Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Teachers Have the Summer Off? Hah!

Several years ago, when contemplating career choices, I thought about things such as "What about when I become a mom?" Mom always said, "You need to be a teacher! It's the best career for a mom: summers off, through by 3:00p.m. daily, and holidays with your kids." Of course, I ate a great deal of crow, because I would NEVER be a teacher! They don't get paid enough and they get zero respect. Well, several years later, guess what I do for a living? You got it! I teach at a public elementary school in the glamorous state of Mississippi to a diverse group of children. Unfortunately, I found several of those "fringe benefits" my mother had talked about, well, how can I put this, to be not exactly true however she failed to mention the rewards I experienced as well.

I have now been a teacher for several years as well as a mom. Summers off? Not hardly. A teacher's summer begins around the first of June and ends roughly at the end of July, when we come back to the schools to get our classrooms ready. Do we get paid for that time? Again, a big negative. We get paid for the ten months we work; our checks are spread out through the summer by the school system as a courtesy. We're not getting paid for that time. We get paid for the time we put in during the school year, and as for that, that's only for 8 hour days which doesn't include grading papers at home, or writing lesson plans from home, or staying well past the last bell to finish getting grades in the computer or getting ready for the next day.

Now, that's not to say that teachers don't have fringe benefits. A fringe benefit is seeing a kindergartener who did not know how to hold a pencil in August become the child with the best handwriting in May. This child had no parental support (the so-called parents didn't care much about her) and had never had the opportunity to even color with crayons or draw with a pencil before entering kindergarten. She ate twice a day (due to what seemed to be neglect): when she got off of the bus in the morning and at lunch. It was so disheartening to know that this was the case, and to know that DHS would do nothing about it because their idea of neglect is so much more extreme than mine (this is a soapbox of mine, and I will surely revisit it in a later post). She was such a precious little girl, but due to her poor home environment, she was terrified for the first month or so. By May, however, she was like a flower that had finally bloomed. How incredible! She now loves to come to school and offers a friendly hug and smile every time I see her.

One fringe benefit is when kids get their moms to call and check on you because you've been out of school for a few days with the flu as happened with my last class. I never thought I'd see the day that I had tears on the last day of school! Educators always have to remember that children are a precious gift from God, whether they are our best students are our worst. They are somebody's babies, and we need to accept them as such. Having your students love you back makes all of that so easy.

Another fringe benefit is knowing that you've touched a child, not just taught her. With the good times, however, come the bad, like when a parent chews you out because her child didn't get an award that she thought she deserved, and to top it off, your principal walks away and leaves you stranded. I always thought my principal was supposed to support me and back me up. What's up with that? Again, that is a topic I will address in later posts. But, I don't have 3 degrees to walk away; I keep pushing for those "fringe" benefits, and with every group of kids comes a different set of benefits.

Here's hoping for a great rest-of-the-summer vacation; that excellent paycheck really helps to fund those trips to Sandals, you know. I'm sure to have some great experiences to share this school year!

Note from Kingfish: Cliffnotes is a teacher in Mississippi. She will post on here from time to time on education issues and related topics. Feel free to comment on her posts or email her directly.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am also a school teacher who after several years of trying everything else found my true calling to be in the classroom. Its a difficult job and I correct anyone who suggests that it isnt. The pay isnt all the great, but I am in TX where it makes living a little easier. I left Louisiana for better pay and a better work environment. I love my work, the kids I work with, and some of those fringe benefits. Because I teach in TX, there are a few differences in requirements. I get to spend the summer collecting training hours in workshops(25 a yr and 75 in a rolling 3 yr period), but at least we get paid for those at the end of the school year. I have also found that here in TX there are more opportunities and programs geared to help kids succeed... which again, makes my job more pleasant. There is always that one kid you put on the bus the last day THANK GOD that he passed..and praying for his teacher the next year!!

I do what I do because that one child who matures, learns, grows, and changes makes the difference to me. I feel that he/she has accomplished something and I am all the more proud of him for doing so. As a teacher, I have found that I am the cheerleader for my kids when they make those great leaps and have those "A-HA" moments, because most of the time there is no one cheering for them outside of school (at home).

I wish you the best next year!! Have a great summer!

Cliffnotes from the Classroom said...

Hi lsudreamer! I hope I didn't give the wrong impression about my job! What I want is the opportunity for others to see that teaching is not just summers off and home by 4:00 everyday. When we teach, we are taking a childs life into our hands, and shaping and molding it. I love teaching, and I truly love my kids. I know exactly what you mean by those "A-HA" moments; that's why I'm still in the profession. I can say that I'm thankful that I don't have to meet the same requirements you do on summer workshops, however I'm spending a great deal of my summer in a classroom as well, on the other side of the desk: as a student (again). I hope we both get to see many of those moments above this upcoming year! Have a great summer.



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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


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There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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