Last time I updated, I went a little mushy and reminisced about what I imagine missing now that I’m not a teacher. As more time passes between me walking away from my school, I can clearly see the profession for what it is without my emotions being tied up in it.
Of course… just as there were sappy, mushy components to MISS about teaching there are also horrible, terrible, no-good pieces that I can say GOOD RIDDANCE to. Therefore, here is my
TOP 10 THINGS I WILL NEVER MISS
10 – Feeling like a failure: Ah, yes. Nothing quite like waking up, going to work, giving it everything I’ve got only to hear that I screwed up…again. Teaching was like juggling a bunch of plates with more being thrown to me two or three at a time. My only option was to just keep on juggling and pray that WHEN (not if) I dropped a plate, it wouldn’t be an important one like student safety or adhering to a student’s learning plan. I’m pretty proud to say that I never dropped an important plate, but frequently lost stupid ones such as posting learning goals or having an updated hall display. No matter what I did correctly, I was sure to be talked down to because of all that I left undone.
9 – The lack of accountability: I am so tired of hearing politicians rant about how it’s time for some accountability in the education system and then introduce some new bullshit idea for teacher performance. I think there’s plenty of teacher accountability… what I’m sick of is how NOBODY else is accountable! The parents aren’t following the basic standards of raising their children correctly, the administration isn’t accountable for following safe behavior initiatives, the school board isn’t accountable for providing necessary materials and supplies for instruction, and the state isn’t accountable for providing valid and reliable tests! But sure… I’ll take the heat for Timmy not being able to read.
8 – The parents: This isn’t a biggie for me because just like kids, every year the parents are a crapshoot. Some years, the parents just stay out of my face and let me do whatever I want (which was great). Other years, parents are so wonderfully involved in their child’s education and seek opportunities to help even more (also great). And then some years, I get parents who don’t understand the concept that their child is not perfect OR that I have a room full of kids instead of just theirs. Yeah. Not so great.
7 – One brain mentality: Some of my friends have told me that it’s been this way for years, but this is a phenomenon that only recently creeped into my career. I don’t like this idea that every teacher should be teaching every subject using exactly the same techniques and resources. I don’t mean, “Hey, use the science book to teach energy,” but more like, “Well, Teacher A, B, and C’s plans state that they are reading book pages today, but you are using readers. Why are you not doing the same thing they are? You all should be planning together!” This mentality absolutely kills the whole notion of teachable moments and also mutes out any hope of teacher individuality.
6 – Grading, grading, grading, grading: No explanation necessary.
5 – Testing, testing, testing, testing: No explanation necessary.
4 – The word RIGOR: If I had made a drinking game using the word RIGOR, I would have been hospitalized for alcohol poisoning twenty minutes into any meeting I had with administration this year. Talk about the buzz word of the century! Sounds great, but nobody has any idea what the f&(% it means. Do you want to know what my definition of the word RIGOR is? It’s a word that the county/state/administration uses whenever they just don’t like how you’re teaching and want you to conform but don’t know how to force you to. In a sentence? “You know, your lesson just didn’t really have the RIGOR that the standards require.”
3 – Data meetings: Before anyone skips this explanation while nodding and saying AMEN I want to be clear: I LIKE DATA. It’s great! I’m a number person and I like seeing quantitative data. What I won’t miss about data meetings is just how little qualitative data matters anymore. Even though I am locked in a room with a student for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, my professional observations and opinions don’t matter. This past year, I finally told the guidance counselor and reading coach that I would just submit my data because I don’t need to be there for them to type numbers into a program. Sadly…THEY WERE OKAY WITH IT! THEY JUST NEEDED THE NUMBERS! And we wonder how kids get to middle school with second grade reading levels!
2 – Observations: Also- MARZANO. Again, I don’t mind the concept of this, but the way it is implemented is infuriating. Pay is determined by an entirely subjective checklist. One observation you can score highly effective during a lesson and the next time you can be needs improvement using the same techniques and strategies. Does it have anything to do with your actual teaching? NO! It’s because the powers-that-be started cracking down on administrators saying they are giving “too many” highly effectives so they have to start nailing teachers for every little thing.
1 – The bureaucracy: Oh. My. Gosh. Teaching made me feel so passive and voiceless. Policies are changed on a whim. Curriculums are arbitrarily discarded for “not being rigorous enough.” We invest millions of dollars on the newest fad in education but can’t afford a raise. We fill out reams of paperwork just to cover our ass for something as stupid as a parent conference. Teaching never should have turned into a battlefield, but in our sue-happy and rigorous generation, each morning has teachers getting out of bed and asking themselves, “Who am I not too tired to fight with today?”
Current teachers, did I miss anything? Do you agree with my list? What would you add? Those who have left teaching, what were some of your biggest frustrations? Did any one particular item make you want to throw in the towel, or was it a combination? I’d love to hear from all of you!