I just finished reading a post on Reddit where an individual had the audacity to write about how they felt teachers do not have a right to complain about their job. I decided to discuss those points here in my post.
POINT 1: SALARY
They claim that teachers conveniently leave out the fact that we have summers, weekends, and holidays off; however, they fail to realize the work that is actually put into it. I cannot think of another profession in which, as an employee, you have to invest your own money in order to be fully and properly equipped to do your job. Yes, some jobs require people to make a small investment for a uniform or something similar, but the TOOLS actually needed to do the job? I don’t think I have ever seen cashiers have to provide their own registers? Or nurses having to buy their own needles or stethoscopes? As a teacher, we EASILY pay AT LEAST $1000 out of our own money. A majority of school districts provide (if anything) a minimum amount of supplies that would not even last 1 semester. Halfway through the 1st semester, I am already buying my own boxes of paper. That’s only PAPER. I have to buy a million pencils because the students can never bring their own. There are very few school districts out there where teachers can actually have the luxury of relaxing for the summer. I admit, there are a few, but the vast majority of teachers spend more than half of their summer prepping for the next school year because demands are so high. Teachers are constantly having to meet unrealistic deadlines and expectations. The teaching life literally consumes you. Why do you think there is a teacher shortage? There is so much stress involved that most teachers quit within the first 1-3 years of teaching.
POINT 2: WORKING OUTSIDE OF CLASS
I decided not to elaborate on it too much in the last point because there is a point specifically dedicated to this. Like I said before, demands are high in the education field. If you do not work or tutor after school, weekends, and even holidays, you most likely will not meet the deadlines or make ends meet. Education has, unfortunately, transitioned to being state test driven. It’s literally ALL…ABOUT…THE TEST! Forget teaching the kids how to really understand literature…they want us to drill and kill the ways to eliminate the wrong answer choices in a test. A few weeks ago, our English teachers were called in for a meeting in which we were given 12 tasks written on the whiteboard of things that had to be completed within the next two days. It was INSANE. On top of those things, we also had grades due that same Friday. Only teachers will understand how long it takes to input grades. I am constantly getting into arguments with my husband because he says that I spend too much time working. He has actually helped me input grades because it is so much that he will do anything, so I can have some free time.
POINT 3: DISCIPLINE
They claimed that everyone has to deal with difficult people wherever they go or wherever they work. I do agree that everyone has their fair share of difficult people. Law enforcement officials can relate to being constantly disrespected, but they are disrespected mostly by adults. In other professions, I don’t think people get blamed for their behavior. Teachers are constantly confused with being babysitters or being the ones who have to teach kids how to be decent human beings…to teach kids about having morals and values. No. Our job is to teach the students a subject. The discipline should not have to be something the teacher should constantly have to struggle with. We are not their parents. Most of the times parents blame us for the way their children behave. They do not accept responsibility for their child’s actions. It’s disheartening to be disrespected on a daily basis by not only students, but by parents AND superiors as well. Teachers are treated like old carpet that can be walked all over.
I am not saying that teachers have it worse than other professions. All I am trying to say is that we do have a right to complain. No amount of money is worth being disrespected.
Although there are still so many other things to discuss, I will stop here.
Partial Rant Over.
Quite Simply Jo 