It’s hard to believe that in a month
I won’t be a teacher anymore. I woke up sad and angry about that,
sad because this is it for me, and angry because of societies
judgment on teachers. My husband woke up this morning and decided he
was going to take a vacation day today. He said not a lot was going
on at work and he has over 250 hours of vacation. It’s the end of
April, and he has close to a month of vacation. I was jealous, and he
joked around with me and said that I have all summer off. I didn’t
think that was funny because it’s been a sore spot for me. Many
community members have responded to teachers in that same way, and
they complain that we are overpaid. I always want to respond to these
people, but being that I’m a teacher in the community I can’t do
that. So instead I will respond here.
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| I applied for many grants to help fund our projects. In 2014 we were awarded over $10,000 in grants. |
Personally I get less than a
month off because I have an extended contract, which takes place
during the summer. The greenhouse doesn’t stop; the field doesn’t
stop; and FFA events don’t stop. The community expects me to do
these things. The last two years I have logged more hours than I’m
getting paid for, so my little month off is whittled away. Other
teachers that don’t have extended contracts are here early and
leave late, or they will take their papers home with them. Many
teachers carry backpacks for their own homework. Planning a thorough
lesson, grading papers, and responding to administration demands
takes a lot of time. They put in more hours during the school year
that when averaged out year round would take away at least half of
their summer. The school day doesn’t end when we leave the
building. I have had students email me at 9pm asking about an
assignment due the next day. I have had parents call me after 9pm to
ask about how their daughter is doing in class. You never stop being
a teacher. As for holidays off, I would ask people in the community
if they have those days off as well. My parents have worked blue
collar jobs all my life and they get paid holidays off. My husband
gets his holidays off and then some. It really sticks in my craw when
people say that we are overpaid. Since I log my hours it’s easy for
me to divide out what I’m getting paid an hour, which is less than
minimum wage. Teachers don’t log their hours, I do because the
district makes me.
Why would parents complain about what a teacher
makes when they are instructed to help raise their son or daughter? Teachers spend more time with societies teenagers than anyone else. It’s
more than 8 hours that students spend at school. I instruct students
on more socials cues than I spend on Agriculture some days. I have to
tell them to take their hats off; not just because it’s a school
rule, but because it’s a sign of respect when you enter a building.
It’s a requirement when you enter a public building. I have to pull
students aside after class and tell them that they can’t yawn
loudly in my class again. Most have the blank look on their face,
like what did I do. It’s rude. The most common things I say are
don’t talk when someone else is talking, don’t be inappropriate,
don’t be rude, and don’t swear. I try to get through to students
that you wouldn't be allowed to do this on a job site. Even
construction workers and welders have rules similar to this. Society
wants to pay teachers less, and give them smaller budgets to teach
with when we are the ones building society. We are the ones expected
to help raise their children.
I know I made the right choice because
I was a teacher by choice, not by chance; now I will be a mother by
choice, not by chance.
Excellent!
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