People are not exactly pushing and shoving their way to the front of the line to become teachers.
Why is that?
People tell children that teachers are poor. Actually, I believe the "people" saying this most often are the teachers themselves. Maybe we just like to joke about money. It is said that the ability to laugh at ourselves is a good thing. We shouldn't take ourselves too seriously, of course. Maybe it's a modesty thing or an insecurity thing. Maybe we want to beat people to the punch. It is a well-known fact that teachers do not make a lot of money. Then, there is that romantic idea that money is not important to us...that we are above the all mighty dollar and we will not sell out.
If you ask a student what he wants to be, likely he will name some highly paid profession. No student says, "I want to be a ditch digger." And it's the minority who says, "I want to be a teacher." Students who feel they have a lot to offer, who work hard for their honored status in highschool and college want to be compensated accordingly, to be given that honored status in real life, respect and, let's be honest, Money. Teachers do not get either of these in the eyes of their professional peers.
This is the root of America's education crisis.
Obviously, until we place more value on the career of education, we will continue to have discounted results. "You get what you pay for," right? Okay, this old soap box is crumbling under my feet, so I guess we need to find a newer, stronger and higher pedestal than a soap box. If only there were room in the budget....;)
I'm sure you've heard the expression, "Those who cannot do, teach," and other variations like, "Those who can, do. Those who cannot, teach. Those who cannot teach, teach gym." Haha, right?
Why do we patronize our educators? We know that these are the people responsible in large part for the success or failure of our children. Maybe we just like to have someone else to blame for the latter. We prize education, but not educators. But wait a minute...is it really just other people patronizing us? Or are we also patronizing ourselves? We seem to be throwing ourselves under the bus too often. Maybe if we stop degrading ourselves in the minds of children and the general public, but most of all, ourselves, we would inspire more respect and compensation.
Having said all of this, I should be clear about some things. I do not feel strain on my family budet. I am eating three squares a day. So far, my husband and I support ourselves and our children without worry about the wolf at the door. He doesn't need to come huff and puff and blow our house down. We are on good terms with The Big Bad Wolf. Another very important thing: I enjoy my job for the most part. It makes me feel good to be part of so many students' educational journey.
I didn't know what I wanted to be when I was in school. I knew I did not want to be a teacher. First of all, it was because of the money. I thought I needed lots and lots of money. When you're very young, you don't really understand money or how much you will need. You just know that life on your own sounds pretty scary and you know you need a lot more money than you have...which is none.
I didn't want to be a teacher most of all because I was afraid. I was afraid of public speaking. I was afraid of being looked at. I was afraid of being judged, talked about or hated by students. I was afraid of not knowing everything. Don't teachers have to know everything?
When I was offered a graduate teaching position, I felt myself cringe. My mind took me immediately back to kindergarten when I crumbled under the pressure of all of those beady eyes as I stood at the podium in full costume with my book report. I cried for my dad and he walked to the front of the auditorium and carried me out of the public library. I thought about the offer that night and I knew I could not be that kindergartener again. I couldn't live with myself. I had to face my fear. One of my professors, Dr. Winn, said something to ease my tension: "Don't let those little bastards scare ya. You know more than they do." But another professor, Dr. Wilcox, said something to renew my fears: "You have about 15 minutes to convince them before the pack attacks." Great.
I was horrible at first. I hate thinking about those first few years of teaching.
But I got better. Now, I love those first 15 minutes. I don't see them as a pack of wolves. I see them as people who need some tools that I possess. I got whatcha need! :)
Whatever you fear might just be exactly what you need.
That's the law of unattraction.
