While we're discussing stereotypes, how about public school teachers...

[Rowdyboy]

There's Edna Krabappel who represents teachers in general



The nasty Ben Stein teacher in "Ferris Bueller" and "Wonder Years"



"Anyone, anyone..."



Teachers are presented on film and television as lazy, ignorant, selfish, arrogant and mean. The teenage students are oppressed, mistreated, abused, and ignored.

I am not now a teacher, nor have I ever been. But I sleep with one, and am related to two, and friends with MANY. They are good, patient, and long-suffering people. They are also the BACKBONE of the Democratic party, generally 20-25% of our convention delegates are committed teachers. Often they must buy their own supplies and provide basic tools to some of their students.

God forbid they get diarrhea, nausea, gas, indigestion or migraines. Most cannot leave the room for fear of mayhem. In today's society they must avoid EVER being alone with students of either sex to avoid charges of inappropriate behavior or even child molestation.

Their summers have been whittled away to less than two months, the paperwork load is incredible, the parents who desperately NEED to be involved with their kids aren't, and God forbid you should skip ball games, extracurricular concerts, plays, and fundraisers. Plus, they mostly manage to maintain their professionalism when dealing with impossible situations.

They must deal with bullying, pregnant students, abused kids, cell-phones, rudeness, testosterone, gangs and fractured families.

Two thugs start fighting? The teacher is responsible for breaking it up, regardless of the risk. Strangers roaming the halls? You're responsible.

On top of all that bullshit, there are tests and tests and tests and tests and tests and tests and tests. State test, national tests, achievement tests, test to determine literacy, tests to determine grade level, tests for every ridiculous idea imaginable.

Thank God for all of you guys who have the guts to teach. You get treated like shit, paid chickenfeed, get no support from administration and are jokes in the popular culture. Thank God you care enough to keep on going to work every day. I salute you!

:thumbsup:

[greenbriar]

1. thank you

Thank God for all of you guys who have the guts to teach. You get treated like shit, paid chickenfeed, get no support from administration and are jokes in the popular culture. Thank God you care enough to keep on going to work every day. I salute you!


don't forget we are all bad..and must be held accountable as per bush

[Journeyman]

2. What Do Teachers Make?. . .

Found this on the web long ago:


What Teachers Make

We were all sitting around the dinner table discussing life, and the man across from me decided to show his brains. He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers: Those who can, do; those who can't, teach. I decide to bite my tongue instead of his and resist the temptation to remind the dinner guests that it's also true what they say about lawyers. Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.

"I mean, you're a teacher, Taylor," he says. "Be honest. What do you make?" And I wish he hadn't done that (asked me to be honest) because, you see, I have a policy about honesty and ***-kicking: if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.

“You want to know what I make?” I asked. “I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor and an A- feel like a slap in the face. How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence.

“No, you may not work in groups. No, you may not ask a question. Why won't I let you get a drink of water? Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why. I make parents tremble in fear when I call home: I hope I haven't called at a bad time, I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today. Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?" And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen. I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.

“You want to know what I make? I make kids wonder, I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write. I make them read, read, read. I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math, and hide it on their final drafts in English. I make them understand that if you have brains then you follow your heart and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you pay them no attention.

“Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true: I make a difference; what about you?”

[LostInAnomie]

3. That's great!

I'll try to remember that after I finish up school and become a teacher.

[Rowdyboy]

4. Thanks so much for that link-it pretty much summed up what I was trying

to say, only more succinctly. Its great and my partner will really appreciate it when he gets home tomorrow.

[trof]

17. Brought tears.

Just sent it to my teacher cousin and a teacher friend.
Thanks.

[Rowdyboy]

5. kick

[DemBones DemBones]

6. Don't forget the stereotypes that teachers

have it easy because of summers off, and "jobs that end at three o'clock."

My response to the louts who claim that "teachers get paid all year for nine months' work" is that teachers work twelve months a year, they just do it in nine months' time. People who have never taught (or lived with a teacher!) don't realize what tiring work it is.

Teachers often either teach in summer or take graduate courses, too, or work another job so they can afford to live on a teacher's salary, so "summers off" is only partly true, anyway. As for days ending at three o'clock :eyes: when do they think we grade papers and write lesson plans, call parents, check kids' records?

The biggest reward, of course, is knowing you made a difference in some kids' lives. I know I did and I feel good about it. :-)

[AnnInLa]

7. You've made my day......

Heck, you've made my week! Thanks so much for the comments. The sad thing is that teachers/education is blamed for everything that goes wrong in today's society, when actually, what goes on in the schools is just a reflection of what is going on in society. Also sad is that I, along with many other teachers my age, am getting out of the profession, retiring with just the minimum number of years....we are SO tired of being a political football, teaching toward tests, not having time to be innovative, not being paid/respected as other professionals are. Although the pay has always been low, in the "old days," there was a joy in teaching, in seeing students learn. There was a pride in seeing students achieve. The joy in teaching is gone. Experienced teachers are leaving in droves. This next school year will be my 20th year as a Special Ed. teacher, and I am finished, done, gone, and dispirited. And, apparently, a terrorist. If you can read this, thank a teacher.

[Rowdyboy]

12. Two more years and my guy is retiring...

after 30 years in the classroom. As you said, the joy is gone and his long-time colleagues are leaving in droves, retiring as soon as they can to just get the hell out.

What with no support from administration or parents, the job has become damn near impossible.

And anyone who can last 20 years in Special Ed deserves extra commendation. You have my admiration. You guys deserve so much more.

[jbane]

8. There are two things about working in Public Education....

There are two things about working in Public Education that make it worthwhile.
One is the people you work with. They are committed to what they do and they are an intelligent lot. The second is the product we put out is one that matters to everyone.

[trumad]

10. Well.... those characters make for a good show and movie....

Everyone, and I mean everyone has memories of a wacky teacher.... There's nothing wrong with that.

But...I'm also sure that everyone has memories of great teachers... I have a couple of friends who are High School teachers here in Orlando. One is a 11th grade Science teacher and has taught for 13 years. She makes a grand total of 35,000 bucks a year. Hell, I can do that on Ebay. The teachers here in Florida are under constant attack from the Jeb led Government. I hate the repukes attack on public education!

[no_hypocrisy]

9. Not to mention teachers see the hidden potential in their children that

the parents often miss. Teachers reach out to 30+ individuals if they can versus one group of children. One teacher can change the destiny of one child if s/he is lucky.

[LWolf]

11. Thank you.

:cry:

:hug:

:loveya:

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. I'll take Bobbie Harlow from BLOOM COUNTY instead! *lol*

[senseandsensibility]

14. Thank you so much

from a two teacher family. My husband ( a fellow DUer) and I are both teachers in a very low socio-economic area of a large city. We would never give up our careers, which we love, but the toll can be quite heavy . I won't go into details, but we have both given up much in our personal and economic lives to be teachers. It's worth it, but it sure is nice to hear kind words occasionally!:loveya:

[Rowdyboy]

15. Gotta give this one a kick for all you guys!

:kick:

[bigbillhaywood]

16. I hear where you're coming from, but...

I had one teacher in 1st grade call me a "halfbreed" and another in 4th grade tell me I'd grow up to be either a drug-dealer or drug-addict. Maybe that's where my anti-authority attitude comes from. I'm not saying all teachers are like this, and I support the teacher's unions 100%, but they are part of a system of imposed ignorance and American capitalist propaganda, and I don't feel sympathy regarding the stereotypes-- oftentimes they are earned.

[Rowdyboy]

18. I had an 8th grade PE teacher who is the only person in the world

I truly hate-and thats 35 years later. He was a sadist and a thug. So, yes, I know they're not all perfect. But the vast majority (95%) of all the teachers I've ever known have been exceptional, quality people.

[m-jean03]

19. A lot of my self-confidence today

I know I can credit my teachers for instilling in me when I was younger. :thumbsup:

Agree with everything you have to say, RowdyBoy.