A Day in the Life...

Why am I teaching the traditional Chuseok bow?!? 

Eileen, Megan, Jaden, Caleb, Jun Yeong 

      Looks like fun, doesn't it?!   Imagine getting to roll around and play with children and toys all day long.  And get paid for it!  What more could you ask for?!  Well I'm here to inform you that it's not all that it appears to be.  While moments like these are incredible, what you don't see is the crying and the fighting and the spilled food and the throwing up and the accidents in their little pants (or worse, on you [yes, that's happened to me on more than one occasion]) and the supervisory trips to the bathroom and the bleeding...and that's not the worst of it.   Imagine how dirty, disgusting, filthy, and nasty young children can be.  They will literally touch and grab anything and then put their hands in their mouths...and yours too - when you least expect it.  And if you're a parent I know that you're probably saying "So what! It's just something that you have to deal with!"  Well guess what?!  These aren't my children!!  I dare you to spend ten hours a day with someone else's child while they cry, fight, vomit, and pee on you.  Then, while they are touching your facial hair in amazement, have them suddenly and surprisingly shove their tainted little fingers into your mouth!  Take it from me, it's not fun (or tasty) at all.

      As disgusting as that is, that's not the worst part about being a teacher.  I'm sure anyone who has or is currently teaching will agree with me that the worst part is dealing with parents.  Now I don't remember my own parents being like this, but somewhere between when I was in high school and when I began teaching, it seems that all parents convened and decided that no matter what goes wrong at school with their child, it's automatically the teacher's fault.  When I got in trouble at school my parent's blamed me...and for good reason - because it was actually my fault (no matter how many times I swore to them that the teacher just had a personal vendetta against me and was out to ruin my life)!

      So my advice to parents...don't believe everything your child says about their teachers.  We don't believe everything they say about you.  And if there ever were a profession that deserved to be appreciated more and definitely paid more, it's those in the education field.   Barely making more than minimum wage just doesn't justify being urinated or vomited on by a child that's not your own.