R.E.S.P.E.C.T

Teachers, generally, are not hated as a whole profession. There are a few bad apples, sure. But for the most part, people often do not find us all that horrible. Now dentists, no one likes dentists. There are fears that are endless and the pain of dental work is unbearable. I can understand why people hate dentists. There are all the Wall Street bankers and corporate workers that really seem to bother people recently. The one percent making gobs of money, yes they seem to bother people as well. There are also jobs people take for granted that really seem horrible: trash collectors, mail carriers, slaughter house employees, road construction workers and the like. We think little of them yet they make the world go round.

Teachers don't really carry a bad reputation or go unnoticed like the afore mentioned careers. People seldom fear teachers. No one protests our over paid salaries. We hardly get forgotten about in the grand scheme of things. I have even had numerous people go as far as to say they find my chosen career path admirable, respectable or even daring...until one man.

Now this was barely a blind date...a first meeting would be a better descriptor. He is one of the gems people describe when talking about online dating. We had ordered a first round of drinks...our last round as it turned out and started some of the basic "get to know you" questions. These questions are basically just a recall of everything on our dating site which spurred this first meeting originally. As we are talking jobs he asked me what I did again. I reminded him I was a teacher and then time stood still. He slowly opened his mouth and uttered the words, "I don't respect teachers."

It was not unlike the scene from A Christmas Story in which Ralphie slowly utters "fuuuudddgggee" while helping his father with the flat tire. We all remember the scene. We all know the terror Ralphie felt and the shock of those around him. This scene played out rather similarly and I blinked in disbelief. Did I just here those words uttered out loud? The knee jerk reaction to throw my drink in his face never happened as I was too stunned to react. Who actually says something so horrible, to a teacher at that?! He had no real basis for his thoughts. No bad memories causing this attitude towards a profession shaping the minds of the world's youth. It was just a general disrespect for a teacher, not unlike how I feel about strippers. Nothing completely wrong with strippers, I don't hate them, no bad experience, I just don't find it completely respectable. (I don't however compare teaching to stripping all that often. I mean, after all, a stripper makes much more than I do.)

Now correct me if I am wrong, but I have a rather naive belief that most people find most teachers somewhat respectable. To think so strongly in the other direction makes me really question a person. Do people truly not understand what a teacher does? Is this a feeling that is widespread among the general population? If this all happens to be the majority rather than the minority opinion, please contact me directly. Upon removing my foot from your ass I will escort you to my classroom to see what I do everyday. Maybe then you will understand.

Its been a long time...

It has been almost a year since I last blogged. Why may you ask...well sometimes life gets in the way and it is easier to update on Facebook with a few quick keystrokes as opposed to a long winded blog that most will not read.

A lot has happened in the last year. I finally finished my Masters degree! Yes, 3 years and thousands of dollars later got me one extra letter behind my name, turning my BS into a M. Ed...the job stayed the same. December 2010 was bittersweet. I was so glad to be done with my 23rd year of school, yet unsure how life is supposed to continue on with "free time." In my new free time I decided to put all my time and energy into two things: running and dating. Both had many ups and downs. Both required training, tears, and stress. I am happy to say I met the most amazing guy and we now live together. Our life is just starting together and I am looking forward to the future with him and his daughter. I also trained for and successfully completed a half marathon. With these two life accomplishments under my belt I feel I could get back to this lowly blog and expand my growing audience of readers' minds! (See, I am still sarcastic, that hasn't changed!)

I did get a new job which has swelled me over with happiness. I am again working with students with Autism, this time in a public high school setting. I am hoping this new job leads me to more great stories to share with you. I intend to pass along happenings that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you ponder, well hopefully just laugh.

A life without laughter is far from worth living. Laughter can stop tears, bring people together, ease physical tension and promote an overall sense of well being in the body and brain. I am glad I have chosen a profession in which I laugh daily, smile often, and rejoice in the small things in life.