I was listening to talk radio the other day and the host was talking about teachers. He said that he thinks teachers are not underpaid, after all we get summers off, get off work at three and get big breaks during the year. I immediately bristled, why after all it was about eight pm as I was listening to this and I had just left my school. The janitors at my school had to kick me out or I would have stayed a little longer.
I was upset that he would say that teachers are lazy and make it sound like teaching is easy. After all I spent all last summer preparing for the next school year and leave the school on an average day around 5:30 or 6:00, just to go to some activity and then head home to work some more from home. Lately more often than not I spend Saturdays at my school, either with my Chinese club or just getting things done.
Now, I am probably just sounding like one of those annoying holier than thou teachers, but wait a minute before you decide that. I am just trying to explain my indignation at that point. I only do this much work because I love my job. I am passionate about it and enjoy all the extra time I put into it. Most teachers are probably just better at working smart instead of hard.
About two minutes into my tirade (I was chewing out the radio in my car), it hit me, how often have there been other teachers at my school when I leave at 5:30 or 6:00? I received the award for being the last to leave the school last year and I don't think I stay that late.
I had to take a step back and realize that the vast majority of the teachers at my school are out by three and don't arrive back until right before school starts again. So he did have a point there, but what most people don't understand is how draining teaching can be. Most teachers leave at three because they are so exhausted from the day that they need to go home and rest.
Before I started teaching I had no idea how difficult it was to get every student on grade level. I guess through my years in school I just assumed that almost everyone was on grade level, especially when they are young, but that is far from the truth. Getting kids on grade level is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life.
There is no way to explain the concern and care a teacher has for her students. When students don't do well, it just wrenches at teachers' hearts, but when a student gets something, or you know you have made a difference in a student's life, there is absolutely nothing like that feeling! It is a high unlike anything else. That is why I teach!
What better job is there than to work to make a difference in children's lives? Isn't that the greatest thing anyone can ever do?
