Ten Things I Hate about School--Part Two

Finally able to sit down and finish my "ten things" list.  I am finding that I am busier this year than I have been in quite some time-ironic, isn't it?  So the rest of the list is a little more serious than the beginning of it. I find that there are things about working in education that I have found really troubling.  Some of these things have been issues for years, others seem to have been magnified and exacerbated lately.

6. Parents:  I have always had trouble dealing with difficult parents.  I have experienced the full gamut of problems, from parents lying for their kids, to blaming me when the kid didn't do his work, to blaming me for the kid not wanting to take an accelerated class (I should have forced him to stay), to a parent screaming a me on the phone, to a parent coming to a conference drunk.  Unfortunately I have had a couple of occasions when I literally had to hang up and say, "I'm sorry, but this conversation has come to an end." But I have also had many great and supportive parents.  Look for them on the Ten Things I Love List.

7.  Grading Essays:  An English teacher's job is literally never done, REALLY.  Until June 25 or so you always feel that weight of papers hanging over your head.  You never finish grading because as soon as you finish one pile, another comes in.  And believe me, it is not easy to grade some of those essays.  Sometimes the writing is so confusing, my only comment can be, "HUH?"

8.  Those who "know better" : Then there are all of those administrators, professors, lecturers, consultants, who either have never been in a classroom or haven't been in one in 20 years or have been in one for only two or three years, telling you the best way to do your job.  "Have them write every day." "Have them read 40 pages a night."  "Have them do more homework-less homework." "It's all about portfolios."  "It's all about the standards."  How bout you spend even one period in my eighth grade writing class and see just how enthusiastic you'd be about the new "Common Core Standards?"

9.  "There is just no money for that" :  For over thirty years I've been hearing the same "No Money" story.  Will people ever come around to realize that we need to invest as much as we can, not as little as we can, on education?  Apparently not soon because the latest, greatest idea to reform education is the 2% tax cap that New York State has imposed on its school districts, which brings me to my final and most disturbing thing.

10.  The worsening lack of respect for the profession I have loved:  I have always talked about being "called" to do this job.  I have wanted to be a teacher since I was a very little girl, and even when I left the profession to take a job in business, I realized I had to go back because the classroom was where I belonged.  To me it has always been a noble profession worthy of the utmost respect.  I have seen tremendous dedication of my colleagues over the years, teachers who have given their souls to their students.  And these teachers deserve so much more than being the latest scapegoat of society.  When I first started and people would ask me what I did for a living, they would be impressed and thankful.  These days I even have to deal with my own family's disdain for the job that I have given so much to.

Okay, I've gotten it out of my system.  It does feel a lot better! Whew!  Next time The Ten Things I Love.  :)