A Small Point of Light

Here is an intersting link: www.tri-cityherald.com/964/story/56372.html . This is written by a teacher in a small town county seat in eastern Washington. It really goes to the heart of what is true about teaching: most teachers are committed to their work and their students, but society does not value education enough to give them the tools and listen to their expertise in the classroom.

The point is well taken. After taking 4 years of college courses, receiving 20-30% less pay than you classmates who go into other fields, being forced to perform time consuming "mastery" tasks in your first two years of teaching that have little to do with the classroom, earning a masters degree during your "free" summers, taking extra classes in the summer or concurrently with your work day, going to in-house seminars on subjects ranging from motivation to accomodation, surviving the 50% burnout rate in the first 5 years of teaching, you are faced with "reformers" who have never spend an hour in a classroom doing the real work of teaching who tell you that you are not doing your job right and that you are the reason the system is "failing."

How demoralizing. How is this not a "slap in the face of teachers?"

I am pleased to see this viewpoint get an airing in the press. The prevailing reports on teaching are of the "it's-the-teachers'-fault" variety. Generality based on feelings and emotions, not facts.

I just hope that Mr. Brusberg doesn't become the target of bullying because of his observations.