LTTE exposes the REALITY of being a teacher

[alp227]

A local teacher writes to the paper:

I hate the phrase "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach" (Letters, July 11). I teach at Morrill Middle School, and I challenge anyone who thinks that to come teach my class for a day. Before you jump up and volunteer you must be fingerprinted and have a federal background check. Then you have to make a lesson plan. (Remember to follow the California teaching standards.) When you arrive, prepare for the technology to be 10 to 20 years behind. Finally, greet 30-35 uninterested preteens. Prepare to spend the period just keeping the students on task, much less learning. After repeating this five times, go to a district meeting where they tell you there is a high possibility you will lose your job. Then go home and grade 160 assignments and reply to emails from irate parents whose students never turned in an assignment. Spend a day with me, I dare you.

(That letter with the "those who can't" phrase was actually from the July 10 Mercury News.)

[NYC_SKP]

1. Also, spend hundreds of dollars of your own money on supplies...

...if when there's a professional development opportunity or conference, you'll likely pay your own way, travel expenses, food, lodging.

Also, I, too, hate that phrase, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach".

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. +1

Amen.

[spartan61]

2. Good for that teacher who wrote the letter.

She forgot to include that "teachers are overpaid and they get the whole summer off." I taught school for 32 years and as much as I loved the children and my job, I was happy to retire to get away from the suits who had never been in a classroom except as a student and the people who think the job is nothing more than baby sitting. I was luckier than the letter writer because I had 1st and 2nd graders who hadn't yet developed the poor attitudes that some middle schoolers have.

[BadgerKid]

4. I thought that phrase meant something else.

as in...if you fail at your preferred career, you can always teach somewhere. I don't think the phrase meant that it's trivial work to teach.

Having worked with (science) teachers, I have nothing but respect for them. I haven't knowingly met any teacher who hated the job or hated working/being with kids/students. Some move into administration for a better salary, however.

[RC]

5. That phrase is a put down.

The correct one is "If you want to learn something, teach it."
After a while, the students will ask you everything you did not know on the subject or forgot to do in the class prep. Count on it.