Teaching is hard.

It's really, honestly hard. It's time consuming. I wake up at 5, plan, get to school by 8, teach until 3:15, plan until 5, come home, eat dinner, and then plan again until 9:30 or 10 and do it all again the next day.

It's not just the time commitment that is hard, though. It's the caring. I care so much about those students. I want them to achieve their full potential, so I'm going to do everything I can to get them there. It's emotionally draining, really.

So it bothers me when people who are not involved in education want to have great debates. I love these quotes I found in the Readers' Digest...

"If we teach small children, don't tell us that our jobs are "so cute" and that you wish you could glue and color all day long."

"We take on the role of Mother, Father, psychologist, friend, and adviser every day. Plus, we're watching for learning disabilities, issues at home, peer pressure, drug abuse, and bullying."

Yeah, there's a lot to think about. So don't argue with me about No Child Left Behind, because I see the repercussions (good and bad) of that act reflected in the eyes of my students every single day.

I don't know everything about education--I'm definitely a rookie teacher--but I know enough and I care a lot. So let's stick to our respective areas of expertise!

Yes. Teaching is hard. But I honestly, truly love it!

In the words of Plato

So here's the honest truth (or rather, the truth as I see it): being an El Ed major means getting a lot of flack. Please know that no, I did not pick this major as a "fall back" just so I can breeze through college, get married, and have kids (honestly, the El Ed major it NOT a breeze. No, it isn't ChemE but it's not easy. Have you ever thought about learning all subjects so well you could teach the intricate basics to children who can't even write their own name?). I picked this major because I'm passionate about helping kids, about seeing the connections that are fostered in school. Not only academic connections but social and emotional connections. Is that wrong? Does that mean I'm a flighty, silly girl? "What I do-what I choose to do-may be dumb to you, but it's not to me. Is it dumb that they need me there? Is it dumb to care? Because I do, you see."

So before we move on to Plato, here are two quotes from the Readers' Digest that I liked, on the subject of education.

"If we teach small children, don't tell us that our jobs are "so cute" and that you wish you could glue and color all day long."

"We take on the role of Mother, Father, psychologist, friend, and adviser every day. Plus, we're watching for learning disabilities, issues at home, peer pressure, drug abuse, and bullying."

And NOW for the wise words of Plato.

"Power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already...the instrument of knowledge can only by the movement of the whole soul be turned from the world of becoming into that of being...and must there not be some art which will effect conversion in the easiest and quickest manner?"

And that, my faithful fifteen, is what I'm doing. I'm perfecting an art to help those around. Those dear, sweet, souls who haven't quite gained the ability to change their lives on their own. First they need scaffolding and love and support. It's an art. Changing people's lives is an art, and I'm going to be a Van Gogh.

So...there!