On Monday night, before going to Bethlehem Township's Board of Commissioners' meeting, I decided to drop in at Barnes & Noble and pretend I'm smart. I got a cup of coffee and flipped open my laptop to make snotty remarks. I was sitting close to two women, and tried not to, but ended up eavesdropping. The younger of these two is a teacher, apparently in Whitehall. I listened to her discuss a student who wants to drop out because he's sure he'll fail. But he carries a notebook full of rap rhymes everywhere, and she often sees him jotting down his thoughts. He finally let her take a look. Once she got past the vulgarity, she told her friend she was blown away by this young man's complexity and depth. She's told him how gifted he is, and is begging him to stay.
This boy, and several of his classmates, had no Winter jacket. Too proud to admit their poverty, they'll just claim they aren't cold or that they forgot their coat. This woman and several others chipped in and bought outerwear. Anonymously. These students have no idea that, for the most part, their benefactors are their own teachers.
As I listened to her selfless talk about her students and her efforts to reach them, I began to think there's still hope for us.
When she and her friend got up to leave, I told them I could not help overhearing them and that I was sorry, but I wanted to say one thing.
"Thank you for your service."
It's what we say to our soldiers and vets every day. They certainly deserve this commendation. But this teacher, embroiled in a different kind of war, deserves a few accolades of her own.
The same goes to the rest of you bastards out there, who open young minds.
Thank you.
ReplyDeleteTeachers are to be admired and praised. They also deserve a salary commensurate with the salaries of working professionals in the areas where they teach.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, instead of asking for such things, the teachers have choosen to bargain for their employment through a union. The union has not, does not and will not compromise on tenure, lobbying state government for restrictions on layoffs and other fringe benefits no one in the private sector enjoys, and the final straw, a pension system built on perpetual earnings growth regardless of market conditions.
For their choice, teachers deserve absolute contempt. The public education is finished because of it.
Well said Eddie. This particular teacher represents 50% of the teaching force, if we are lucky. The other half are only there for the money. That said, I wish teachers like the one you wrote about could be paid what they are worth.
ReplyDeleteI know many teachers who act the way you described Bernie. I would say just about every teach I konw comes to work or leaves work each day with similar heart ache. I'm not a teacher. never will be a teacher, but anybody who says that more than a few bad apples are only in it for the money should publish their full names for the world to see. Most teachers don't care about the union. They don't want to get into arguments about tenure or pensions or health care costs. They just want to teach. Yell at the unions and the union guns, but leave the teachers and their quest to inspire young minds to learn out of the politics. Just thank them for the difficult work they face every day in a culture that seems to belittle the value of education and the pursuit of knowledge.
ReplyDeleteAnon, if the teachers are so virtuous, why are is our education system so poor? I am sorry, but I work for a school district and have seen these teachers in action. I have seen them cheer louder for their union rep, who told them all to give money for candidates who will bring the money, than for the progress the district may have made on the tests.
ReplyDeleteWhy would anyone publish their name for union thugs to see?
Thanks Bernie.
ReplyDeleteAnon: 1:09 Thank you for the dose of realism. Nothing wrong with many teachers, but in the end they would sell those kids down the river for another quarter and hour, day off, or junket/sabatical.
ReplyDeleteI have a long list of people I would 'thank' before most teachers. I wish I could put my name to this note, but just can't. I apologize for that.
Teachers equal people who are given jobs by relatives for life time benefits and pensions.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the patronage at most school district's. When you check out the relatives working in the district, you will see how lucrative these, "sacrificial" positions are.