A letter I read from the Dec. 17 issue of the “Cherry Hill Sun” disheartens me. Teacher’s jobs are not easy. We spend time with your children longer than most parents are during the day. Do you know what SGO’s or benchmark’s are? Do you know what the expectations are from the state that need to be accomplished in a school year?
We just don’t go home and sit around. We take papers home to grade, write lesson plans and are always thinking ahead. Oh and don’t forget we also have our own families too!
You said get a real job. I have one. You try even for one day controlling, nurturing, caring and teaching 20-plus 8-year-olds and see what a real job is. I love what I do and that is why I do it. How dare you say what a real job is. I might get summers off. However, during my summer breaks I write grants to improve my students learning experiences in the classroom. I write curriculum to keep up with the times. I am always thinking about what I can do better to get information to my students.
Oh and by the way, I fight the morning traffic to be in an hour, yes an hour, before any student is in school. Everyday I have to be ready to entertain, engage and inspire young minds. Even when I am sick, have a headache or am grumpy, I still have to be “on” and ready to go. Why? My students count on me. They look up to me.
When I am out in public and a student sees me, I have to still be that role model and watch what I say and do. Being a teacher is not a nine to five job. If I only wanted to work less than 40 hours a week then I would have not become a teacher!
Kristen Thompson
