Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Teachers or Superheroes ?

Funny Pictures. Lara Croft

When it comes to teaching, the work in class is the easy part and I mean it.

The work we have to do out of the class is the one that can sometimes " do the damage". Do you feel like that?

Let's see:

Prepare classes....No! Wait a second: prepare GREAT classes- that takes a big chunk of your time.

Prepare homework, correct the homework.

Learn new things, be updated on the latest technologies, have a blog, keep your blog updated, share activities with teachers, upload your material at Edmodo.

Gee! There goes my mornings.

Go to class, try to stablish a good rapport with your students, try to get respect and discipline at the same time, try to get along with parents, try to get their children to speak English, try to get their children to do homework.Put everything in the system.

Check the files, check who is going to stay after class, send students to the library, call the parents, put everything in the system.

Write the absences, hand the control slip of absent student, record everything in the system.

Check who is discouraged. Call, send e-mails. Talk to the mother, father, aunt, nanny.Put it in the system.

NOTE: Have an orkut account will help you "remember" their birthdays

Record it on the system.

Be aware of the schedule! Record it in the sy.....Ops!

While you keep an eye on the schedule come up with a presentation for the students to perform to their parents.

Worry about their grades, worry about their motivation, worry about their feedback. Put it in the system???

Participate on the institution's meeting, discussion, tests....

In the end of the day, you might hear a compliment and that is always nice. Right?

In the end of the day you might have to deal with criticism and that is natural and bla bla bla but it is also soul crushing sometimes.

That is a typical day. Just one.

Is it normal to go to bed at night and mentally go through the things you did hoping that you didn't leave anything behind?

Is it normal to wonder if all this work is worth it since- Let's face it- you are never gonna get rich doing it?

I must fall under a cliche to answer that one:

The love for an institution won't be enough. You must really love the choice you've made, the path of education. That information will NOT be in the system.

4 comments:

Fernanda said...

Ah nao amiga... meu sonho é ser uma professora super heroína como vc...

Roberta. said...

Jesus. I feel exactly the same!

Juliana Paniago said...

Wow, ficou muito sarada!
I totally agree with you.
I really don't know how we survive. And sometimes the reward is when you yourself see your great effort of doing something you believe that was supposed to be good. If I'm correct, We will never know how much it really worked.

ŠÑ@¡L Üñ€HÅÏñÊÐ said...

Hello, my name is Tom. I think teachers are superheroes! They teach us easy things to start and then get harder! It's good because if there were no teachers no one would have a good life! I mean there would be no money to buy food because you woudn't have a job because you don't no what a job is! You would have to live on the streets because you woudn't know maths to pay off your mortgage! Teachers are great role models for children and my teacher Mrs Cliff is great! I love your blog! It's all very interesting! Please visit mine at
http://tom5.edublogs.org
Thanks