Guest Post: Teachers are Academic First Responders
Janni is one of my favorite bloggers and tweeters out there. As a teacher, she is passionate and cutting-edge. As a feminist, she is ardent and intuitive. Her support has meant the world to me, and just being able to interact with her from our work with Equality 101 as well as our time spent on Twitter has given me hope that a future generation of students is truly learning about social justice and civil rights. Her students are fortunate to have her as a professor, and I am fortunate to have her on my side in the fight for teacher’s rights. Today’s post is all about how awesome teachers are, folks. Get excited!
Today it seems like teachers automatically have a target on their chest and backs. They cannot do anything right apparently if you follow the popular press, government reports or talk to the average person. Test scores are down, some teachers are preying on their students, or they are too easily protected by the powerful teachers unions. This is only part of the backdrop about teachers, though. This is perhaps why Matt Damon became the patron saint of teachers thanks to his positive support and his “Bourning” of an ignorant cameraman. Let’s really think about teachers and what they do.
The reality is that people go into teaching for the love of teaching and wanting
to work in the classroom. They do not go into teaching to make lots of money and have an easy job. The summers are not really off, as teachers often prepare for the next term or school year during this time “off.” Likewise, people do not realize that teachers are often thinking about the classroom—ways to improve discussion or how to manage students. Teaching is not the sort of job that is easily turned off. You take your work home with you—grading and lesson planning. Many teachers actually work a different job during the Summer months in order to supplement their income. If they are not working for paid work, I can tell you that they are doing two things: taking time off and preparing for the next year.
Teachers today also have to deal with the pressure of having to teach to the test. I have laid eyes upon the thick binder that constitutes the History curriculum in an urban inner-city school in Southern California. I was dismayed that the teachers were given little latitude with how they could personalize the material for the students. The test and test scores are the mantra and this is no way to impart a love of learning. Instead, teachers are now forced to teach to the test in order to not leave any child behind. What this can do is sap the creativity out of our teachers.
Honestly, teachers are academic first responders (no slight to fire fighters, police, and nurses). They deserve more credit than most are willing to give them. They are not overpaid babysitters. They have to teach children who come to the classroom hungry, angry, sad, ready to learn. And, then the teachers have to deal with parents who are interested, hovering or disinterested. Their multiple constituencies is mind-numbing if you really think about it. I have a teacher in my family and there are many times that I shake my head in utter shock. I’m thankful that my students are adults. But, I feel a certain camaraderie for my teacher brothers and sisters at the K-12 levels. I see the good and positive consequences of teachers’ hard work–because I am one.
Janni Aragon is originally from California and currently writes from Victoria, British Columbia in Canada, where she lives with her family and two calico cats.
Janni is a Senior Instructor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria. She is a regular contributor at University of Venus and her areas of interest are varied: Gender and Politics, American Politics, Feminist Theories, Youth Politics, and Popular Culture. Currently she is working on a co-edited Introduction to Women’s Studies textbook and she blogs at http://janniaragon.wordpress.com Janni views her primarily role as that of an educator and mentor. She loves the classroom, but probably loves mentoring equally.
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