Overly Pessimistic View on the World

Setting: I have just returned home from my official approach to Tuesday. I left for school (of the elementary variety) at 7, taught for my new school day (8:10-2:25 for all of the students and then small group writing instruction from 2:25 to 3:07.5) and then left my P.S. for school (of the university variety). I had two classes (4:30-9) and am now examining the themes of the day.

Today, I have been faced with some of the aspects of my world that I try not to look at that often; those parts of every life that make less sense than you would like. I have a true sense of frustration with the education system I am a part of on a daily basis. Perhaps attending a meeting with my local union representative, being faced with the fact that my students, their families, and the teachers around me are not will supported by the powers that be, and that the overwhelming reality for everyone engaged in the educational system is misguided. Everything I talked about in both classes focused on the fact that there are historical injustices dictating what happens each day in my classroom. The people around me wondered in the extra time in school was going to help the students learn more than they had been learning when the day was dedicated to whole group instruction.

I don't really feel like I'm capturing my thoughts. I'm complaining. Who wants to read my complaints? I don't even want to read my complaints. I just feel like the system I am a part of might make it impossible for me to reach my potential as a teacher. But, I'm not sure if my typical geographic solution to a problem is a smart approach or running from the inevitable. I don't want to burn out, be part of the 50% of teachers that do not make it to their fifth year. I love teaching. I love the time I get to spend with my students and watching them learn is amazing. I guess I'm just going to have to start ignoring things, find a sense of humor about things and/or sleep more.