Would you please address this statement which I heard last night in Chris Christie’s speech. It is about the idea that people become and stay as teachers because they love children.
I really disagree with this. Yes, teachers may love children but that is not really why they become teachers. I became a teacher when I went to college because I loved my subject matter and I loved learning. I thought that I would excel at the passing down knowledge and culture and making ties between history and literature. I loved doing research and I loved explaining things to people- children, adults, whoever would listen.
I asked my husband this. He is a lawyer. He always said he went into law because he loved the law. He never said I am going into law because I love my clients. Yes, I love helping them but not because I love them. I doubt that doctors go into medicine because they love they patients. There needs to be more to a job than loving those you serve. This constant confusion that a teacher is somehow part of the child’s family is wrong. As you well know, the problem with education lies with the problems of families.
I went into teaching when I was 21. I taught middle and high school in NYC and Sao Paulo. I am 44 and have witnessed the wholesale destruction of this profession. The powers above have taken the humanity out of this very human profession. I will still keep up the fight against the DEFORMERS but I have lost hope ever teaching again. Thank you Diane for giving voice to the teachers.