The majestic being known as a teacher is like an elusive being and shrouded with mystery. Teachers portray a certain stature, to appeal to the view of society. But hidden in our serious demeanor is the untold truth we only share with our kind.
Just like me, a teacher I do have a fair share of good, somehow good, and bad memories and experiences as an educator, and I know that some of you are rather reluctant to share any of this. So let me break the enigma and I will share it with you, my dear teachers.
Disclaimer: This post is for entertainment purposes only. All of the details you are going to read are based on my own personal experience, and I am not generalizing the entire teaching community or any generation. Please do not come for me.
Here are the things I am willing to admit as a teacher:
1. Incomprehensible Questions
Fight me on this! There is such a thing as a stupid question. May it come from students, parents, guardians, co-teachers, or admins. Yes! this type of question exists, I understand that some lessons, details, or instructions can be given by unclear teachers, but the fine line between asking simple & understandable questions versus well-thought questions is something to ponder. Let me give some examples:
Teacher: Get a 1/2 crosswise piece of paper for our quiz.
Student 1: 1/2 lengthwise ma'am?
Student 2: Paper? Can we just answer in our notebook?
Teacher: Pair up for our activity.
Student 1: Can it be three people ma'am?
Student 2: Can I work alone?
I understand that we should build our students to have options in life, but when situations call for cooperation. Dear students, please follow your teachers who might lose five to ten years of their life, because of your incomprehensible inquiry.
2. Teacher Perks
The best thing in life is FREE! As a teacher, we enjoy this a lot. From mountains of gifts, free-time, and appreciation we get. Being a teacher has its perks; one best example is when it is "Teachers Day!" places like malls, amusement parks, restaurants, and more give free service to teachers on this important day. In special situations, where teachers are out and they suddenly bump into their former students, we get free lunch or dinner. So yeah! Being a teacher in this sense is the best.
3. Being Unprepared
Guilty! I sometimes do this, I go inside a classroom literary do not have a clue on what we are going to do. But let me explain, there are highs and lows in terms of teaching. The reality is if you are already done with every lesson needed to be discussed by your students, what else do you do? To my former students, yes it might be a shock to you but there are times when I asked you to do your portfolio, write an essay, or do something the reality is I am not prepared.
4. Student Attitudes/Latecomers/Absences
In light of an ideal classroom are selected students that are either teacher's headache or teacher's favorite students. To be honest, no student is perfect and no teacher is perfect, but conducting oneself properly is something that should be taught inside our own home. Students who are acting up, come to school late, or are always absent do tend to make a teacher's life a living hell. Teachers are creatures of patience, we are required to master that as a means of survival and to test its limit is a very bad act for students. This creates miscommunication, unwanted confrontations, and the worst undesirable relationships. But then again we cannot pick the students we teach.
5. Quitting is always in our mind
For the past eight years of teaching, I have noticed among teachers' conversations the idea of early retirement or quitting. This notion might vary from one educator to another but let us be honest, we all have this thinking in mind. I haven't met anybody that thinks that being a teacher until they die is their destiny. I truly believe that teachers are creatures of success cravers; some of us didn't pursue quitting the craft but it doesn't mean we do not have a plan. Please be kind to yourself and to other teachers. Quitting this job is a matter of choice and not a matter of failure.
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