I was a teacher for 32 years.🎉 It feels like yesterday that I was sitting in class at the University of Missouri listening to professors talk about child development and brain research. Truth be told, I thought I’d teach for a few years and try something else.🤷🏻♀️ I knew there wasn’t a lot of money in the teaching profession, so I figured my bank account would dictate a career change. It turned out that I got a lot more than 💰money from my time in the classroom.
Because I was in the trenches for so long, I’ve seen it all! There’s beautiful work happening in classrooms despite increasingly challenging conditions. 🙌 I’m here to tell you that teachers are in it because they have a ❤️heart for education. Teachers want to do what’s best for kids. As I see it, the problem is that too many people who have never worked in education want the job from the sidelines. Some even see it as an easy task- follow a curriculum, and done! 😡That’s not even close!
Everyone needs to understand that there are reasons for what happens in classrooms. Teachers don’t wake up each morning and roll with it. Lesson planning is tough. Have you tried it? You must consider the scope and sequence of curriculum, questioning strategies, and assessments.✅ There are modifications based on the learning needs of each student.✅ You read that right- EACH student.❗️Special education plans must be memorized and followed. ✅How about the behavior issues that arise? ✅What happens to the students who refuse to work? ✅Or the ones who play games on their computers rather than assignments?✅ Or the kids who didn’t have food all weekend and can’t even think because they are so hungry?😢 This is only a fraction of what teachers deal with 👏🏻every 👏🏻hour- not daily or weekly- 👏🏻HOURLY!
I was a reading teacher, so can we talk about 📚books for a minute? Teachers choose literature for a wide variety of reasons. 📚Books aren’t chosen to be controversial. ❌Teachers aren’t asking for that. Literary concepts are taught through specific novels and authors. Books may tie in with subjects like Social Studies or Science. I can guarantee teachers aren’t picking 📚books to stir up trouble. They want solid stories to teach reading concepts. Certain books do that better than others.
Let the teachers teach this year. They know what’s best for kids, and that’s all they’re trying to do.💯 Be grateful that they chose to be teachers. It’s a challenging profession. Teachers are there because they want to make a difference. 💥Sit back and watch what they can do!💖
sharing the stairs 