Teacher, Teacher--for Jennifer Lee

Teacher Teacher

“Teacher, teacher,” her students beseech her,

Teach us everything we need to know.

Help us learn and help us grow

Into the people we want to be,

Into the successes our parents see

Give us fun, but make us behave;

Give us the character that will save

Us from a dangerous world

And from ourselves.

Brand new teacher, a pitiful creature.

Give her the biggest and worst of the classes

As a test of her strength and see if she passes.

We’ll see if this lamb has what it takes

To handle the strain each time that she wakes

With anxiety attacks in the middle of the night

Fearing her lessons won’t be exactly right.

Should she teach her children to think for themselves,

Or only to think what they’re taught.

Frontline teacher, lets all outreach her

And tell her what to teach and how to do it,

But don’t give her materials for her to pursue it.

She’ll make due or make them herself,

Or find them online or an education store shelf.

But she’ll use them discretely, she’s gotten much wiser;

And keep them from the view of the curriculum advisor.

Sent by the district, state, and nation to make sure all applies

To the standardized test.

Experienced teacher, watch some parent impeach her.

Their rude, disruptive kids are never wrong;

If the teacher can’t control, she doesn’t belong.

Go to the school board and ask for her head;

Your social connections are something to dread.

Short of that, the kids will conspire to get her

After all, they’re yours and don’t know any better.

Those truly smart kids could be getting all A’s,

But their parents are too busy to help.

Inexhaustible teacher, it’s her number one feature.

She gives of her time and herself to her students;

With her energy she’s the soul of imprudence.

Sponsor a club, maybe some coaching,

Is it any wonder her spouse is reproaching

Her for working too hard, but how can she stop

When she must be prepared to be on top

Of every situation and play every role

From psychologist to cop?

But our conscientious teacher will say to each her

Own, and if she can survive the first five years

Despite the low pay, the hard work, and the tears,

Despite that parents and kids can be cruel

And PTA meetings at night at the school,

She’ll know that her students will always remember

And send her Hallmark cards in December

To say in their lives she made all the difference

And now in their lives she is held in great reverence.

Chris Brockman