the life of a teacher
School is out on Friday. I am so ready to spend my days with my little man! I have a running list of all the things I want to do and experience this summer with him! π
We are also going to the beach!! I can’t wait. My family is a BIG beach family and I am so excited to introduce the ocean to Trey this summer! We usually go every year. It is super important to me that Trey like water and feel safe in water. So I am also thinking of taking some mommy and me swim classes at the YMCA. I think early exposure is key. My dad has a pool at his house so I foresee lots of visits to Grandpa’s as well. π
Keith and I are also moving. We’ve been in the process of selling our house and buying another. It’s been a “fun” process and we will be moving later this month assuming all the closings go smoothly. So that will be another thing that will be occupying a lot of my time.
The only thing that bothers me is the comments I get from people about how lucky I am to be a teacher and get my whole summer off. So really quickly let me just say….eff off! HA! π But seriously, I had someone the other day sigh, roll their eyes and say, “Oh the life of a teacher.” Seriously Dude!?!?! First off during the school year I am at work every day by 6:30a.m. (before your alarm even goes off). I am not usually home until 4:00 (at the earliest). Once I do the wife and mom thing, I usually have some papers that need grading, lamination that needs cutting, or planning for the coming weeks ahead. I do it after Trey’s asleep. I easily work 11-12+ hour days during the school year. Then over the summer, I get it, I get off for 2 months. But that doesn’t mean I’m not working. I still have summer continuing education classes to attend, a new classroom to set up, planning for a new year and materials to be copied, cut and put together for the beginning of the year. So isn’t like I sit around eating bons bons all day long. So yeah, the life of a teacher. And don’t even get me started that if you broke down my salary across the hours I work…I’ll just stop there. Because why should we pay teachers (the ones responsible for educating America’s youth) a salary competitive with other careers?
But let me be the first to say thatΒ the life of a teacher is pretty great! I get to be around kids every day. I get to share in their excitement when they realize they CAN master a math problem or ace a language arts quiz. I get hugs, lots of them, every day from children who look up to me and make me want to be a better person. The notes slipped on my desk that say “I love you” or the excitement in their eyes when they tell me about their weekend all make the life of a teacher pretty great. The tears at the end of the year because they miss you and the courage you see develop because you believe in them makes the life of a teacher pretty great. I do welcome summer vacation with open arms so I can go be a full time mommy to Trey.
But don’t let that confuse you. The life of a teacher is great and it has nothing to do with summer break.
What Kelly Said 
You know it’s funny…I used to teach and left after only 2 years because it was SO much harder than I thought it was going to be! I get so mad when people suggest to me now, “You should go back to teaching – you get your summers off!” I always roll my eyes and tell them that teachers get their summers off because they work SO many hours during the school year. I truly think unless you’re related to or good friends with a teacher, you have no idea how much work it can be! Working with kids is the best, though. π
Oh man – you are amazing! I love that you have found your calling – because it is so obvious how much you love teaching, and we need more teachers like you who truly embrace it and enhance the lives of their kiddos. I am so honored to call you friend! Enjoy your summer ‘break’ of bon-bons – Trey will hate it when he’s 12 that you don’t EVER LEAVE HIM ALONE on school holidays like all the other kids, ha. Trust me on that one!
I liken the criticism of teachers to that of stay at home moms. They are two of the hardest and most underpaid jobs I know! I have many teacher friends and no one deserves some summer R&R more than you guys. Enjoy every sun filled second with Trey! We also will be getting into the water this summer. I already have his swim trunks, rash guard and big floppy hat ready to go. Now we need to find a pool! π
Can I play the devils advocate for a second? I agree with everything you said in your post about the difficulties of being a teacher and have a mom that is a retired kindergarten teacher, whom I watched first hand work much harder than the salary she earned represented. Not to mention the sheer importance of shaping our youth’s minds on a daily basis that teachers are responsible. However, sometimes I do find myself “put off” by teacher friends that perhaps act as though there are no other hard jobs out there! Perhaps it is falling into the comparison trap but I too feel like I work much harder than the salary I earn, with no maturity leave but the leave I accrue for sick and vacation after completing law school with the loans haunting me monthly. I would love to have some time “off” even if there was some work involved.
I think the real issue is everyone has a job that has these hidden frustrations and no easy way so I don’t know if it is an “attack” per say on the teaching career that people say you have the summer off or if it just finding the silver lining in an otherwise crummy work life in this country..for everyone!
I agree that lots of people out there work very hard for less money than they think they should be earning. My main issue with teacher salaries is that they aren’t competitive with other professions and the growth potential isn’t there. Teacher salaries don’t vary much from year 1 to year 25. And when someone rolls their eyes at me and says oh to be a teacher….I don’t think that was meant as looking at the silver lining. I guess what bothers me so much is I see people like my husband who works in advertising sales and literally makes my monthly salary in a week. And I’m supposed to be the one educating and nurturing the future of our country. Or the professional athlete or movie star who makes millions for entertaining us. It just makes me feel like as a country our priorities are incredibly mixed up.
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