Monday, August 11, 2008

The final stretch...

Well, I had to go in to work today. It was quick, but I just wanted to go home. It was a dark and stormy day, I just finished physical therapy, and I guess I didn't want to bump into anyone I don't want to see. But that didn't happen. Phew!

I have been reading this GREAT book and that is probably the main reason I didn't want to go in. It is "Teachers Have It Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers" and it is by Daniel Moulthrop, Ninive Clements Calegari and Dave Eggers. The only name I knew was Eggers and I never read his stuff. I saw the book in Bluestockings in the L.E.S. but was hesitant to buy it. Trusty inter-library-loan works for me in those cases. Let me just say that every truly hard-working teacher needs to read this book to know s/he is not alone. Every lazy teacher who is just coasting until retirement needs to read this to find out why we do not respect you and just want you out. And everyone else in America - students, parents, common citizens - needs to read this to realize what our lives are really about. Over the past 10 years I have gone back and forth between wanting to leave teaching and wanting to stay. This book makes me realize that all my feelings are valid. I just want to know why the world didn't know about this book when it came out. Why wasn't there more of a commotion? Or maybe there was. See, I don't have cable and no antenna on the house, so I miss a lot of stuff. But at least is saves me money! And the next time someone gives me attitude for not having kids, I will just advise them to read this book. So nice to know you are not alone, but still immensely frustrating.

Enough for now...

No comments: