X-Posted: Gratitude to Teachers

[Mike 03]

I posted this in GD and it sank like a stone. I'm cross posting it here not because it's so great, but because teachers need to know how much they are appreciated.

It's a coincidence there is a great thread about teaching and the difficulties involved, because this morning I heard on the radio a PSA spot that I wanted to tape, it was so poignant and even though I'm not a teacher, teachers made such a decisive, indescribably huge impact on my life, this ad choked me up.

To paraphrase it, a public school teacher is at a dinner with some arrogant white collar guy who makes the statement:

"Those who can, do; those who can't, teach."

Then he turns to the guy he knows is a teacher and says something like: "Isn't that right? What do you make?"

And the teacher has this incredible answer that is so poetic, I feel ashamed to attempt to guess at the exact wording but it was something like this:

"What do I make? I make a difference in the lives of the children I teach. I make them work hard, I make them read, read, read, and I make them write. And I can make a C minus feel like a gold medal or an A minus feel like a (defeat)..."

It's a great speech, and I wish I could reproduce it here. It's no hyperbole. Anyone whose life/heart has been touched by a teacher knows this.

The teachers that changed my life forever didn't work for money, and I know they didn't make much money. They were the most loyal, dedicated people I've ever known. And I know my teachers were not "special" because nearly every single person I meet has a "teacher that changed my life" story.

I know circumstances for teachers have changed since the 80s, when I was a student. My niece is eleven, and her teachers are slaves to "No Child Left Behind," and having read all of Jonathan Kozol's masterful, saddening books--particularly "The Shame of The Nation"--the point that has to be raised, that is so crucial in my mind, and yet nobody seems to raise it is this:

Apparently, many of those individuals drawn to teaching are drawn to do so out of passion and creativity, and they are not selfish, greedy people who want (although they absolutely deserve) large salaries.

But what do we sacrifice when we totally destroy the passionate and creative part of the teaching process?

We are throwing the baby out with the bathwater if we think it is a good idea to take talented, creative, passionate and loyal teachers and burden them down with a whole bunch of pre-packaged teaching plans, to begin to scrutinize their every decision, to straight jacket their ability to be spontaneous, to teach from the heart, to be a little quirky, to be themselves, to create their own teaching plans.

I just think it would be a tragedy if government rules and idiotic "programs" destroyed the desire of passionate, inventive people to teach, because that is their motivation. Obviously they are not motivated by money. In fact, where I live, the teachers go into their own pocketbooks to subsidize art supplies and books. It's a scandal.

But anyone whose life has been touched by an amazing teacher can surely understand.

I have no clue what I would be now without the guidance of teachers. Absolutely no clue, but I suspect it wouldn't be a very good situation.

If you are a teacher, THANK YOU.

[proud patriot]

1. The job is the reward

but you are most welcome .

[LWolf]

2. Thank you.

I was feeling discouraged the last couple of weeks.

I realized that I'd been called out of my room for so many meetings and trainings; written so many sub plans; dealt with so many issues outside my primary responsibility to my students, that what we were doing in class was not my best, and was not serving them well.

I've been desperate for some uninterrupted time to plan, to customize what we are doing to their interest and needs, to focus on academic growth.

Instead, this week, I was consoling myself. At least if Jane isn't progressing as she should, she's still in school, she still shows up every day and she still talks to me.

Jill is still doing her best even though her house burnt down a couple of weeks ago for the 2nd time. I wonder if, when they are done with the investigation, she'll end up in foster care? Two houses burning down in 2 years is a red flag for SOMETHING.

Mary just found out that her dad is terminal, with a short time to live. While her mom is on a transplant list for a life-saving transplant, and has been for 2 years now. Time is growing short.

Sherry is living with a cousin, commuting to school, and shows up for possibly 2 or 3 days out of every week after her alcoholic mom was evicted, and mom's boyfriend committed suicide.

I've been getting calls from Alice, who is lonely and frustrated since her mom, tired of having to stick to a schedule for getting her to school, decided to home school her. Again, as she's done every year.

Terry is beginning to have some contact with her mom after being put in foster care last year with her little sister, who shows developmental and cognital damage from the beatings that occurred.

I realize that, for my students who just flat out don't care about academics, who are only trying to survive, I'm doing my best to keep them showing up, to keep the doors open, the conversation going, to make sure they know I am here for them whether or not they engage in learning, finish assignments, or get the test scores.

It takes a lot of energy to provide mental, emotional, and social safety to those who don't find it elsewhere.

Can I be forgiven, if these students keep my school from "making AYP," if I keep them showing up and looking forward?

[YvonneCa]

3. Not only forgiven...

...but appreciated for what you do. And, as a teacher who just retired, I know how difficult it is. :)

[LWolf]

4. .

:hug:

[Taitertots]

5. My favorite instructors

I'm known for not having good relations with teachers. I'm the only person to fail a class with an A test average. I also had a negative percentage in a class as my final grade. So I should recognize my favorite teachers for their unconventional merits.

My community college math teacher for calc 1. I got an A in his class despite it being mathematically impossible because I never did any homework. When he called me out for not doing the homework I told him to "stop busting my balls" in front of class during class. He told my friend who had the class next semester that I stunk of alcohol and pot everyday. I was above 100% on every test after the curve so he couldn't give me anything less than an A.

My 6th grade advanced math teacher. After I turned in the division of fractions with different denominators test with a list of answers and no work she accused me of cheating in front of class. She went on at length about how it was not possible and that even she couldn't do it. Then after solving a list of fractions in my head she told the class I was smarter than her and gave me the A on the test.

[Zoigal]

6. Thank YOU, Mike03

Taught forty years. K through some HS math. Still miss interacting
with the kids. Appreciate your tribute. IMO teachers need a lot more respect.
It's not as easy as many people think it is. z

[Fire1]

7. I responded, 'Thank you' on your other thread, but it bears

repeating. Thank you, Mike. We love you, too.

[Dinger]

8. I Want To Thank My Mom, The Best Teacher I Ever Had

She totally inspired me to be a teacher. She does not teach at a public school, but she taught me wisdom, love, respect, compassion, and so much more.
THANK YOU MOM!!!!!!!!!:hug: :yourock:

[martigras]

9. passion in teaching

As a 36 year vet of the teaching profession, I agree completely with your point that the world needs people who feel passionate about their subject matter. Sadly, more and more administrators who are seldom seen in the classroom are taking it upon themselves to alter curriculum so that the test scores look good, and in doing so, lose the passion of those they hired. What about teaching kids things that they need to learn? My group of gifted juniors and seniors are so culturally illiterate, it is pathetic. Next year we will eliminate Shakespeare and any other difficult reading they do so we can dumb down our curriculum again, but we will have more kids forced to take AP tests that they neither want, need or can pass. Thanks to those ridiculous ratings in US News and World Report, having kids who take the test, trumps having kids who actually pass the test. I love the kids and what I do in the classroom, but after years of idiot administrators who make my job sheer hell, I've had enough and will retire in June.