You know what I hate about teaching?
When people say things like:
A. "Oh, that must be so nice to have the summers off."
B. "You never have to work on weekends!"
C. "You still get spring break and every holiday off...that's why you must love teaching."
To all of those people, I would like to say: Shut it.
We don't work from 8-3, 5 days a week, and then call it a night. We don't just show up, give the kids a book, babysit all day, and then leave with no responsibilities. This is a job that is never finished. It can consume every moment of your day and night if you let it.
On average, I work at least a 70 hour work week. At school no later than 7am, and during my first three years never leaving before 5:30....and then I'd go home and work until 10:30 at night, eating some crappy microwave meal by my computer.
Endless meetings.
Professional development.
Tutoring. Grading papers. Calling parents.
Aligning and organizing curriculum for ENDLESS HOURS.
Creating a website.
Keeping up with the news to integrate current events into the curriculum.
Reading books and articles so I can keep current with science and technology.
Entering grades.
Coming up with positive classroom incentives.
Decorating the classroom and updating student work on bulletin boards.
Writing pages and pages of lesson plans that include every major question I plan on asking, and everything broken down into sub-objectives.
Creating quizzes & PowerPoints.
Re-writing articles so the kids can read them at their level, writing stories, poems and plays.
Going to the store to get materials for labs.
Scouring the internet for good videos, animations, articles, labs and activities.
Collaborating with other teachers.
Running clubs, food & school supply donations.
Supporting student events like basketball games.
Planning a school-wide science fair, and a district wide science day.
This profession has an astoundingly high rate of burn out and you think we just take it EASY? If we don't have those breaks, we would crash and burn. We would be useless.
I know a lot of teachers who not only teach, but also have a second job. I know teachers that teach during the year, and then get a summer job.
What will I be doing with my summer?
1. Working on a Master's degree in curriculum & instruction
2. Working on next year's science curriculum and learning new science
3. Working with teachers to form a new discipline plan for the middle school
4. Mentoring and welcoming new teachers
5. Working on online professional development through NSTA.
I am not sitting on my butt for three months, lounging in the sun and doing nothing.
And I deeply, deeply resent anyone who thinks what I do is easy.
You know what, there are perks. We have decent health care. If you stay long enough, you get a good pension. If you do it right, you get a lot of love, admiration and respect. And on the surface, yes, it looks like we have a lot of time off. But what it really amounts to is just enough time to repair our own sanity so we can continue going at breakneck speeds.
For what amounts to about $25,000 a year after taxes.
You think you can do what I do? While having no breaks? I would love to see you try.
