Too smart for that

Something was told to me yesterday that has resounded in my head today. A fellow teacher was talking about a senior and her plans for the future. She had mentioned a desire to become a teacher. In doing so, she also mentioned her father's comment to the idea sounding something like," Why do you want to be a teacher?? You are too smart for that?" In conclusion, the student shared that her direction of study has been redirected from teaching to another path.

Another day that same father thanked the teacher for their impact on his child's life?? Are you kidding me? The teacher responded in her head,"Yeah, aren't you glad a teacher who was Summa Cum Laude and accepted to Columbia University impacted your child?"

The gaul to imply that teachers are from a lesser god. There may be a "little" truth in the dictum," those who can't do, teach". But I believe there is a variation to that - "those who can't do, probably can't teach either". Teachers may not all be masters of their field, but many are. That alone doesn't make them a good teacher. They need not only a passion for their subject, but a passion for caring about and teaching students, teaching people. Everyone who has had schooling can differentiate between the teachers who knew little about their subject, the teachers who knew everything about their subject and couldn't teach it, and the teachers who knew their subject and cared about their students' world in addition to their success in their subject. You can tell the teacher who teaches for money and the teacher who teaches for effect. I can easily name at least 5 of the later. Thank you Mrs. Ecton, Mr. Gisriel, Ms. Bell, Mrs. Hendrickson, and Mr. Scherer.

"Too smart to be a teacher?" A better comment may have been "perhaps you should redirect your talents into a more lucrative career." That at least is true, but don't call teachers stupid. Self sacrificing, socially unrecognized, yes. Stupid, some, but don't classify the whole class. There are just as many stupid political scientists, engineers, doctors, and PhD'ers out there too, but they're just better paid for theirs. Teachers get to share their "stupidity" with all posterity.

I don't mean to self glorify, but I do mean to glorify the profession. Tell me how many other jobs that you have to act and sell your product to 12-20 people for 4-5 hours a day, plan 2-3 hours a day to do so, as well as staying informed and caring about the break-ups, suicide status, divorce rate, abusive home, learning disability, financial woes, and social traumas of those to whom your selling your product, not to mention satiating the 15-40 adults associated to them who all know how to better do your job, and the administrations which give you 15 hours of "professional development" responsibilities, overwhelming paperwork, and duties to perform in those hours in which you weren't doing all of the above. yeah, tell me how many people do this for $15 an hour. Who work 50-65 hours weeks and barely get paid for 40. I'll tell you how many, a lot.

No wonder the educational system in America has it's whoas. It's obviously a profession that we all rely on, yet is saved for the stupid.

The man who said that is "stupid" aka ignorant and self absorbed. I'm sure whatever he is doing is "greatly" impacting others at $40+ an hour. Just keep typing pally. Grrrrrrr.