Can A Teacher Get a Break?

I've been a teacher for 18 years.  Ten of the years I've taught have been in public school.  I received my National Board Certification as a Middle Childhood Generalist in 2011, and from that point to this, I feel that I have become the teacher that I've always dreamed I could be.  I feel like I'm part of a foundation of teachers across this country that are leading and loving learners in a way that puts them one step closer to the dreams that they have for their futures.

That said, this is a pretty terrible time to be a teacher. :(  I don't even know if I should say that out loud or not.

I LOVE my class....and I LOVE teaching...I just feel that it's not really TEACHING that I get to do anymore.  I found this funny picture of me on vacation last summer with Marie at Amelia Island.  I joked with her that I should post it in my class, since I have a pirate theme.  We laughed...and OF COURSE I put it back, but...it got me to thinking about a few things going on in my county that I wanted to share with you.



I'm sure many of you have seen this meme already, but...unfortunately it is all too prevalent.

Education is not a sprint.  It's a marathon.  The constant sweeping changes have teacher's heads on swivels.  There is hardly ANY professional development on the expectations, and in some places--like my county, your salary will be tied to test scores.  

Bringing Common Core to Florida...and then switching to the Florida standards...which is 'common core lite' WITHOUT training teachers was not a great idea.  If we're going to enact that kind of change...and make no mistake...common core is not for the faint of heart...then, it should have come with so much professional development we were reciting the standards verbatim.

Teachers are frustrated and exhausted with trying to figure out how to get kids where they need to be.

We teach children.  Not data points.
If districts want data on the children that shows whether or not they will be successful, they need to give teachers time to plan.  They need to give teachers time to collaborate.  They need to give teachers support with GOOD professional development that we can take back to our teams.  They need to have LESS testing in the classroom and MORE teaching time.  For the first time in 18 years, I have students that cry on test days. It is heartbreaking. :(



So true!  I DON'T do this for the money, but...I would really like to be compensated for what I do.  The year I got my National Board Certification, my county stopped giving bonuses for it. How sad that you have teachers going the extra mile to educate themselves and you don't reward that with additional funds?

 This year, my county decided to make the school day longer.  They did not, however, extend the length of our contract hours.  I work at a school with 1,000 students.  We dismiss at 3:15.  My contract is until 3:30.  Logic would tell you that we can't send that many students home in 15 minutes.  The first two weeks of school, I was there until 4:15 or 4:30...WITH kids. We still stay late for car rider duty. :( My school does the best it can, but...really...this is all about planning at a higher level.

Our county just recently came out with new blueprints.  There are links to different states' resources.  Many of them have activities that require recording sheets, or some other form of paper to print out.  We have copy limits.  At my school it's 7,500 per year.  We get one printer cartridge. When my copies run out...and my toner does as well, I will start printing from home again...as I do every year.  I just wish that they would just give me some standards and let me teach!

This coming Monday, our school board is having a meeting.  Many teachers from our county will be coming to express our concerns.  Please keep us in your prayers as we share our hearts in the hope that things will change soon.