Mamas, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Teachers
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| "So, after 20 years of being a teacher, all I can say is: Help. Write to your legislator about providing funds to lower class sizes. Give us more paid time to plan." |
On Friday morning at 4:30 a.m., I heard the beeps of all my electricity going off. I realized that the ice storm had caused a power outage and that I faced a day with no heat or light. I smiled because I knew that I didn’t have to teach and contentedly rolled over to go back to sleep.
Later, as I cooked on the gas grill, I realized that I must have been experiencing some serious stress — I was very happy to be stranded in my house with my family. It occurred to me that the teaching profession has gone out of control with its demands and that I would never let any of my children entertain the idea of going into the profession.
That said, I have to stress the fact that I work in a supportive workplace, and I adore my students. In my most recent evaluation, I smiled at my boss and told her, “God has been good to me!” And I sincerely mean it.
But in the teaching profession, the pressure of No Child Left Behind has left its mark. The onus of student success has fallen on the teacher, and the student’s own motivation is our responsibility also. Cultural differences, economic differences and parental style differences are the teacher’s responsibility to fix. Too many low scores on the dreaded STAAR test can spell the end of your career — an end to your livelihood. An end to being able to support a family.
Instead of the usual chatter during teacher training, there is now only the silence of shell-shocked