Allison Behne
July 1 , 2011
Every Sunday night, without fail, my husband's family meets at a local pizza place for dinner. It is a night of no cooking and no dishes as we get ready for the work week ahead. One recent Sunday, as we were sitting at the table, we were having a conversation about our jobs. As I listened to them talk about the demands of their jobs, frustrations with their salary, lack of encouragement from higher management, and doubt in the ability to progress in their current position, I began to reflect on my own job.
At first, I wanted to jump into the conversation and add my two cents about how reductions in spending were forcing schools to cut essential components of their program. I wanted to tell them how frustrating it was to have increased class sizes, more responsibilities, and lack of resources to do the position you were hired for. Did they understand that due to budget cuts I could end up teaching art, music, and P.E. next year in addition to my regular classroom duties? I wanted to tell them that not every job has someone there to tell you what a good job you are doing day in and day out. I thought about how much time teachers put in outside of the regular school day to be sure that each child's needs are being met, plans are ready, and papers are graded. Did they understand that their complaints could be mirrored by anyone who currently holds a full time job? Wow... kind of depressing...
They continued to discuss their jobs and I continued to think of how their conversation related to my job. Then, I heard my brother-in-law say he dreaded going into work every day. Wait a second! Now there was a statement I could not relate to! That's when I my reflection took a 180 degree turn and instead of silently agreeing with their frustrations I started to count my blessings.
I can honestly say that I have never once said that I dread going into work. Has there been a Monday here and there where I wasn't jumping up and down when my alarm clock went off? Of course! However, wanting to stay home and dreading going to work are two totally different things. What is it about teaching that is so different?
Like other professionals, teachers have increasing demands every day. We are pushed to raise student scores by diving deeper into content and covering more concepts. That is a large task, but we know if we are successful, the children come out winners. Similar to other professionals, teachers are often frustrated with their salaries, yet very seldom do you hear of this frustration getting in the way of their performance. Teachers do what they do because they are passionate about teaching and learning and because they truly want to make a difference.
My family also spoke about lack of encouragement and motivation from higher management. Teaching is a profession where we get encouragement and motivation daily from our students and sometimes even their parents. Although our students don't come up and tell us, "You really did a nice job of teaching that lesson today!", they reward us through their smiles, drawings, hugs, performance, and excitement to continue learning. What profession has it better than that?
What about a teacher's ability to progress in their current position? This is a no brainer. As teachers, we progress every day as we learn from our students, colleagues, and our own personal reflections. We try new strategies, collaborate with co-workers, and seek training on new initiatives that might make a difference in our teaching. We continue our education and although we are required to take a certain amount of hours to maintain certifications, we usually take more. Whether we go on to get advanced degrees, join professional organizations, read the latest professional development publications, or attend workshops, we are continually learning and progressing as educators because there will always be something new to learn.
With budget cuts and achievement demands staring us in the face each day, it is easy to get discouraged and negative towards the profession. However, we should not lose focus of why we became teachers and our goal to do what is best for our students. What did I take away from our dinner conversation that Sunday night? I left with a refreshed appreciation for my job and my decision to become a teacher was once again reinforced. I am thankful that I do not dread going into work in the morning, and I pray that I never know what that feels like. I am fortunate that I am in a profession where I get to climb the ladder and progress in my position daily. As a teacher, my blessings far outnumber my frustrations. I will continue to reflect on the positive perks of the teaching profession and let these thoughts guide my actions each day.
How about you? Where do your reflections take you? What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning?