My mom ran into my high school English teacher a couple summers ago and told him I was studying to be a teacher. He said, "tell her to get out while she can, she will hate it." He was one of the best teachers I ever had and ignited my love of classic literature. I was taken aback to say the least. What could possibly be so awful about helping young people reach their fullest potential? What kind of sociopath would hate that?
Four years later, I'm starting to understand. When a surgeon walks into the ER, everyone trusts that he knows what he is doing, that he knows what he is talking about, and that he will take care of you. He has studied, he has trained, he has practiced, he has this job for a reason. It would make sense for any occupation that requires a years of study, training, and practice would come with some element of trust. Wrong. Now, I know I am not considered a veteran teacher, I realize I have much to learn and I will never stop growing in this field. However, in my two years of teaching, I have seen teachers mistreated, mistrusted, and walked all over by parents and by administration. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a victim.
The one thing I always come back to is trust. Why don't you trust that we know what we're doing and just let us do it? It's like we are constantly met with the assumption that every teacher wants to take the easy way out, that we don't put in countless hours on the weekends and after school. It's sad really, to go through life just expecting the worst in people and only seeing their flaws, especially the people who are supposed to be your teammates. Now I'm starting to get it..."tell her to get out while she can." Everything comes from the top down in public schools. Whether it's a politician or a principal. Teachers do not make the decisions. BUT we are the ones held responsible if the decisions don't work or have flaws, or don't magically fix the United States' failing education system. I digress.
My point is, we worked hard, unbelievably hard to become teachers. We did not choose this career because of the money or the benefits. Trust that we know what we're doing. I am not by any means claiming that some degree of accountability is not necessary to ensure that schools are employing highly qualified teachers. There's always the reality of a few bad apples, but I have met hundreds of teachers and can only remember one bad apple. one.
I know I'm young, I know I have a lot to learn, I know that my experience will continue to change. I know that my words are not perfect. I do know that new teachers are leaving the field at an alarming rate. I know that because of this, schools are hiring anyone they can get despite their qualifications. I know that this leads to suspicion and mistrust. All of these things create a downward spiral that really makes you wonder why these issues aren't being addressed, it's always the teacher's fault. I don't have all the answers, I don't think anyone does, but I know that trust in our teachers might go a long way in remedying our broken system.
Four years later, I'm starting to understand. When a surgeon walks into the ER, everyone trusts that he knows what he is doing, that he knows what he is talking about, and that he will take care of you. He has studied, he has trained, he has practiced, he has this job for a reason. It would make sense for any occupation that requires a years of study, training, and practice would come with some element of trust. Wrong. Now, I know I am not considered a veteran teacher, I realize I have much to learn and I will never stop growing in this field. However, in my two years of teaching, I have seen teachers mistreated, mistrusted, and walked all over by parents and by administration. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a victim.
The one thing I always come back to is trust. Why don't you trust that we know what we're doing and just let us do it? It's like we are constantly met with the assumption that every teacher wants to take the easy way out, that we don't put in countless hours on the weekends and after school. It's sad really, to go through life just expecting the worst in people and only seeing their flaws, especially the people who are supposed to be your teammates. Now I'm starting to get it..."tell her to get out while she can." Everything comes from the top down in public schools. Whether it's a politician or a principal. Teachers do not make the decisions. BUT we are the ones held responsible if the decisions don't work or have flaws, or don't magically fix the United States' failing education system. I digress.
My point is, we worked hard, unbelievably hard to become teachers. We did not choose this career because of the money or the benefits. Trust that we know what we're doing. I am not by any means claiming that some degree of accountability is not necessary to ensure that schools are employing highly qualified teachers. There's always the reality of a few bad apples, but I have met hundreds of teachers and can only remember one bad apple. one.
I know I'm young, I know I have a lot to learn, I know that my experience will continue to change. I know that my words are not perfect. I do know that new teachers are leaving the field at an alarming rate. I know that because of this, schools are hiring anyone they can get despite their qualifications. I know that this leads to suspicion and mistrust. All of these things create a downward spiral that really makes you wonder why these issues aren't being addressed, it's always the teacher's fault. I don't have all the answers, I don't think anyone does, but I know that trust in our teachers might go a long way in remedying our broken system.
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