Teacher authority...

Teachers are no longer "master of their domain".  We are silenced by the Superintendent.  We are degraded by the administration.  We are reprimanded by parents.  And we are subservient to the students.  This is more oppressive and depressive than any other occupation there is.  Plus the politicians do not make it any easier.  And most of the time the Union is only caring about their political friends or going to Honolulu for their annual conventions with all of our union dues.  When does the teacher actually get to be a part of their classroom?


Professional development days, staff meetings, evaluations, contract negotiations, paper work, committees, state tests, fights/classroom management, conferences, community participation, re-certifications, IPDPs, IEPs/504s, lesson plans, fire/tornado/emergency drills, grading papers are just part of our days that add stress.  Not to mention the other things we have to put up with such as threats, professional differences, differentiation, psychological interpretations of students and their lives.  Oh yeah, then we get to teach.  And we are given 40 minutes per day to "prepare" for all of it.

Don't get me wrong, the only reason why we do all of this is for those students that we know we have 180 days to reach and somehow leave a lasting impression upon them to make the best of their lives.  They are the only reason why we teach and stay teaching.  But we have to jump through so many hoops just to get to that point it almost isn't worth it at times, especially when you get no support from those who are supposed to be supporting you (admins).

You spend all this time trying to make it the best you can and the admin comes in and tears you apart because they think they know better, when of course most of them don't because they haven't been in a classroom in years, if at all.  (Administration)

Sometimes I think parents should just hire teachers or teachers could run their classes like doctor offices, by appointment.  I could get my own building and schedule 25 students each day and get paid that way.  By pass all the unnecessary paths that admins make teachers do.  If parents have a complaint then they can take their student somewhere else.

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