Tell me what you really think.
My mother taught high school, in New Zealand, and she didn't have to do that stuff. I don't think she would have known the rules either.
I agree with you, the plays and choirs and orchestras are important too. Here from Michele's tonight
That sounds like a good job for the dads that sit in the stands having heart attacks over every play. They probably would have loved that. Or some benched kid.
Sometimes I think people like to set it up so they have someone to blame if it doesn't do their way.
I don't blame you one bit. It is all the crap extra-curricular jobs that teachers have to do that make them want to leave the profession, among other things.
I think the US needs to wake up and treat teachers right and pay them enough money to attract the best ones! And then they should provide other people to do the grunt work!
I couldn't agree more. You're reminding me that I've just been assigned to a year of hall duty.
But this is my first day off for the summer, so I'm gonna try not to think about it.
Amen Mamacita.
Just reading this gave me anxiety. I tried to avoid these functions as much as possible because I usually had to take photos for the yearbook at these functions, as my staff members (at a small high school) were usually involved in every activity, so I had to do a lot of the picture taking for them. Unfortunately, the program was also thousands $$ in debt when I came, so we hawked chili cheese dogs in the concession stand for YEARS. Yea exactly the kind of job I was trying to avoid by attending college. It was quite a wake up call to realize that as a teacher there are plenty of crappy of jobs that an education will not help you avoid.
What a woeful waste of your wonderfulness!
I would love to hear more about your concerts, of course!
Ugh! I just got done working at a high school that is in a "socio-economically challenged" area of town. We had a pep rally when the sports teams made it to regionals, when they got metals, when they got their jerseys, and quite possibly when they washed their jerseys. Number of Academic pep rallies held: 0 - a big fat ZERO. And inspite of being a visual and performing arts magnet school as well, there was never the same hoopla around that. Stupid!
Gee, Mama, that is very backward. Nothing like that happens in Oregon. If a teacher is ASKED to help out, she/he gets paid for it. But nobody forces any teacher to do anything like what you went through. That is really pissy.
My, how I relate to this. I was always short for my age, so in a basketball-crazed school, I was always last to be picked. I hated to play, and ended up warming the bench most of the time.
Eventually, I started using the time to run track. I became a distance runner, and eventually went on to lead the school at track meets.
Ah, memories!
In the school we are moving away from (in 12 short hours!) Hubby was "Strongly encouraged" to participate in things no parent would do. He went to Culture Camp, twice a year, for four years. That's where you go out in the bush for four days (and nights) and eat True Native Food like balogna sandwiches, and learn to fish. He learned to do bead work, rather than teach the kids basic math. He had a sacred sharing circle, when really he wanted to review the Science chapter.
Don't get me wrong, he loved those kids, and felt they SHOULD honour their culture. Just not at the expense of a basic education.
Wouldn't it be great if there were weekly events on, say, Friday nights, where students and friends and family and the community could gather in a large stadium, and all cheer at the kids who did well in their classes that week (and boo at the slackers)? Maybe if education itself were dressed up with cheerleaders and brass bands playing halftime shows, then maybe folks would notice. Ehhhyaa, who am I kidding...
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