 months during the summer off. Give me a break, if your job is that difficult or you're not enjoying it (not saying you guys don't) then find a job where you do enjoy yourself. Teachers should be prepared for the work load, and love children. If you're not and you don't, then keep flipping through the book of careers till you find something you like. My sister-in-law is a fourth grade teacher and all she does is complain about how the students shouldn't be in the class or are acting like brats... blah blah blah... I just want to tell her to find a job where she'll actually care about it. If you're just going to complain all day about things at your job then move on.

Wow....and what is it that YOU do for a living?

Great! Just what I would expect. In my business if I want to succeed I have to make the client happy. That may mean doing things at times that are inconvenient for me. But that is the way Capitalism is. I think you should get a bracelet that says WWJED - What would Jaime Escalentes do? If you want to know the answer to that question, see the movie STAND AND DELIVER about one of the greatest public school teachers of all times. JE never asked anyone to accomodate him. And John Tayor Gatto. New York Teacher of the year until he got fired for fighting against the system and advocating home schooling. There are many really great teachers like those two. Do you think, with your attitude, people will be making a movie about you?

and of course, don't forget about dead poets' society.

but, really, have you ever actually taught, or do you just watch movies about teaching? you seem to have a lot of answers - you must be a master teacher. just curious.

Yes, I have taught. For several years I taught Latin for homeschoolers. Also, before that, I taught in a post graduate professional school as an adjunct. I did that for 10 years.

Most public school teachers whom I have spoken to claim that they work several hours a day extra, i.e., not including time actually spent in school teaching. Yet the post I was reacting to here was from a teacher, who gets summers off, winter and spring break, works until 3:00, and resents having to work late to accomodate parents who probably get two weeks a year off. There is a disconnect here that I do not understand. Perhaps you can explain it to me. Why would a teacher who supposedly works extra hours anyway resent staying a few hours later to accomodate parents who do not have the huge number of vacation days she gets? Seriously.