On Being a Teacher...and Gratitude for Those Who Do It.

Although I’m no longer a public school teacher, in many ways, I still think like one, and in my heart, I still feel like one. All of the negative attention given lately to teachers hits home for me, so I want to take a little bit of time to explain what it’s like to be a teacher and to do the job day in and day out. These are some of the experiences I encountered and some of the thoughts I had when I taught public schools.

First of all, teaching is without a doubt one of the greatest careers in the world. I'm sure you've heard that before.

However, it's only great if you like kids, and even then, only if you have infinite positivity and patience. Sometimes kids can drive you nuts and make you wonder, "Was I ever like that??? No. Nooo way."

But then you probably were like that too...in some ways. Like when you skipped school once, or twice, or more. Or ran away from home once, or twice, or more.

And in other ways, you were very different.

You didn't have to deal with the heat being turned off in the middle of winter because your parents couldn't pay the bills, and you were so cold and near freezing in your bed that you didn’t get any sleep. That's why you couldn't concentrate on the state test and failed it the next day in school.

You never felt like you had to bring a knife to school because some kid kept bullying you.

And when you were little, your mom or dad never:  died, divorced, brought in a friend who raped you, spent time in prison, killed your other parent in front of you, gave you up or left you forever at someone's house. You never went through any of those things that some of your students have. Many of your students have.

And then you realize just how much past experiences affect a person and why he or she behaves that way. It makes sense.

Sometimes parents think you should parent their kids for them.

Sometimes you call 20 parents and only get 3 calls back. And when you try calling again, they finally pick up but they're drunk as hell.

Sometimes after you call and talk to them, you find out the next day that they beat their kid up because you called about a tardiness problem.

Sometimes principals forget what it's really like to be in the classroom everyday. With the kids everyday.

They forget the hard work and time involved in teaching. They expect you to take on more duties and responsibilities. Or they give you the crappiest teaching schedule ever. Or say and do things that imply you're not a professional.

Sometimes it's other teachers whose negativity starts to rub off on you. Whining and complaining really drains your energy and your outlook on things.

Sometimes people who don't know anything about teaching think that it's the easiest job.

And that you're overpaid.

Sometimes they think they own you because your salary is paid for with their tax money. They think they have a right to tell you what to do in the classroom and how to do it, even though you’re the one with the multiple education degrees and years of teaching experience.

Even lawmakers think they know more about education than you do.

But none of those people know what it’s like to stand up in front of a class of 30 kids and have to tell them that one of their peers committed suicide last night.

None of those people who criticize you know what it’s like to put on a strong face and comfort those crying kids, when inside all you want to do is to burst into tears yourself. When inside, you’re consumed with questions of what else you could have done to save that kid.

Other times, it’s cancer or a car accident that has taken the life of a student and you have to break the news to the class.

Or you have to explain about the planes hitting the World Trade Center and you have to calm your students’ fears. Or tell them who Osama Bin Laden is. And what about that Saddam Hussein guy?

You calmly answer their questions. And then ever so gracefully, you transition to the lesson you had planned for the day. You try to get the students’ minds away from the worries of the world.

A part of you just really wishes you could shield them from the world’s evils altogether.

Sometimes people are insanely jealous over the notion that you get summers off.

But they don't realize that most teachers are either: (a) working a summer job to make ends meet, and yes, some of that money will go towards buying classroom supplies, (b) taking graduate classes at their own expense to improve their knowledge and teaching skills and to keep their teaching license, (c) attending workshops/meetings for new curriculums and programs, (d) preparing for the next school year, (e) working with others to analyze data and figure out how to best help all kids, or (f) all of the above and more.

But all in all, teaching is truly one of the greatest jobs in the world. And I really do mean that, despite all the stuff mentioned above.

Especially when that one kid finally got the answer right, but most importantly she can explain why or how it’s the right answer. And another one told you that you're his favorite teacher, and he wasn't just sucking up to you. That other kid from 6 years back who's no longer a kid still emails you once in awhile. And then sometimes you get a hug or a nice letter from a student. Or you get nominated for a teaching award.

Sometimes, the best feeling is to just know your students get to walk off that stage with a diploma in their hands, even if they forget to thank you for helping them.

Yes, it's fair to say I had a sort of love/hate relationship with my job when I was teaching public schools. A few times, I was on the brink of teacher burnout.

But no matter what, I always felt I was blessedly stuck, if that makes any sense.

Because no matter what, I knew with a clear certainty that there was no other job in the world more worthy. And that was something I always had at the end of the day. Most other people in my life could not say the same about their jobs.

I miss being back in the high school classroom. I teach in the private sector now for online colleges, which is more convenient and easier on my family.

I also now work half the hours that I used to as a public school teacher, and I still make the same amount of pay. That tells you just how underpaid public school teachers really are for the amount of work they do.

I would like teachers to know this: In the face of all the recent negativity towards teachers, hold your head up high. You impact the future generations, and therefore you are at the core of how we are going to change this world around.

I am amazed everyday at what you continue to do. Thank you.