We are proud and possessive. Just ask any teacher about HER kids or HER school. These aren't just any kids. They belong to the teacher. Once a child is in a classroom, they become the child of that teacher. For life.
A teacher is proud to share the accomplishments of her kids. She is proud to see them grow up and go to college, or work in a business, or get married and have children of their own. Teachers (unfortunately not all of the time) love their school. They are proud of the schools' accomplishments and recognitions. They love to hear their schools' name mentioned at a meeting, on the news, or in a conversation.
Teachers are tender-hearted. We can talk tough and even stand up against the class bully, but let one of our kids get hurt and we dissolve. Let one of our kids suffer a heartbreak and we're just like melted butter. Read the story about the dog that dies and .... well, you get the point.
Teachers are fierce when it comes to defending their profession. Nothing gets our feathers ruffled like a non-teacher complaining about a teacher or telling a teacher how to teach. OR, even worse, a teacher- wannabe masquerading as a teacher. We've paid our dues (and in some cases we're still paying them) to earn our degrees. We went through rigorous (I hate that word) teacher training programs. This isn't our first field trip. We've ridden the field trip bus. So don't even think of stepping in and pretending to be a teacher or tell us what to do. Not until you've walked a mile (or a hundred) in our shoes.
Teachers are optimist. To a fault. When all around us is caving in, we still look for that glimmer of hope. We can't believe anything negative about our school or even our colleagues (most of them!). We keep hoping for the best and hanging on. We don't believe that budget cuts will actually affect our school. Until they do. We don't believe that parents or administrators won't support us. Until they don't. We don't believe that our best lesson will fail. Until it does. We just keep looking up.
Teachers are human. We laugh. We cry. We love snow days. We live for the week-end. Dread Sunday night/Monday morning transition. Some teachers are morning people and some don't hit their side until later in the day. Much later. We love. We protect. We place the needs of others above our own. We're loyal. And once, a teacher..... always a teacher.
(For more of Kim Frencken's writing and information about her educational products, check out her blog, Chocolate For the Teacher.)
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Let Teachers Teach by Randy Turner is available in paperback and e-book formats at Amazon.com
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Let Teachers Teach by Randy Turner is available in paperback and e-book formats at Amazon.com
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