It is a stark contrast to the recent attacks on teachers and what they are "worth" to our society.
I was at dinner a few weeks back, and the Wisconsin protests were just a few days old. A couple of my dinner partners -- who almost certainly received salaries and benefits far above those of an average teacher -- were talking about how easy teachers have it. They -- the opinionators speaking -- would be glad to have that job, for that pay, for that "little work."
Sorry guys, you could not handle it. Honestly. And if you tried, I would be sorry for your students. Our students deserve people who want to do the work, who treat it as a vocation or a calling, not people who think it is easy work for the money.
This should not be political, folks. All but a tiny percentage of us were taught by teachers. A good teacher -- and there are millions -- does a good job, and the result is well-educated young people. A great teacher -- and there are many of these, too -- I'd venture more than one per school of most any size -- does a great job, and the result is a set of inspired students who do more than anyone would have thought possible, and who will grow up grateful to what those teachers did.
If I tried to list all of the teachers who inspired me over the years, I might give offense by leaving someone off the list -- and it would be unintentional, but understandable, because I have had so many. But here is a list anyway.
- The elementary teacher whose name escapes me, but who introduced me to Tolkien by reading us "The Hobbit"
- Mrs. Hacker
- Mr. Gesme
- Mr. Evelsizer
- Mr. Eittreim
- Mrs. Hein
- Ms. Olson
- Mr. Sexter
- Steve Hubbard
- Diane Scholl
- Ed Kaschins
- Weston Noble
- Leigh Jordahl
- Richard Simon Hanson
- John Bale
- Walt Will
These people, by their dedication to their students, and their skill in the art of teaching, challenged me, pushed me to do more than coast. They taught me to question, to research, to create, to write, to revise, to analyze, to think. They opened my eyes to subjects and ideas which lit my imagination on fire. Would I have discovered the joy of singing choral music without Mr. Sexter? The thrill of performing on stage without Ms. Olson? The reasons Shakespeare's work was special without Dr. Bale? How Economics could be interesting and understandable without Ed Kaschins?
The Paideia class taught by Dr. Scholl helped Sherry and me as we grew to know one another better just before our marriage. The class on Christian Humanism as taught by Dr. Jordahl helped clarify for me the kind of faith which still makes most sense to my heart and head -- and he simply loved having a married couple in his class.
And while it is clear my mind was primed for mathematics & the sciences, many of the teachers above found ways to encourage me to rise above the expectations of the ordinary syllabus, to learn things I could learn, and to help others learn them when I could. I wanted to be a teacher because of Mrs. Hacker and my dad. I learned to love and appreciate math and science because of them and the rest of the math and science teachers on that list, and others I omitted while trying to finish this in less than an evening.
To evaluate these people by how much money they make, or to think you can put a price on what their jobs are worth? It can't be done. These people, and the work they have done, are priceless.
[Originally posted in Snippets & Wisps March 21, 2011.]
No comments:
Post a Comment