Try being a teacher

Well, I did the best I could under the circumstances. My classroom looks remotely managable now and while I won't be getting home till around 9pm, at least I can sleep a little more soundly.

Those of you who say teachers don't work enough and have no right to complain b/c we have 2 months off in the summer....shove it. I work my balls off for at least 12 hours every day. You try keeping 32 thirteen and fourteen year olds in their seats, hanging on your every word, and occasionally throw yourself in harms way when several gang bangers decide to have at it in your class. Try dealing with parents who nag you numerous times a day, keeping up with hundreds of papers that need to be graded, fighting for one copy machine thats being used by the entire Math, Science, Language, and Health departments.

Try teaching Health, PE. and Driver Ed. Can you say the words "clitoris", "herpes", and "ejaculation" without turning red? What would you do if a girl came up to you and admits she might be pregnant and you are the only person she's told? What if a girl rolls up her sleeves and shows you all the razar scabs from when she cuts herself? How do you tell a young guy who's brothers, father, and grandfather are in a gang to stay away? These are things I have dealt with in just my first year of teaching alone.

Try teaching PE. I have 38 sophomores each class period that are bouncing off the walls b/c its almost the end of the day. I have to corral them into lines, get them to follow instructions, play an actual game with good sportsmanship without killing eachother, and explain to the parents why their kid got a "C" in PE.......she's lazy and unathletic. Its no picnic keeping 38 kids afloat, literally, in swim class. They like to cannonball on eachother, dunk the "uncool" kids, try crazy stunts on the diving board and splash and mess with the kids who can't swim.

Finally, try teaching DRIVER EDUCATION. Would you want to get behind the wheel with a kid who doesn't know the gas from the brake? That goes 25 on an "on ramp" to a major interstate? Every Driver Ed. teacher I know has more gray hair then they should for their age.

I understand I'm not teaching AP Calculus or Chemistry......and there's no way in hell I would ever try. Most of my friends are Math teachers and I have the utmost respect for them. I just get pissed off when the other departments crap on us like our job is soooo easy. Teaching is NOT a piece of cake and not everyone can do it. Just like I could never be a lawyer...I'm not built for that.

Soooooo, the next time you crap on a teacher for having the summer "off" (a lot of us teach summer school, are on committees and write curriculum), think about the crap we go through all year long. It ain't all movies and free days.