This was a FB post and I had to share it.
After being attacked online by some troll who thinks I only work 8-3, and always have 3 paid months off, and who thinks I request school supplies for myself and not for my students, I had to write this rant. I'm getting so sick and tired of how teachers are viewed and treated.
Teachers in all fifty states should stop using their own money in their classrooms. Just stop.
If the children don't have supplies, go hungry, if the room and supplies get broken down and dirty, whatever, let it happen. Then people can truly understand how much work and money teachers put in behind the scenes. If you paid for any of those decorations, books, science lab supplies, furniture, lamps, pillows, remove them from the classroom; let parents see how bare bones a classroom is without a teacher's input.
Also, teachers should only work their contracted hours. Mine is 7 am – 2:30 pm. Imagine if I didn't contact parents, didn't grade, didn't lesson plan, didn't sponsor clubs, didn't volunteer to chaperone after 2:30 pm. Imagine if all the teachers stopped doing all of that. Sorry, I didn't call that parent about their child's grade because it was 2:31. Sorry, I can't sell concessions at the Friday football game; ask for parent volunteers. Sorry, I can't sponsor Future Business Leaders of America because it's an after-school club. Sorry, I didn't get that assignment graded yet; I used to grade from 3-4 or 5 pm nearly every day, but I stopped doing that.
Again, unless we stop making these personal sacrifices, then people will keep expecting us to bend over backwards and take it. And they will never understand all the time, effort, money, and work that we truly put in unless we force them to see it.
What if we just stopped?We are a profession that is taken for granted.
That "teacher as martyr or Superhero" syndrome has allowed us to be taken advantage of.
That "it's for the kids" line gives people the right to pay us very little, but expect so much.
They uses phrases like, "All in" to make you believe that if you don't participate in everything outside of your school day, even though if you have your own life, that there is something wrong with YOU.
At the same time they are spouting "self-care", they are putting 28+ students in our classrooms.
The list is endless.
What if teachers just stopped?
Think about it.
I am not a teacher. I respect and appreciate all that teachers do and will challenge anyone that doesn't, but you are right, a teachers worth is not recognized and more support has to be given by parents and schools. Please don't give up, teachers are necessary!
ReplyDeleteWow...I'm ahead of the curve. I stopped furnishing school supplies for my students several years ago. I rarely stay longer than I'm required at the end of school. Yes you are correct. As long as we keep working around the problems for them, then they will never solve them.
ReplyDeleteI once had 53 students enrolled in a room that had 35 desk. One Assistant Principal decided adding more desk and creating a fire hazard would solve the problem. I removed the extra desk, kids sat on the floor, parents complained, then they made a decision to reduce the size of the class. If I had let them add desks, then the class size would have remained at 53.