bad day at work
i had a bad day at work. really it was just a bad moment. it was such a bad moment that i put it out of my mind until my walk to ralphs for some emergency milk for tomorrow's coffee. it was a moment of teacher unethical behavior. those are the moments that resonate with me for the longest time. unfortunately, it was not the first time i've seen unethical behavior from a teacher.
really, at some point, a teacher needs to stop teaching. it is a hard job. you are responsible for the minds, bodies and souls of little children for a huge portion of their day. and, these kids are expected to know what the square root of 64 times three to the third power is when they are 8 years old. it's a lot. at some point, i think a teacher stops being effective. they are tired. they are old-school (literally). they cover their own ass rather than fill the minds of children. why spend your time in a classroom if you are not going to even try?
since i began teaching, i always said that i hope i will recognize the point when it is no longer the job i should be doing. i wish there was a way for some people to bow out gracefully, before legions of children are exposed to an ineffective year of art projects and beanie babies.
1 comment:
it is probably a bad sign that reading this makes me think of many burnt-out teachers that i endured, especially in high school... i am particularly thinking of Mr. Putman, who was supposed to teach us about African culture and history and instead taught us literally nothing. but for every Mr. Putman, hopefully there is a Mr. Thurtell, who not only gave us a thorough and nuanced view of American history, but also made me realize that it was possible to be an passionate, informed, unapologetic liberal (i really wouldn't have known in my household...). plus he had a sexy mustache. but i digress. merely, to agree with you, that when a teacher's heart is in it they really have the opportunity to change, inspire, embolden, and truly educate. and when a teacher's heart isn't in it, well, they should do something else. no shame in needing a change.
Post a Comment