Leisure
5 things you should never say to a teacher
By PreSha Barnes
The job of an educator is often challenging . Yet , many teachers will rave about the many rich rewards they gain via the small or large victories that are accomplished inside the classroom . Teaching is serious business . Those we educate inspire us . Those who have chosen this path , don ’ t confine themselves to only thinking about duties and responsibilities for their students when the bell rings , it is a year round responsibility . Many persons , who have not been inside the classroom as a teacher , do not understand the demands of the profession . At times , without meaning to offend , they can make disparaging or insensitive remarks . Below are a few things to never say when talking to an educator .
“ Teaching must be awesome , you all have summers off .”
This is a simple , but ignorant statement . Teaching is awesome , and there are great rewards when our students have those , “ aha ” moments . However , teaching does not end when we are off . Teachers are aware of their teaching assignment for the next year , and often begin planning during their breaks . Teachers like to travel when we have time off , but greatness requires work . Much of our holiday is spent doing professional development , and other networking opportunities to develop more innovative strategies for our students . Summer is a time to relax , but a lot of it is also dedicated to preparations for the upcoming school year .
“ You give too much homework .”
Homework is not busy work . There are elements in the curriculum that have to be covered and we have to be sure that students comprehend the content before moving forward . Most homework is given in the form of mini-projects . The student ’ s mastery of the objectives ( or not ) helps the teacher to know how to move forward in the content , and which areas need to be retaught . A teacher ’ s homework is never done , and we have high expectations for our students .
“ Don ’ t you just love having free time in the evenings ? ”
Free time ? If a teacher is not grading , he / she is lesson planning . Lesson plans cannot be swiftly put together . It requires thinking about the needs of each of our students , and developing innovative teaching strategies to deliver the content . If students are not engaged , they will not pay attention to the content . Student centered games and activities take time and preparation . Lamination , printing , and cutting are done in the evenings , and teachers often stay late at school to get the job done .
“ Teaching must be easy right ? It ’ s all in the book .”
Imagine sitting in a classroom with blank walls , and a monotone voice reading verbatim every single word from a book . There is silence , and instantly you begin to drift off to sleep . This is not 21 st Century learning . The “ book ” is a small component of the lesson delivery . Books are often used as supplementary material . The book is aligned with the curriculum , but there is more scaffolding that teachers do to ensure the requirements are met . Teachers may make teaching look effortless , but it is definitely rigorous .
“ Teaching kindergarten must be like babysitting .”
No matter what the grade level is , teachers put their best foot forward when it comes to instruction . You can easily offend a teacher with remarks that are not empowering or positive . Hard work and dedication are the key components of what makes teachers do their job well . Whether it is Cycle 1 or Cycle 3 students , teaching takes consistency , and has to be managed effectively .
Teachers work hard . Uplift them with your words , it makes a tough job a little easier !