Blame game.
Blame game.
Oct 14Yesterday, a reader posted the following on my facebook page:
This is my first year to teach kinder (I am also a male, and proud to be a male kindergarten teacher). I am at school 10-12 hours a day. On the 10 hour days, I work a couple of more hours at home. On the 12 hour days, I’m too exhausted to work by the time I get home. But no matter how many hours I have worked in a day, I still never feel ready for the next day. HELP!!!???
A few hours later, an article titled The Exhaustion of the American Teacher came to my attention. As I read the article, I had mixed emotions. For sure, teachers have a heavy load to carry. It’s easy to play the blame game and try to point fingers, but really what good does it do?
Here’s how I see it. It doesn’t really matter who the blame lies with, the reality is, these kids need us. As teachers, we may not have signed up for twelve hour days or some of the other issues the article lays out, but we did sign up to work with kids, open minds, and yes, change lives. Maybe it’s easier when you work with five-year-olds (and truth be told, kindergarten isn’t just for five-year-olds anymore… my class ranges from four to seven years, but that’s another topic), but to me is simple: children aren’t to blame.
Regardless of the issues I see in class each day, it’s clear the child is never to blame. Whatever issues you have at five aren’t your fault. Period. My job is lift them up, help them feel smarter, empowered, and above all else, loved. The corny songs of my youth really did get it right: I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way and love lifts us up where we belong.
Am I tired? Of course. Do I work more than I should for the salary I’m paid? Absolutely. Who is to blame for the pitfalls and potholes of the education system? I don’t really have time to care. What I do care about are my sprouts. I greet them each morning with a smile and hug and try to make sure they leave each day feeling smarter, prouder, and again, above all else, loved. If they don’t, I have no one to blame but myself.
Well said my friend, very well said! Bravo!
Well said! The blame game baffles me. The kids are what counts!
Exactly. We can spend our time pointing fingers or changing lives. I’ll take the latter.
thanks for sharing the article and your comments….I had not seen that particular article….and your comments are spot on!
Thanks Cindi.
So very true. And despite the hours I work, which I’m not paid for, I truly love my job and adore my students! We are so lucky that we get to come to work and love and nurture children each day!
Jamie you are so right. We are lucky to do what we do.
Very thoughtful post. I had read the article, but really didn’t see the point either. There is so much of what these children experience that we have no control over. We can control what we do for them in the classroom-even if it is exhausting!
Good point. Instead of focusing on what we can’t control we should focus on what we CAN control.
Thanks for speaking my mind, yet again!
I totally agree with every word you said! I work with 2nd graders and my job is to love them, teach them, and help them on their road to living successful lives! I also greet them each morning with a smile and hug or handshake and they leave the same way! I love watching them grow in their thinking ability and in their ability to think of others before themselves-not an easy task! I would not be a teacher if I did not LOVE what I do! Great post!
Well said! the kids are (or should be) our main focus. Yes, all kinds of other garbage gets thrown at us to deal with that make the job harder. But in the long run, that just doesn’t matter. The kids depend on us. And some of the rewards WAY outweigh the long hours we often have to put in.
I think that is where those of us who work with the little ones have an advantage. Our rewards are so palpable and so frequent, it’s hard to NOT love it – regardless of the hours or work.
Yes; all very well indeed; but the point is not how much the kids need us; or about pointing fingers; or about loving it in spite of how unbalanced a workload is and how unfair the situation is. It’s about an HONEST assessment of where the problems are IF you REALLY DO care about the kids. Because if you care; the system that is there to help them, and most importantly, their teachers, should not be weakened and demoralized in these ways, but supported in their difficult task. Teachers can’t change the biggest player in the game; the child’s family and home life; that in it’s proper perspective ( as well as all the other factors that result in the child’s school success or failure). The Teacher is only 1 factor out of 3( the child, and parents are the other 2). If any one of those is not furfilling their role; the child’s chances of success in school are low.
Mia, Thanks for your thoughtful comment, but I must respectfully disagree. Maybe I’m being overly optimistic here, but I refuse to believe a child’s future is solely in the hands of their parents. How many successful adults rose up and broke the cycle of poverty and lack of education? I know many myself. My only choice is to try to be a force (hopefully one of many) to propel these kids to a better life than they currently have. If nothing else, I have to at least try and instill the belief in their little heads that they CAN goto college. They CAN be president. They CAN do whatever they wish to do. That’s my job and I take it seriously.