Teachers

I honestly think that at one time in any little girl's life she says "I want to grow up to be a teacher". Always a rewarding profession but one that demands little respect or compensation.

Talking about the ones who guide your children until college. They are the mostly ladies that everyone can name from kindergarten until sixth grade no matter how old they are. Middle and high school years, again with a host of these professionals, are not easily forgotten.

I was in elementary school for most of the 60's and certainly considered that when I grew up I would be a teacher. Things didn't work out that way but, through my adult life some of my dearest friends chose this profession as did my Daughter-In-Law. I was the PTA president, secretary, newsletter editor and chairman of countless committees so I consider myself an almost teacher and have seen how it has changed.

From my own elementary school memories.....my teachers had or never did touch a computer, most of the children in their classes walked or rode their bikes to school. There was a set bunch of text books that they adhered to. Unruly children were smacked with a paddle. My teachers dressed in their Sunday best. I never saw them outside the classroom on a "Skate Night" nor did they ever come to my home. From what I remember, there was my teacher, my principal, the office secretary, the custodians and the cafeteria ladies. You could buy a 25, 30 or 40 cent plate for lunch which I remember as awful but there was nothing better than the ice cream sandwiches, the ice cream that was eaten with a wooden spoon or the delight of a bag of the newly invented "Frito's" that were packed in my paper bag lunch. Teacher's lounges we knew were the place where they went to smoke and drink Coke. No such thing as "Diet" then. We began our days with the Pledge of Allegiance.

After the years of High School, College and lack of interest in what was happening in public schools, I had children and there I was again. Twenty-five years had passed and I was back in school looking at it from a totally different perspective. Teachers, sometimes to my children's horror, became my friends and came to our home for a party. We spent summers at the pool with them and my children got to know their children. And, as an adult and contemporary, I was still in awe of teachers. They got summers and holidays off but, their lives revolved around the twenty plus children in their classes each year. Their skill and dedication amazed me.

During these days of the early '90's all my teacher friends had wonderful assistants to help them in the classroom. Political correctness was just beginning. There were still Christmas, Halloween and Thanksgiving and parties to celebrate . There were parents' beating down the doors to help with a special project or bringing cupcakes to make their child's birthday special. My teacher friends sometimes spent their own money to make their class better and, more often than not, had parents there to help cut costs. They were able to sit for at least 30 minutes to enjoy their lunches. They dressed more casually, could not pledge to the flag and had to keep track of all the times of day when so many of their students had to go for their Ritalin fix.

The school lunches were more varied and better tasting than the hot dogs, hamburgers, salads and turkey that I remembered, which still remain the worst variation of these that I have ever had....... There were some great plays, festivals and events. The PTA had about ten committees.

Today my own children are grown but, I again, get to visit the elementary school to help my Daughter-In-Law. The children look and dress the same. The logos on their backpacks and T-Shirts have changed to reflect the current trends. I only see the "Parents" when they might come by to pick up their child for an appointment. You can't blame them because they all have jobs that don't provide the simple luxury of just coming to have lunch with their kids. The PTA president doesn't spend most of her days in the school.

I see my Daughter-In-Law never sitting down or even taking a good breath. She might have 15 minutes to eat in her classroom (is there still a teacher's lounge?) and never leaves when the bell rings. Her dedication is the same of all the teachers I have ever known. She works on school stuff at home and continually shops for her kids. Her duties have far surpassed any that I have ever witnessed. She is now forced to weed out lunch boxes for contraband junk food. Long gone are the days of paddles, her anger at a kid who disrupts the class has to be carefully measured because even the slightest misused word can become fodder for a firestorm.

And, today US public schools are dissected for their so called lack of performance. Parents with the resources always opt for private schools. Children graduate when they can barely read and sometimes with honors. Even as far back as when my adult children were there....their A's for rigorous courses were deemed equal to the A's received from those kids who did half the work all because "No Child Should Be Left Behind". I know that self-esteem roots in a person's earliest years and they all need accolades and encouragement but, does this really prepare them for their adult lives?

Finland has one of the best educational systems in the world. From what I've read their focus is on all aspects of what needs to be learned, hands on experiences and there are no set guidelines for all this. Plus, their teachers' pay scale equates to that of an engineer, as it should be.

So to make our schools better: 1. Pay the dedicated professionals what they are worth.....2. Don't worry about stepping on toes (Isn't this one nation under God?)....3. Remember that public schools are not welfare or police states and not a source for neglecting parental responsibilities.....4. Remember that all enrolled in public schools were born here and those who weren't came to the US for a better life. That better life is to accept the language and customs of the country you've chosen to reside, not for that country to adapt to you.

Here's hoping that somehow public schools again regain the respect they deserve.