I think I'm entitled to post this. I'm nearly halfway done with the Dump Files and needed a break.
I'm going to get on my high horse AND toot my own horn on this one. Seriously. I am sick and tired of being looked down upon for wanting to become a teacher. Just because I'm not going to make my money by acquiring titles, screwing people over and climbing the corporate ladder does not make me worthless. Here's a sampling of the responses I get when I tell people I want to teach second grade:
1. "Oh..."
2. "Why?"
3. "You're not going to make any money."
Thanks for the support. I'll make sure your kid gets extra gold stars.
Recently, my dad was having a conversation with a coworker about college. It was revealed that I was going to Albion to become a teacher. His response? "Why would you spend 35 grand a year for your kid just to become a teacher?" Oh, excuse me. My bad. I forgot that teaching is the most deplorable career on the planet. I mean, it's not like I'll be directly influencing every facet of society or anything.
Good Lord. Why WOULDN'T you spend 35 grand a year to educate a future teacher? Did you go to school? Do you know what teachers do? We're in charge of inspiring and raising your children while you work 60 hours a week as a prosthodontist or a CEO or a marketing manager or a look-at-me-I-sit-at-a-desk-and-make-six-figures-er. We are responsible for cultivating the next crop of HUMAN BEINGS that will someday run the world and decide what nursing home your rich ass sits in when you're 90.
I will graduate in a year in a half. I will not be going to grad school. I will probably not write a thesis, I will not get an impressive, powerful internship, and I will never be Dr. Lawrence. I will live off cereal and wear tacky teacher sweaters and will probably come home covered in glitter glue every night. I will spend my life getting ripped into by parents who think they know everything while working for an underfunded state system getting paid two cents an hour. But I'm smart and I know what's important, so please do not treat me like a waste of space.
THANKS!
I am become Death
13 years ago
8 comments:
Wow, good for you MLA. Feels good to be red every once in a while doesn't it? I don't look down upon you, I look up to you, I've wanted to be a teacher but I'm afraid to mess up a kid's life. So I applaud you.
P.S. I won't slap you for this post. haha
Well you definitely can't be accused of going into it blind.
And you clearly are doing it for the right reasons.
And you're exactly the type of teacher needed in schools.
And you should aim to get a job close to where I live so Little Langdon can have you as a teacher.
People react that way because of teachers they've had in the past. For so many people, teaching was a "fall-back" and when you grow up with that...you tend to look at the profession through that type of eyeglass or whatever the phrase is.
Anyway. Don't fret. People are stupid. That's why they need good teachers to edumacate them.
OT but....I can't wait for Little Langdons.
Honestly, I wish there were more teachers like you. After dealing with Zachary's teacher just for this first marking period, I'm already wishing there was new blood at our school. AND someone who actually cared for my son.
I would love to get my teaching certificate too. To teach high school biology. And I always hear that same thing. Why?
But the long and the short of it is, people are ignorant and money-hungry. Wait until you have children, I swear the ignorant comments become ten-fold.
Thanks for doing what you're doing. You will make a difference.
Great post. I agree with your reaction to the responses you get. Is it that people don't understand people are different and have different dreams? I get the same reaction when I tell them i'm going to school to be an accountant. "oh my god, why would you put yourself through that."
Teachers are extremely influential and can cause a great deal of change within our society as long as they truly have a passion for it, as you do.
In reality people should be happy that you are becoming a teacher. Like you said -Thanks for the support. I'll make sure your kid gets extra gold stars.- Economists look at how every little decision impacts the world but they don't really understand the impact that teachers have. They wouldn't be economists if they didn't have people teach them.
I'm proud of you Em and I can't wait to see the impact that you have on the children.
P.S. little Langdons, like Lisa said, would be very exciting
I can't wait to meet the Little Langdons. I think they'd be pretty neat little buggers
hopefully atleast one of them get the McBest genes in the family! haha
Everyone remembers their favorite teacher...
Everyone.
Point made. We all went to some kind of school at some point. schools need teachers, therefore, teaching is the most important job out there.
Or something along those lines. :)
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