I was recently sharing war stories with a teacher from the east coast. She teaches at a private school in a wealthy suburban community. Her students come from the top 1% of wealthiest families in the country. Immediately upon learning this I dismissed her challenges. They can’t compare to the struggles we go through day-to-day. At the end of the day her kids have money, they can pay their way through the system built to support those already more fortunate. Yet something in her eyes reveled her true struggles and frustration. A look I am all too familiar with seeing in the eyes of the teachers in my school. A cold, frustrated look, on the verge of hopelessness. So I listened to her story, partly because I was too tired to talk, but I also wanted to learn. Her kids, just like ours struggle with neglect. Parents gone for months, only to show up at parent teacher conferences wondering which teacher they need to harass or pay off. Teenagers that think they are too entitled to work in class or pay attention, but expect to be passed. Then drugs, lots of them, anorexia and depression as well, all that go on ignored by their families and encouraged by their friends.
Her challenges sounded similar to mine. They may not have a district 10% rule, but when the parent bought a new wing for the school, you better expect the teacher is pressured to pass the child. And yes, the students may not being paying attention because they have options, but teaching a class full of unruly teenagers that don’t care what you say is frustrating in any settings. The worst, no matter where it is, is seeing the children we care about, invest our energy in, and work so hard to teach, go home to angry, broken, or empty homes. Obviously I am generalizing about our experiences. We both have families and students that care and are dedicated to their learning, but unfortunately they are not the norm in either of our cases. The difference though, is that no matter how damaged her students may be, they will go on to college and then become doctors, lawyers, or business owners. My students have to fight, and fight, and fight to make it there.
No matter where you are though, in the east coast, in the south, or anywhere else, teachers are more than just educators. We are mentors, we are parents some days, and we are sideline supporters other days. Many students need more than what they get at home and it is up to us to provide them that. There is no perfect school to be at. There is no perfect student to have. We have to work with what we get, we have to be patient to make change, but really we can’t give up. Just as I saw this fellow teacher’s cold, hopeless eyes, our kids see it to. Waiting to prey on their next victim, waiting to push us to our limit, when all they really want is someone who listens and someone who expects more from them. Every teacher, in every school, in every city has challenges. Complaining about it will not solve it, doing something can. So yes we teach in very different settings but our jobs will always be the same, support students learning.
Her challenges sounded similar to mine. They may not have a district 10% rule, but when the parent bought a new wing for the school, you better expect the teacher is pressured to pass the child. And yes, the students may not being paying attention because they have options, but teaching a class full of unruly teenagers that don’t care what you say is frustrating in any settings. The worst, no matter where it is, is seeing the children we care about, invest our energy in, and work so hard to teach, go home to angry, broken, or empty homes. Obviously I am generalizing about our experiences. We both have families and students that care and are dedicated to their learning, but unfortunately they are not the norm in either of our cases. The difference though, is that no matter how damaged her students may be, they will go on to college and then become doctors, lawyers, or business owners. My students have to fight, and fight, and fight to make it there.
No matter where you are though, in the east coast, in the south, or anywhere else, teachers are more than just educators. We are mentors, we are parents some days, and we are sideline supporters other days. Many students need more than what they get at home and it is up to us to provide them that. There is no perfect school to be at. There is no perfect student to have. We have to work with what we get, we have to be patient to make change, but really we can’t give up. Just as I saw this fellow teacher’s cold, hopeless eyes, our kids see it to. Waiting to prey on their next victim, waiting to push us to our limit, when all they really want is someone who listens and someone who expects more from them. Every teacher, in every school, in every city has challenges. Complaining about it will not solve it, doing something can. So yes we teach in very different settings but our jobs will always be the same, support students learning.
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