So I have to keep educating family and friends about what is going on in education.  We went out for lunch with the in-laws yesterday.  They live in Pennsylvania.  Hubby's mom asked what the heck was going on with education and already knew quite a bit.  She just wanted to hear it from a teacher.  I wish everyone was that well informed.

I have spent an inordinate amount of time explaining why teachers do what they do.  People immediately refer to the nerve a teacher has for doing or saying something.  They do not have any idea about the regulations and procedures we must follow.  The school is not taking care of something quickly enough or not doing anything at all.  The teachers are piling on the homework.  The school is doing everything wrong.

I do not ever recall making or hearing such complaints regarding other professionals.  (Except for those in food and retail, they get no respect).  I am getting tired of explaining my profession to others.  Exhaustion sets in when I hear a gripe and know that I need to speak up.  So why do I speak up?  Because we teachers have done our thing diligently but silently for years.  This has allowed us to be stepped on and scapegoated.  I need to speak up.  Every time a student complains about something "stupid" the school is doing, I stop and give the kids the facts.   I don't like it when the students are mistaken when it comes to policy and such.  They are fighting the wrong battles.

And speaking of speaking up....  It sure seems to me that there are a lot of ignorant people out there and some of my friends' comments and postings are getting to me.  So I have some acquaintances who believe in gun rights (or whatever you want to call it).  There seems to be no realization that an insensitive comment regarding the rights of gun owners and the right to have a school be a safe place are just not equal.  Some memories:  the frightened children in my subbing district the day after the Columbine shooting; seeing a guy run past me with a gun when working the student elections at William Paterson College; being threatened by a student.  I know the difference between hunting weapons and mass killing weapons.  I don't know why people cannot see the difference.  God forbid their "rights" are trampled on.  And the rights of the students, teachers, and school employees who have been killed?  Nah.

Some people even think it is funny to use the term "trenchcoat mafia" and "columbine" to describe or refer to a person's dress or look.  I try to let them know it bothers me, but who cares about a cushy teacher's opinion?  It is like my attempts to keep people from using the word retarded.  Whenever I hear jokey references to gun rights and school shootings, I crumble a little inside.  Non-educators don't know how that feels.  No amount of talking to people gets them to understand.  I stop the "retarded" comment easily in the moment, but those people still use the term, just not in front of me.

If I am having this much trouble with adults, am I having an impact with my students?  I am the teacher you can't use the word "gay" in front of.  But do they still use that word as a slur?  Not as much.  But the r word?  That is a tougher nut to crack.  Sure, we will be getting a big influx of autistic students here next year.  But what will that do?  On the outside, it looks like it will provide the students with more exposure to students with disabilities.  However, take a closer look.  They will be segregated (yes, I used that word) to the basement.  Way to go.  I educate a kid every time I hear a negative comment or insulting slur, but shoving these kids in the basement does nothing to help open the eyes of the student population.  Having colleagues who still use the word retarded does not help.  Yet another battle I am losing...