Teaching is hard work

A year ago I wrote three separate letters to the editor of the Salt Lake Tribune about teaching.  I guess they were too long, or dull, or said things no one wanted to hear because they were never printed.  Maybe, over the next few weeks, I'll add pieces of those letters to this forum.  Anyone who reads this can decide whether or not I had something important to say.

 

I know that a lot of people think teaching is a cushy job:  hang around a few kids, take long vacations, and earn a paycheck for not a lot of work.  After all, how hard can it be to teach 6-year-olds how to read? They’re so sweet and lovable. 

Teaching 27 6-year-olds, in one room, takes more patience than any CEO could muster.  Knowing how to reach the shy, the aggressive, the neglected, the demanding, the spoiled, the undisciplined, the gentle, and the sensitive with reading concepts is a rare ability.  Some will come to school already knowing lots of words and some won’t be able to identify letters of the alphabet.  Some will know how to sit quietly, and take turns, and socialize nicely with others.  And some will have tantrums when they are frustrated and hit, bite, scream, or throw things.  They all should be expected to read on schedule when they leave first grade?

Many people belittle what teachers do.  They are convinced that they could do it and, therefore, we should be doing it better.  If we did, then we’d be more valuable, more deserving of compensation.  We must teach because we can’t do anything else.