Really, I do. I can joke with the best of them, even about my weight. I have a running joke with a coworker that she is too short to hang things from our ceiling and I am too fat to stand on the chair. I can laugh at myself, I can!!
However, my Dad said at dinner tonight that I don't have a "real" job. Maybe it stung so much because my job was litterally the only thing I had to live for for a long, long time. That when I was cramped uncomfortably in an MRI machine for an hour and a half to find out if I had MS, the only thing that kept me from having an anxiety attack was thinking about my students.
I had a 4.0 in college. I scored in the top 15% Nationwide in my teaching exams. I have a license that is valid in any state in this country to teach anywhere from K up through 6th grade. I could get a good job no matter where I live. It wont pay much, but not everyone is motivated by money.
I spend a huge percentage of my free time trying to think of creative things for my students to do. I spend money that I don't have to make up the differnece when the school wont provide us with decent supplies. I spend 100% of my effort respecting, listening to and validating other people's most precious gifts. A point of pride for me is always doing right by my students and not just doing the easy thing. Coworkers are jealous of me because all of the kids rush in to me when I arrive, cry when I leave and the parents compliment me and seem to really love me. I get invited to birthday parties when no other teachers do. I have kids taking pictures of me so they have one at their house. I get invited to dinner. They ask me to babysit. When the weather is bad I have several families who give me directions to their house and offer a place to stay if I can't get home.
I am responsible for shaping the minds of the future of this country. I worked my butt off getting a quality education. I do all of this and I still make less than my 17 year old neighbor who works fast food.
So don't even try to tell me that I do not have a "real" job. Because really, he has no idea.
Thank you for letting me vent!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What a hurtful thing to say! One of my sisters in law is a middle school science teacher and she has a work ethic like yours. We all think her job is important and valuable. So is yours. (hug)
ReplyDelete*stumbled upon your blog site from MDC...I'll pm you there so you know my "identity"
When you feel like you shared in your 1/6 post, re-read your 4th paragraph.
ReplyDelete"No one likes you" Not.even.close to right.