Tomorrow, they are giving us ice cream. We took a pay freeze (again and for the next three years), we took a pay cut (for the next three years), we have to pay substantially more for our healthcare, we have to contribute even more to our retirement to receive the full benefits, we have to pay a percentage of our salary to our retirement healthcare, we are vilified by politicians, we continually have more paperwork to fill out, and we are blamed for the downfall of education and our society. You are going to think that I'm being sarcastic, but I have a great job, and they're giving me ice cream tomorrow.
Today has been one of my best teacher appreciation days ever. I've had a rather rough week in how I've felt about my job. My evaluation for my evening job was not stellar and several complaints about me, my teaching style, and my humor have been made. I know I can do better as a teacher, even as exhausted as I've been, so these complaints hit kind of hard. But today ... today I had two fantastic reminders about why I love my job. Both were from students, one in a current class, and one from my first year teaching.
I am not certain how much I can reveal about either on such a public site, but their words illuminated the darkening regions of my mind and reminded me again the paradise that is right in front of me. I might not be the best teacher in the world (or even the hallway of my school), but I have had the opportunity to work with the future, with talented and amazing students who are growing and have grown into wonderful human beings. That I have been even the smallest part of their lives is the greatest honor I have received. And I would like to thank all of those teachers who have, in turn, inspired me.
This cycle of giving, of creating, and of inspiring is what makes my job truly special. That, and the fact that they are giving us ice cream tomorrow.
Today has been one of my best teacher appreciation days ever. I've had a rather rough week in how I've felt about my job. My evaluation for my evening job was not stellar and several complaints about me, my teaching style, and my humor have been made. I know I can do better as a teacher, even as exhausted as I've been, so these complaints hit kind of hard. But today ... today I had two fantastic reminders about why I love my job. Both were from students, one in a current class, and one from my first year teaching.
I am not certain how much I can reveal about either on such a public site, but their words illuminated the darkening regions of my mind and reminded me again the paradise that is right in front of me. I might not be the best teacher in the world (or even the hallway of my school), but I have had the opportunity to work with the future, with talented and amazing students who are growing and have grown into wonderful human beings. That I have been even the smallest part of their lives is the greatest honor I have received. And I would like to thank all of those teachers who have, in turn, inspired me.
This cycle of giving, of creating, and of inspiring is what makes my job truly special. That, and the fact that they are giving us ice cream tomorrow.
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