Story Archive

Teaching—A Look at Teachers’ Responsibilities Today
 By Kathleen Blake, CEC Today (Nov/Dec, 1999, p. 13) 

Let me see if I've got this right...

You want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill every waking moment with love for learning. Not only that, I'm to instill with them a sense of pride in their ethnicity, behavior, and observe them for signs of abuse, drugs, and T-shirt messages.

I am to fight the war on drugs and sexually transmitted disease, check their backpack for guns and raise their self-esteem.

I'm to teach patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship, and fair play, how and where to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook and apply for a job, but I am never to ask if they are in this country illegally.

I am to check their hair occasionally for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of potential antisocial behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for the diversity of others.

And, oh yeah, teach, always making sure that I give the girls in my class at least 50 percent of my attention.

I'm required by my contract to be working, on my own time, summer and evenings and at my own expense towards certification, advance certification and a master's degree, to sponsor the cheerleaders or sophomore class, and after school I am to attend committee and faculty meetings and participate in staff development training to maintain my current certification and employment status.

I am to collect data and maintain all records to support our building’s progress in the selected state mandated programs to "assess and upgrade our educational excellence in the public schools."

I am to be a paragon of virtue larger than life, such that my very presence will awe my students into being obedient and respectful of authority.

I am to pledge alliance to supporting family values, a return to basics, and my current administration.

I am to incorporate technology into learning but monitor all Web sites for appropriateness while providing a personal one-on-one relationship with each student.

I am to decide who might be potentially dangerous and/or liable to commit crimes in school or who is possibly being abused, and I can be sent to jail for not mentioning these suspicions to those in authority.

I am to communicate frequently with each student's parent by letter, phone, newsletter, and grade card.

I'm to do all this with a piece of chalk, a computer that’s severely outdated, a few books, a bulletin board, in a 45-minute or less plan time, and a big smile on a starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps in many states. 

(Source: E-mail 12/6/00)