Trigger warning: Hot button topic ahead. I’m looking for insights and solutions, not complaints. Goodness knows our world has plenty of criticisms right now, so let’s focus on insights and solutions here! 🤍
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I have worked in education for over 20 years. Clarification— I have OVERWORKED myself in education for 20 years. For the first decade, I really thought that’s what I needed to do. I thought that’s what my students needed me to do. Then after years of hard work, constant self-evaluation, additional degrees, and endless professional development goals… my family experienced several traumatic situations, and I realized I couldn’t actually do it all. I couldn’t be there for my students 60 hours a week while caring for my family 60 hours a week too. (And I certainly hadn’t even considered if I should be taking care of myself at any point.)
When I began mentoring incoming teachers at the university, I made it a priority to teach my candidates that they should start figuring out personal BALANCE and BOUNDARIES early in their career. Why didn’t we talk about realistic expectations and mental health when I was in P-12 school, or college, or a starting teacher?? My guess is that we assume teachers will just be happy people who are up to the challenge of working hard and helping others. After all, that’s how we usually act when we’re with our students… and with their parents…and in staff meetings…and around town where people might see us…or online because people don’t want to hear teachers complain…
That’s a lot of pressure to put on a teacher. On a person.
Once in a while I’ve tried, or seen others try, to explain why teachers deserve better, or why they deserve a break, and it’s disheartening how often people hold to their extremely high expectations. I hope a at least a few non-teachers will read this and begin to see that this is TOO MUCH pressure to put on a person.
Especially when our teachers already have the daily pressure of helping students through their ongoing struggles—academic or otherwise.
Especially now that we are almost two years into a pandemic where practically all people have been worn down, stressed out, and pitted against each other.
And even in this terrible time, we still put this pressure on our teachers: Teachers should still be happy, helpful people who “do it for the kids” 24/7 and 365. Any problem that faces society—It should have been taught by the teachers. Any district policy that creates political conflict—Blame it on the teachers who should handle it “correctly.” Any student (or dozen) who needs special services not offered in their school/district—The teacher needs to take them on. Any staffing shortages—Remind the teachers that they owe it to our kids to stay at their job and do what they signed on for.
And still, I’d wager that MOST teachers regularly “do it for the kids” in ways that most non-teachers will never get to see. They go above and beyond in how much time and heart they give for this job. They sacrifice their own personal health, family relationships, and financial status all because that’s what people have come to assume is normal for teachers. And if you want to be a teacher then that’s just the life you have to accept.
Those expectations aren’t normal in other fields. And quite frankly, they’re insulting when you consider the level of expertise most teachers bring to the table, and the fact that we are trusting them with our children’s future… but we’re not trusting them to teach how non-teachers think they should, to work without being micromanaged, or to be rewarded with a paycheck commensurate to their expertise and impact.
Teachers are QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS and they deserve to be treated as they would be in any other field of business. True, you might find some teachers who do not treat their work with professionalism, and I have no problem with administration handling those situations appropriately, but after 20 years in this field, I’m tired of seeing the MAJORITY of our amazing educators treated without the appreciation they have earned. I’m tired of feeling like we don’t count as “real” professionals who deserve respect, a voice, or competitive salaries.
So on behalf of these extremely hard working PROFESSIONALS, I’d like to make two important proposals:
1) We deserve to start viewing OURSELVES as qualified professionals who will speak up when we are disrespected or taken advantage of.
2) We need our COMMUNITY—parents, administrators, politicians— to sincerely reflect on what they expect from their teachers and how quickly they criticize their teachers, and to adjust accordingly.
And so, I’m asking for insights and suggestions on HOW we can begin working toward these cultural shifts in education. Choose the topic that matters most to you and give me your ideas! Hiring, promoting, financials, raises, revised job descriptions, more administrative support, improved parent expectations, self-advocacy training, discussions about life boundaries? What’s one thing you think would contribute to more professional treatment of our educators?
P.S. If you read previous posts on my experiences in education, you’ll see that my passions and perspectives are not *caused* by Covid-related changes, but they certainly are intensified by recent events. This image illustrates the weight of my current concerns. Please be kind to your teachers. They are carrying even more than ever before.
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