Alice: Oh, I dunno. I could probably work every day if I wanted to
Frank: I'm thinking I might be a sub as my "retirement job"
Alice: Well... some would call teaching a "retirement job"
I don't think Frank was amused. This was a conversation I witnessed in the teacher's lounge last year when I had that ultra boring job at the nice high school. Lunch was the best part of the day, always a good conversation in the teacher's lounge.
Frank was one of the regulars in the teacher's lounge. He taught English. Alice was a sub who was also often in the teacher's lounge. In fact, it was usually English teachers, the piano accompanist, the substitutes, and us study hallers. I heard the math department had really nice digs, so they never hung out in the teacher's lounge.
I've hashed my tale of woe of how I took a job at the high school last year as a gateway into being a licensed teacher. It was actually a good thing because I learned quite quickly that I had no desire to work in a public high school - even a nice one- without spending a bunch of money on getting a license the old fashioned way: college.
Teaching would not be my retirement job.
Thing is, I liked the kids. Maybe that's one of the main reasons I realized I didn't want to teach there. I don't know if the kids had no freedoms because they abused the privileges they did have, or if they abused the privileges they did have because they had no freedoms.
Anyway, I won't whine, and I really am grateful I came to the I-don't-wanna-be-a-schoolteacher epiphany in a relatively painless way.
But it makes me think about those who do teach. Year in and year out. I guess we're just cut from different cloth, march to different drummers, etc. There are the good ones, who make lasting impressions.
I also know some teachers who, I honestly think, became teachers because they don't like kids. They like the dominance of it. They relish in being the oppressors. They just made me want to abet in the kids getting away with stuff, which was not actually in my job description.
So if I had to be a schoolteacher, what subject would I teach and why? Ugh.
Maybe community college math? Less oppressive the K-12, plus the students are paying to be there rather than forced? But with less pressure (and requirements) than a university? This is my retirement job, after all.
But really because I wonder if math teachers really have a better lounge.
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Linking up with Mama Kat for the prompt:
5. If you had to be a school teacher, what age and/or subject would you choose to teach and why?
6 comments:
If teaching is a retirement job, I want NO PART OF IT! And you can forget about community college math. They would pay me not to teach there. ;)
I could never be a teacher. My aunt teaches and loves it. I can not wrap my head around it. I mainly can't imagine the drama the parents probably bring, and if I managed to handle the kids, I'm pretty sure I couldn't deal with their parents.
Just stopping over from Mama Kat's!
Kim
I have to tell you teaching is a hard profession these days - my daughter is a teacher. There are some good ones and of course some not so good ones.
I would be a history teacher if I did teach because I always enjoyed history. Math on the other hand I despise. I bet the teachers lounge has some interesting conversations.
I taught 4th grade in a small community with lots of parental support. If I HAD to teach again, I would do that. My hubby taught business classes at the local college and really enjoyed it. He had some beaurocratic red tape to get through at times, but all in all it was a great experience for him. I think you’re right about college “kids”. Easier to teach them if they’re paying to be there. And heck, if you get the nicer digs as a math teacher, I think you found your answer!
My younger sister was a school teacher for many years. She had a temperament for it. I on the other hand, do not. It's definitely one of those jobs that needs to be done out of love.
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