The "Good" Teacher

IMAGE: Miss Crabtree with "Our Gang"
AKA "The Little Rascals"

Recently, I saw this poem below, posted on a social network page:

TEACHERS ARE PEOPLE TOO
(based on “Kids Are People Too”)

It isn't easy teaching all day,
Instructing and managing in our own way,
Dealing with all the students at schools,
While someone not there sets the rules.
People no longer understand
They don’t try to lend a helping hand.
Teachers are people too.
They're really, really people too.


We may be experienced and full of education
But teachers have become the bane of our nation.
Teachers are people too
And so we hope you understand
and try to lend a helping hand
Teachers are people too.

It isn't easy teaching all day,
Then planning and correcting instead of play
Dealing with meetings, parents, kids, and administrators .
Many of who are just rule regulators.
And so we hope you understand and give teachers the greatest respect.
Teachers are people too



My initial reaction was that it sounded whiny. My Comment:

Barbara Gini i would like to see more teachers push back against the very people who are making their jobs so difficult. why am i seeing more of the opposite?

October 13 at 2:33pm via mobile · Edited ·

Another member followed up with:

Teachers jobs are not secure if they publically push. Unions are being busted, evaluations are harder and harder to pass. I do not know one teacher who supports this behind closed doors. Things have been set up so that fear can keep teachers gagged.

The part that stood out was: I do not know one teacher who supports this behind closed doors. 
So if that is true, why are they remaining behind closed doors?


The words of Edmund Burke immediately came to mind:

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” 

and I thought: "Here are good teachers-doing nothing".

The discussion continued:

• 
  Barbara Gini that is all the more reason to speak up. Disagreeing from behind a closed door does nothing to stop it. the unions are encouraging the fear. this is how fascists win. if a teacher is not willing to push back then they are just as guilty. In fact, they are aiding and abetting. how does rolling over and complying with the very t.things that damage teachers and students, command respect? They are asking for respect yet not willing to do anything to earn it? No go. October 13 at 3:05pm via mobile · Edited · 
• M: In my opinion, standing for what is right is always the right thing to do. In other positions that people hold, if they are asked to do something that is unlawful, unethical or morally wrong and they do it, they are culpable, as well. I know about losing a job, and I sympathize with a teacher's dilemma. However, this problem affects children's whole lives and the future of our country.

  October 13 at 3:11pm · 
• R: How will they be able to feed their children? Our union is not encouraging the fear. They are just powerless. Teachers used to be able to speak up without fear of repercussion. I did not renew my own contract and stay home. I can speak out. But my friends and former co-workers need to stay employed to feed their children. Those of us who can should speak up. But some districts RIF their whole staff and hand pick who comes back. Being outspoken can be a determining factor. If speaking makes extreme hardship for one's children, one most often chooses not to speak.

  October 13 at 3:12pm via mobile · 
• R: Imo parents have always held the power. Parents. It is they who should band together and weild the sword. Teachers are easily replaced. The parents cannot be fired or glossed over in favor of another new more easily brainwashed parent. Parents will always be in the position to make demands.

  October 13 at 3:21pm via mobile · Edited · 
• M: I realize it is a tough situation, and everyone has to answer those questions for themselves. But this madness needs to stop.

  October 13 at 3:15pm · 
• R: Absolutely.

  October 13 at 3:15pm via mobile ·
• Barbara Gini Parents have all the power? Could that be a cop-out? unions have no power? then why do they exist? who do they back? they backed the ones who are perpetuating the insanity.do you think that by complying that somehow will protect your job? that is not true either. i would much rather lose my job standing for integrity and what is right than to mouse down and continue to support that which is harmful to our youth and their future. why does one desire to teach? and what kind of example do we set & lessons do we teach our kids-let someone else do it? don't speak up when sometjing is wrong? integrity doesnt matter because you are powerless? everyone needs to commit to speaking up and stopping it. Both teachers and parents.

  October 13 at 3:29pm via mobile · Edited · 
• R:  I know many people who would sacrifice themselves. I know few mothers who would sacrifice the livelihoods of their children for something that may not even do any good. So far, the teachers who have tried are easy replaced by a new , ready to please grad or a TFA student. Many teachers also feel they can at least do some good if they can stay vs leave. As with opting out, everyone needs to be on board. Even the fresh out of college teachers. No one is going to sacrifice their families for an ineffective end result.

  October 13 at 3:31pm via mobile · 
• R: Unions don't exist in more and more places. In the places they do exist they have been encouraging boycotts and walk outs while the teachers participating not only getting replaced but are touted as lazy and whiny by the parents whose children they are actually trying to help.

  October 13 at 3:34pm via mobile ·
• M: I have had several teachers in my family - my daughter, my sister, my mother-in-law, my husband's grandparents and others. I think teachers, as well as all people, need to be moral and ethical people. I think it is important to stand for what is right regardless. The difference with teachers is the young people they are teaching. I think I would find it hard to subject young children to the Common Core curriculum. Government always seems interested in improving education, but they never seem to accomplish any improvement. I believe it is all about greed and control. I do not believe, for a moment, that our government leaders care about the children.

  October 13 at 3:35pm · 
• Barbara Gini where are unions encouraging boycotts? and as far as 'sacrificing" livlihoods? what good is any of it if its not secure and is inflicting damage on several levels the effects of which will be felt for generations? so they are still part of the problem regardless of their reasons. Remember the teacher's children are also subjected to this. Why would you not want to stop it? Its not just about us in our own world but as the saying goes about teachers touching the future. What exactly are we touching it with?

  October 13 at 3:43pm via mobile · Edited · 
• R: Then please encourage parents to support the efforts ongoing. I believe engaging in teacher blame is also drinking the kool aide. Right now teachers are damned by administrators and parents either way. Making them into the bad guy is a way to create a powerless scape goat.

  October 13 at 3:40pm via mobile · 
• M:  I am trying to get the message out to everyone. I think all American citizens have a stake in this. It is the responsibility of all citizens to get involved in ensuring a quality education where parents, teachers and administrators are the ones in control, not the federal government.

  October 13 at 3:44pm · 
• R: The boycotts are mostly to do with the loss of ability for teachers to speak up, the evaluations tying teachers to test scores and the rapid losses of the rights of teachers to unionize. But look at what happened in Chicago. This has been ongoing news and is happening nationwide. Have you not been aware this is going on?

  October 13 at 3:45pm via mobile · 
• Barbara Gini i understand what you are saying but i still feel that their lack of active or passive push back adds to the perception of them being the bad guys. they set themselves up as scapegoats when they dont act. If they want to shed that image then they need to act differently and be more proactive themselves.

  October 13 at 3:50pm via mobile · Edited · 
• R: Well many teachers are also leaving in droves. But parents are buying into the "lazy teacher" spell laid by the media. I do smell conspiracy. Without parent support it really is for naught.

  October 13 at 3:48pm via mobile ·
• R: Teachers who act are the bad guys. That is perpetually making teachers inactive. It's a vicious cycle. Really they are the bad guys to you for staying, but to an equal number the Pickett line is full of the whiny deserters.

  October 13 at 3:52pm via mobile ·

While I do not agree entirely with R, R does bring up some good points.

I DO agree that educators, parents and the students themselves need to form an alliance to push back. M said it perfectly: "I am trying to get the message out to everyone. I think all American citizens have a stake in this. It is the responsibility of all citizens to get involved in ensuring a quality education where parents, teachers and administrators are the ones in control, not the federal government."

We all need to commit to 'common sense' rather than 'common core'-and stop making each other the "bad guys". Venting is fine-but please commit to DO something. Actively get involved and work to take back our control of education. It belongs to us-our children, our students. Not the Federal Government. 

What are your thoughts? Are you an educator? A parent? A student?

What actions are you taking in your school or local government to keep school & curriculum control where it belongs? (With the local Boards of Ed.)

What would you add to the above discussion?


Additional Reading:

Caring Teachers Change Things