Thoughts on Teaching

Teaching these days is tough. Anyone who isn't a teacher could probably infer that, and anyone who is or used to be a teacher can attest to that.

Between lesson planning, keeping up with grading, contacting parents as necessary, doing all the other administrative tasks that aren't even related to teaching, being a chaperone/sponsor/coach for some organization or event, dealing with administrators who are constantly on their cases for not adequately preparing students for the latest and "greatest" standardized test that's supposed to determine how well the school is doing, dealing with other teachers who seem to have it all together and who constantly critique and belittle the way you choose to present specific concepts (as if anyone has all the answers and one empirical way to teach anything to everyone successfully...a rant for another time), using outdated books and materials that in no way reflect the current standards that you're supposed to be teaching, having to spend extra time learning how to utilize classroom technology that is either outdated, unreliable, or both that you're expected to use or else they'll take away those resources and never replace them...

And then there's the students...dealing with students who don't care, who care but have learning differences that affect how they process information, who don't have adequate parental support, who are constantly trying to meet their parents' unrealistic expectations, who would rather spend their time on Instagram or Snapchat instead of paying attention in class, who are bullied and marginalized because they don't meet their peers' standards of acceptance, who are the bullies that really just want to be loved and accepted themselves, who have no food or resources at home, who have everything they could ever want except a good family life (because mom and dad are too busy jetting off to a beach to care about who their kid is hanging out with on the weekends), who are struggling with some form of mental illness, who are abusing drugs and alcohol because they want an escape from their reality, who are more preoccupied with dating and sex because they're bundles of hormones, who are in abusive relationships that they don't want to leave because they want the validation of having a boyfriend or girlfriend, who are subjected to awful circumstances beyond their control, who just want some form of stability and love.

I say all of these things because I've seen these situations, and I've seen these students, plus more that I can't even bring myself to write about, all in my short tenure as a teacher. It's tough to see everything you see and deal with everything you deal with and keep your sanity.

Especially now that I'm teaching in a private school (and have received a ton of perks), I have no idea how public school teachers can do what they do and make a lifetime career of it. While I don't know the answer to that, I do know why they do it.

The first reason they do it is that someone has to. They are doing a job that almost NO ONE wants to do. Haven't you heard the old adage about those who can and can't? No one wants to deal with the headache (or low pay), so less people tend to pursue a college degree in teaching. Which brings us to people who for one reason or another, decide to become alternatively certified to teach. While this helps to fill a void and to give people who are well-suited to teach who don't want the cost/stress of pursuing another degree a means of easily doing so, sometimes, there are people who don't want to do anything else, who decide that they'll just teach. It doesn't always lead to the best of outcomes, because these folks miss out on a lot of programs in education degrees that lead to more success in the classroom (specifically student teaching), but I digress and am willing to concede that many good teachers have come from alternative certification programs. Nonetheless, they are still willing to show up and do the job placed before them, which speaks volumes of their character.

The main reason these teachers do it is because they want to. They want to dedicate their lives to ensuring that future generations possess the knowledge they need to go out into the world and be a well-rounded individual who can make a difference. They want to help students understand the history and foundations of our country and world, how to read and write, how to perform various mathematical operations, how to explore the inner workings of the world through scientific investigation, how to learn new languages, how to engage and unleash students' creativity through art, music, or theater, how to care for animals and the land (looking at you, ag teachers), how to care for a home and become a leader in their community (looking at you, FACS teachers), how to utilize aspects of technology, how to channel their own strength and that of their teammates in team sports, and so many other things. We want to make sure that our students are good people who can do good things well after they leave our classrooms. We show up early and stay late just to help kids gain a better understanding. We spend our extra time (and money) to bring in resources for kids to have an enriched learning experience, because we don't want them to be mediocre, we want them to be excellent! We want these kids to have at least one person in their life who genuinely cares and wants them to succeed, which might mean spending our nights and weekends going to their games, plays, and/or concerts so they have at least one person in the stands cheering for them.

However, teachers and students are under a constant assault, literally and figuratively. On one hand, there are students or maniacs who come to school wielding weapons with the sole purpose of harming innocent lives. There is no way to rationalize their actions. While we can offer prayers for healing for everyone affected, we know that that's not enough. We know that there's something that needs to be done. We know that this isn't normal or okay by any stretch of the imagination. We sometimes live in fear of what could happen, but we try to stay positive so that the kids under our guidance will also.

In a similar vein, we are under assault from our legislators who cannot seem to pass much, if any, legislation that is of any help, especially in the state of Oklahoma. These teachers are some of the lowest paid in the nation, not having seen a raise in upwards of a decade. While their pay scale is an issue, so is the fact that the state's per-student funding is also some of the lowest in the nation. They want to produce students who are competitive with those from other states, but when they can't keep good teachers and they can't fund the classrooms like they once did, how can these teachers realistically do that?

It's a lot of food for thought. I'm frustrated for my former colleagues and all of my friends and family in Oklahoma's educational system. I'm sad that the only way that they might be able to get anything done is to leave the classroom and strike. I realize that striking might hurt the kids, but so does the lack of funding and resources. I have no idea what the solution is, but I can offer my solidarity and vouch for these teachers in their frustrations. Teachers are some of the biggest optimists, being that they always try to see the best in the young faces in their classroom, and I am hoping that these amazing men and women can do what they need to to ensure the future success of their students. 

To my teacher friends: I support you wholeheartedly.
To my students: I want nothing more than to see you be successful. 
To the citizens of Oklahoma: know that you have the power as we approach mid-term elections to elect legislators who have the best interest of your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, etc. at heart.

Keep fighting the good fight, and teach on.