The hardest job everyone thinks they can do...

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

There's another current thread on discipline and students that reminded me of an essay I read a number of years ago... I'm re-posting it here and dedicating it to all of the educators on C/A...

The Hardest Job Everyone Thinks They Can Do

By Dennis Hong, September 13, 2010 6:30 am

This piece was inspired by a heated discussion I had with a man who believes that teachers have an easy job. Please feel free to share it with others if you agree with the message.

I used to be a molecular biologist. I spent my days culturing viruses. Sometimes, my experiments would fail miserably, and I’d swear to myself in frustration. Acquaintances would ask how my work was going. I’d explain how I was having a difficult time cloning this one gene. I couldn’t seem to figure out the exact recipe to use for my cloning cocktail.

Acquaintances would sigh sympathetically. And they’d say, “I know you’ll figure it out. I have faith in you.”

And then, they’d tilt their heads in a show of respect for my skills….

Today, I’m a high school teacher. I spend my days culturing teenagers. Sometimes, my students get disruptive, and I swear to myself in frustration. Acquaintances ask me how my work is going. I explain how I’m having a difficult time with a certain kid. I can’t seem to get him to pay attention in class.

Acquaintances smirk knowingly. And they say, “well, have you tried making it fun for the kids? That’s how you get through to them, you know?”

And then, they explain to me how I should do my job….

I realize now how little respect teachers get. Teaching is the toughest job everyone who’s never done it thinks they can do. I admit, I was guilty of these delusions myself. When I decided to make the switch from “doing” science to “teaching” science, I found out that I had to go back to school to get a teaching credential.

“What the hell?!?,” I screamed to any friends willing to put up with my griping. “I have a Ph.D.! Why do I need to go back to get a lousy teaching credential?!?”

I was baffled. How could I, with my advanced degree in biology, not be qualified to teach biology?!

Well, those school administrators were a stubborn bunch. I simply couldn’t get a job without a credential. And so, I begrudgingly enrolled in a secondary teaching credential program.

And boy, were my eyes opened. I understand now.

Teaching isn’t just “making it fun” for the kids. Teaching isn’t just academic content.

Teaching is understanding how the human brain processes information and preparing lessons with this understanding in mind.

Teaching is simultaneously instilling in a child the belief that she can accomplish anything she wants while admonishing her for producing shoddy work.

Teaching is understanding both the psychology and the physiology behind the changes the adolescent mind goes through.

Teaching is convincing a defiant teenager that the work he sees no value in does serve a greater purpose in preparing him for the rest of his life.

Teaching is offering a sympathetic ear while maintaining a stern voice.

Teaching is being both a role model and a mentor to someone who may have neither at home, and may not be looking for either.

Teaching is not easy. Teaching is not intuitive. Teaching is not something that anyone can figure out on their own. Education researchers spend lifetimes developing effective new teaching methods. Teaching takes hard work and constant training. I understand now.

Have you ever watched professional athletes and gawked at how easy they make it look? Kobe Bryant weaves through five opposing players, sinking the ball into the basket without even glancing in its direction. Brett Favre spirals a football 100 feet through the air, landing it in the arms of a teammate running at full speed. Does anyone have any delusions that they can do what Kobe and Brett do?

Yet, people have delusions that anyone can do what the typical teacher does on a typical day.

Maybe the problem is tangibility. Shooting a basketball isn’t easy, but it’s easy to measure how good someone is at shooting a basketball. Throwing a football isn’t easy, but it’s easy to measure how good someone is at throwing a football. Similarly, diagnosing illnesses isn’t easy to do, but it’s easy to measure. Winning court cases isn’t easy to do, but it’s easy to measure. Creating and designing technology isn’t easy to do, but it’s easy to measure.

Inspiring kids? Inspiring kids can be downright damned near close to impossible sometimes. And… it’s downright damned near close to impossible to measure. You can’t measure inspiration by a child’s test scores. You can’t measure inspiration by a child’s grades. You measure inspiration 25 years later when that hot-shot doctor, or lawyer, or entrepreneur thanks her fourth-grade teacher for having faith in her and encouraging her to pursue her dreams.

Maybe that’s why teachers get so little respect. It’s hard to respect a skill that is so hard to quantify.

So, maybe you just have to take our word for it. The next time you walk into a classroom, and you see the teacher calmly presiding over a room full of kids, all actively engaged in the lesson, realize that it’s not because the job is easy. It’s because we make it look easy. And because we work our asses off to make it look easy.

And, yes, we make it fun, too.

[Bravus]

[Tom Wetmore]

So very true. Once in the years of being on the school board we got the bright idea to give the teachers a day off and that the board members would substitute for them. I made the mistake of not worrying about what teacher I would sub for and ended up subbing for the kindergarten teacher. Guess what? Before noon I had to call in reinforcements! Fortunately my wife was available that day and she rescued me from a certain disaster. She has a degree in early childhood education and had done some volunteering and subbing at the school, so she easily restored order and let me recover my sanity!

[Naomi]

To your wife :)

[Gerr]

The most physically difficult work I've done was picking strawberries. It was worse than planting rice.

[cricket]

Regarding the idea that teaching is not intuitive, there are some persons who have an innate ability to be great teachers. Mothers and fathers, for example, are often the best teachers a child could ever have.

[Liz]

[Kevin H]

Thank you for sharing. Although I am working with medicating the elderly, my heart is in helping young people be successful, and glad for what I can do with the church I attend and sometimes when I can spend more time with patients, or put on a community magic show with illusions that teach life skills.

This past week, Mr. Judd, one of the two elementary school science teachers when I was in elementary school, died. He was one who fit the above description and I am sad to read of his falling asleep. Sadly his partner in teaching was a super strict disciplinarian who I lived in terror of. Even though I was not a trouble maker, I'd see how he would treat others, but also how he would treat me over foods that I would avoid at lunch, but they were foods that as an adult I learned that I was allergic to. It was Mr. Judd's caring that got me to work enough to get by in classes. I often wonder what would have happened if we had only Mr. Judd and not the other guy (or at least not as strict and scary). I have been wanting to make my life more like people in it, such as Mr. Judd who showed a caring spirit.