Against the Odds

This is the first article I have read of four that has meant anything to me. As a teacher, I can totally relate to the pressures Bishop describes. The best of us give our all with very little appreciation in sometimes volatile and unpleasant environments, working with people who don't care about the trends because they come and go. This article reassured me as to why I do what I do - it is for those who are the "underdogs" and are seeing things for the first time. I do, like any good teacher, experience 'burn-out' each year; but I keep going because I feel I need to and I want to.

I really liked what Bishop said about collaboration and professional development. We, as educators, are shown so many different methods of teaching writing, reading, methods in classroom management, cooperative learning techniques, assessment and enrichment; the list goes on and on. As educators the question is how can we use all of the different methods in one classroom in one school year without feeling overloaded - do we just close our doors and teach? I've been told to do that, as well as leave the door open so my room is more inviting and welcoming. But then that conflicts with safety issues...blah, blah, blah. My job is to keep kids safe, offer them opportunity, enrich their lives, and pray they succeed. I like working with my peers to create a curriculum that might be beneficial for students as well as fun to teach; I like to encourage my colleagues to see things in a new light and try new methods even if they are a bit apprehensive. Doing the same thing over and over and over each year will cause the 'burn-out', weariness, fatigue, boredom, repetition, beat, blase, spent, played out, sleepy, uninterested, on last leg teacher. We, just like our students, do not like to be talked at; we thrive being talked with. We like to share, listen, and celebrate with each other our trials, tribulations, and successes. It is what we are as teachers, parents, friends, children, colleagues, spouses, etc. In our lives, we find a balance and that balance depends upon how we cope with our experiences everyday.

I think each of us could possibly write our own "Convention Poem", except replace convention with teacher or scholar. We all have experiences to share and can possibly relate to those experiences. I read Nic's "Teacher Poem", and I can totally see what he is talking about. We have all been there at one point or another but are maybe afraid to say it out loud to avoid sounding like the pessimist or whiner. But if we can't depend on one another for the support we need, they what is the use of doing the job? Bottom line - we don't do the job for our egos, families, or wallets; we do it for the kids seeing things for the first time, pursuing success, and ultimately becoming members of our community. The cycle is never ending.