Teacher Appreciation Week: Looking Back

The last year I taught school was 1990, after which I served as a high school counselor until my retirement in 2012.  I taught high school English - juniors and seniors - in an entirely different manner than, I am sure, English teachers teach today.  The internet was in its beginning stages, and I don't recall any of my students having a cell phone, thank goodness! But here is how my day usually progressed:

·      Before school and passing periods:  I arrived early and posted the day's lesson on the chalk board (also a thing of the past). I administered make-up tests and conferenced with students. I distributed graded papers in class period "cubicles." We were required to stand in our doorways to observe and greet students five minutes before and between classes.  I was lucky.  The teachers' restroom was right across the hall from my classroom, so I could slip in quickly and get back before the bell rang.

·      Beginning of each class period: Students collected their papers and took their seats.  They wrote in their journals while I took roll and posted absences. (The journals were an excellent way for me to get to know students better, and yes, I read them and posted comments on my own time.)

·      During class: The meat of our classes consisted of lectures or skill-teaching, guided writing assignments, re-teaching, teacher or student-led discussions, guided group work, guided research in the library, and monitored testing and quizzes. Most reading was assigned for homework. 

·      Conference period:  I returned parent calls and planned for the next day if I had time.

·      After school:  Make-up work and conferencing with students for 30 minutes to an hour.

·      Home:  Most of my grading, administrative chores, and planning were done at home. I estimate two to three hours most days.

Today, I'm assuming English teachers have it harder.  Even though the internet and electronic devices have streamlined administrative tasks, reading, and research, AI has made judging the student's progress in writing and research skills more difficult.  Cell phones and social media are a pervasive distraction. Parental attitudes and styles have changed a lot in 35 years.  Because of a widespread belief by the general public that teachers are trying to "indoctrinate" their kids or rob parents of their parental rights, teachers, whom most parents once supported, are under fire.  Suspicion of "woke" ideologies makes teachers think twice before showing concern for a specific student in need. If a problem occurs, parents today are far more likely to believe every detail of a kid's grievance and quick to jump on the teacher, both in person and on social media. Many parents abandon the idea of going to the teacher to sort out all the details and come to an agreement on a solution. They prefer to seek a solution from social media acquaintances or go straight to the superintendent or principal. A greater number of teens today have a sense of entitlement, bestowed upon them by their parents, that makes them more likely to consider themselves on an equal or even superior footing with the teacher.  These kids frequently challenge or ignore a teacher's efforts to correct their disruptive behavior, robbing the other students of valuable instruction time.  But even with the most cooperative and attentive kids, teachers today have more challenges, starting with the fact that in Texas, and many other states, our legislators, backed by big money, want to destroy public schools in favor of privatization. Instead of bolstering our public schools with funding and support, legislators issue testing mandates (a key method used to discredit struggling schools) which increase campus administrative demands, requiring drill and kill exercises that squelch creativity and rob teachers of precious time to teach far more valuable skills, like critical thinking. Every year, ridiculous mandates further weaken the curriculum and trample on marginalized kids.  The teachers' hands are tied. I don't remember ever being afraid in my classroom. But active shooter drills have now become a necessity, a possibility that never crossed my mind in my teaching days.  Locked buildings and school marshals didn't exist when I was a teacher.

I see and hear complaints about how horrible the schools are - how teachers just don't care.  But I guarantee you, teachers who don't have their heart in it don't last long.  Even good teachers are leaving the profession in droves, going after jobs that pay equally or better.  Jobs that they can leave behind each day.  Jobs less physically and mentally draining. Even 35 years ago, with three school-age kids, I snapped up the opportunity to leave the classroom and move to the counselor's office where my life wasn't regulated by a bell. Where I didn't have to take work home and could actually spend time with my own kids. But I still chose to stay in education - to be where I felt like I was making a difference.

If you know someone who has been a teacher for a long time, I can guarantee you this:  they love kids. Their mission is to make a difference in kids' lives.  Their empathy meter is set on high. They grieve the disappointments and celebrate the victories right along with the kids. And they're surprised when they hear from their former students years later, time after time, that they had influenced those now-adults in a profound way, often without even realizing it. And those are just the kids who take the time to contact them.  I have wished frequently that I had contacted teachers and expressed my appreciation for how they had shaped my life in a positive way. I still remember my favorites, six decades after I graduated high school.

I have never regretted being an educator, and having to do it all over again, with so many more career choices now than I had back in the 60s, I would still do it again.  I plan, as the school year winds down, to continue to be an advocate for those who choose one of the hardest, but intrinsically one of the most rewarding careers in the world.  Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!!

Summer's almost here, teachers.  You'll have time to recharge, regroup, and rededicate.  God bless you, one and all.