My very dear friend is a teacher, she often comes home from work tired and stressed out, she works at a school with a reputation for it's kids having a behavioral problems to say the least, and the stress of her job is starting to show with her health problems.
Yesterday I volunteered to help out in her class room, the school she teaches at goes all year around. I have never really entertained the thought of becoming a teacher and the events of this day made me absolutely certain I will never be a teacher. The kids were 2nd grade and for the most part of the day it was what I would assume to be typical behavior from this age group, there was tattling, not paying attention, and some unwillingness to participate. But there was a few instances that I found to be absolutely outrageous, a few kids were cursing, one little girl threatened another kid with bodily harm, and in a fit of rage a little boy soiled himself. At the end of the day I asked her why does she do it, why does she put up with this, she is a well qualified teacher and could get a classroom at a much nicer school, and she said "if I'm here then I know my kids are getting what they need, what if I leave and the next teacher just doesn't care"
She is a great teacher and loves her students very much, she said it's rewarding to see the kids grow and accomplish things especially since her kids start off with so many obstacles. I really admire her strength to overlook her day to day mistreatment & focus on the needs of these children. In the state we live in there are massive budget cuts coming our way, so on top of everything else her class size will now increase from 19 to 32 and she will have to take a pay cut since she is currently paid at a higher rate because she has her Masters Degree, but she says nothing could keep her from teaching.
It is teachers like these that change kids lives, and I hope one day these kids realize just how lucky they were to have a teacher like her, one who cared.
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Comments: 9
Your friend sounds like a good teacher and a great perosn,n ot wanting to abandon her kids to the unknown of what the next teacher might be.
she sounds like a great teacher
caring teachers are a blessing in life. My children had some exceptional teachers that I even missed when they moved on to the next grade.
I sub'd this year for an unruly second grade classroom and had to take some advil when the day was done. :)
she's really a great teacher... i hope there are many of her doing the job for the kids an dnot just for the salary.
God Bless Teachers - they never make enough money and in reply to Jayrene - anyone in California or anywhere else who becomes a teacher does it because they are dedicated to a life of service and education to children...you can't pay someone enough to do what teachers do...parents should take a more active roll in teaching children before they even enter school - I was in the school system for many years - mostly high school but taught at all ages substituting...I had good command of the class because I made it clear that I wouldn't tolerate noise of any kind...Salud
Blessings to the good teachers, and to you for honoring this one, Elle.
Your friend sounds like a very caring person and a dedicated teacher. I have a degree in education but never taught. I found out when I interned I did not have the personality to keep control of a room of teenagers just a few years younger than I. In 1968 we had knife and chain fights in the parking lot, drug checks of lockers, everyone had to escorted to the restrooms otherwise they were terrorized, beaten and robbed. This was at a middle school of 7th and 8th graders. A high school teacher, a friend of ours, was thrown out a second story window twice by his students. I just was unable to handle it.
I have had a handful of "great" teachers in my time. At my 40th high school reunion, I searched several out and thanked them.
thanks for posting to 9911