Spring is in the air...

I have often heard teachers being criticized for complaining about the long wait for summer. Those who voice that criticism will often say things like, "How nice it must be to get paid to have a 3 month long vacation," or "I really feel sorry for someone who gets done with work by 3:00pm. " For those who have ever felt to criticize a teacher, let me explain to you how the last couple of days have gone for me. I don't do this to complain, but only to educate.

I get to school about 20 minutes before my students come into that classroom. In that time, I try to check my email, pick up my copies, and prepare my classroom to welcome 30 students for the day. When 1st period starts at 8:10, I try keep my 30 students safe and on task as they run around the room, hit each other, call each other names, draw on stuff that is not their own, and steal items from members of the opposite gender (7th graders are just learning the subtle art of flirting.) On a good day, by 8:20, students are in their assigned seats, have their bell assignment done, and I can begin the day's discussion.


Once the class has settled down, I have 35 minutes to teach them everything I can about History. I must make sure they retain the new information, remember the information from the day before, and meet all of the state standards while teaching them in fun and innovative ways because if I don't make it interesting, the students begin to talk and hit and draw on stuff that is not their own and steal items from members of the opposite gender. 3 minutes before the end of class, students, who can't figure out when class is supposed to start but knows when it is supposed to end, will begin to pack up and go stand by the door, whether I am still teaching or not. The bell will ring, and I have 5 minutes to prepare for the next 30 students, answer any questions on missing and absent assignments, and try to keep the next 30 students safe and on task as they run around the room, hit each other, call each other names, draw on stuff that is not their own, and steal items from members of the opposite gender. This pattern repeats itself for the next couple of periods and then comes blessed lunch.

For lunch I have 45 minutes to clean up my room and prepare for my 9th graders who are a different content than the 7th graders. I must update attendance, run to the copy room, and get to the cafeteria and hope that the food they are serving is edible. After making my way through 600 students, I get my lunch and head for the faculty lounge. In the faculty lounge I scarf down my lunch and try to relax for 3 minutes before having to fight through the hallway crowded with students back to my portable to begin class again.

9th graders begin class a little differently. I try to keep students safe and on task as they complain about the weather, write on things that don't belong to them, make comments that inappropriate at any age but especially in Jr. High, and make fun of those sitting around them, all while I try to tell students what their missing and absent assignments are, and try to keep the students out of my personal space. Then I try to teach them about Geography while they complain that I don't do anything fun, and they have too many assignments. They are tired of taking notes, my games are dumb, they don't want to read or do assignments, and they think the movies I show are boring.

There are some students that I have just given up on getting them to do their assignments because after telling them 3 times to get to work, I decide it is no longer worth my effort; but I still must deal with the upset parents wondering why their perfect child is failing my class. Others come and ask me each day what they can do for extra credit. I fail to grasp why they think they will be able to get extra credit done when they can't finish their regular assignments.

When the blessed bell rings to end school at 2:55, I try to make some semblance of my disaster area desk. Respond to all the emails that I have received during the day, and correct the thousands of assignments my students have turned in. If I don't correct an assignment right away, students will ask me everyday when their grade will be updated. I only have to stay at school until 3:15 according to my contract, but many nights, I stay until 4 or 5:00pm in order to get things done. I then go home with my mind a mush from the day's activities, and get to start over again the next day.

Don't get me wrong. I love working with my students, and I can't imagine doing anything else, but when someone asks me how long it is until summer break and I can tell them how many days, class periods, and hours, please don't criticize me. Remember that teachers do not get paid to have summers off, but only for the 180 contract days during contract hours that they work. Anything above that is done out of the goodness of their hearts. Teachers get to spend everyday with 100s of students and try to teach them things that they won't learn anywhere else, all the while keeping religion, morals, and values out of the classroom so not to offend anyone. Spring is in the air. Students are crazy, teachers are worn out, and the countdown for summer has begun. Teachers need those 3 months. Without them, we would really see some crazy people in education - more than what we have now!