This Pri$e of Teaching

I know why more teachers drop out of the profession within 5 years. Teaching is hard. REALLY hard!!! I am in my fifth year now and I am ready to implode. This time of the year is the most difficult. With spring break 10 days away, (yes, I'm counting) my students are getting on my last nerves and I know that I am getting on theirs.

Today I implemented a new "pencil policy". Basically it says that no one can use a pencil for the rest of the year unless 1) they have a signed permission slip from their parents, 2) parents buy pencils and sharpeners for their students and 3) students agree to be responsible for their own pencils and cleaning up the pencil sharpener shavings after use. This comes after the 4th, (yes, 4th!) pencil sharpener that I have bought this year, was broken when a student decided to sharpen the eraser part of a pencil. At first, I thought it was a crayon, which sent me into a magenta rage! (Evidently, it is now cool to have a pencil with both sides sharpened. However, then I get to hear, "Ms. G, can I have an eraser?" or "I can't do my test, I don't have a pencil.")My response? "That's fine, use a crayon." If you want to act like a kindergarter, I will treat you like a kindergarten and we will all use crayons to complete our work. "But how will students complete state tests with crayons?" you ask. I am not sure, but if they can't be responsible enough to keep a pencil from one day to another, how will they survive in middle school, when they have several teachers and lockers with two minutes to change classes.

As a caution, I sent parents a letter today to explain the new policy and my reason for such a drastic measure. I gave out my cell number with a note saying to please call me with any questions or concerns. I thought for sure my phone would be bombarded with calls and messages before I left school for the day. But after 3 hours of being home, no calls. Not one. This either means that parents understand my point, or students haven't given parents the letter yet.

Everyone always agrees that teachers have the hardest job, and don't get paid enough for the job they do. But sometimes, this is just lip service. If people really felt this way, send me supplies! Most people do not grasp the concept that EVERYTHING in my classroom comes out of my own pocket, and I do mean everything!!! The tests that students take every week, a box of paper $35.00. Loose leaf paper or notebooks use to write notes and learn information and concepts, $1.99 during the school year, cheaper if you take advantage of school sales in August. Think about how much a parent might spend on supplies at the beginning of a school year. Not counting clothes, $200 at the most. Now take that and multiply it by an average class size (20 kids). That's $2000 at the beginning of the year. By January, these supplies are done-zo! So another batch of supplies is needed at mid year! If I buy this out of pocket, (which I usually do)that's 10% of my salary! (Again, I need to put a disclaimer that these are estimates, but they are not really far fetched. Beginning teachers have it a lot worse because they have more expenses since they are buying everything from scratch. This means posters, bulletin board paper, pencils, papers etc. Plus, their salaries average about $25,000 a year)

Now that I broke down the money situation, is it any wonder why teachers leave the profession? Or why I work a "part time" job, but really average 40 hours a week? Do you know any other profession where you must buy your basic necessities needed to complete your daily job? Have you ever bought pens, copy paper or post it notes out of your own pocket? Do you do this twice a year? And don't even get me started on the hours that I log in over time, at night or on weekends. Would you leave your current job for half the pay but twice the work?

But whenever this argument comes up, the naysayers always have the same response: "Teachers get summers off, two weeks at Christmas and a week off for Spring Break!" Ok, let's do that math. Summer starts mid June and begins mid August. This is around eight weeks. Count in holidays and that make around 10 weeks. Businesses usually allows two weeks vacation time. So we are really looking at 8 weeks vacation that I am "allowed" more than you, which comes to 320 hours. Between lesson plans and grading papers, I usually work 4 hours a night during the week (not counting weekends). That comes to 20 hours a week. School lasts for 180 days, so that's 3600 extra hours that I accumulate. That's a mark up of 9% more hours than you work in a fiscal year. Again, my I remind you that you probably also make twice than me. So, in conclusion you pay me half of your salary, I will work my 8 weeks of "vacation" time during the school year.

How you like them apples?