As a 13 year teacher, with a Bachelor's from UA and a Master's from NAU, I can say that I, personally, went from mentoring student interns and student teachers annually (oftentimes, more than once per school year), to choosing not to mentor at all because I could no longer honestly share a passion for the profession with those going into the profession, because I no longer feel like it IS a profession. Every teacher I know agrees that they'd not encourage anyone to go into teaching, which is just plain sad. I didn't used to feel that way, at all. Even the poor pay wasn't THAT big of a deal, because I had the respect and appreciation of people when I'd tell them what I did. That's all changed. Now, we're villified and exhausted. More and more is being asked, on less and less funding. And, as the article says, everything wrong with education in America is now our faults. Nothing about the way teachers are treated, even by their own administrators and school boards, feels like you're a respected, valued professional any longer. Who'd wish that on anyone?
Recent Comments