Reposted with permission of the American Federation of Teachers
http://www.aft.org
Where We Stand
(The author of this week's guest column is Gary Conklin, who teaches 
U.S. history and economics at Louisville Collegiate School, 
Louisville, Kentucky. "Talking to a Teacher" first appeared in the 
(Louisville) Courier-Journal, August 18, 1994.)
Talking to a Teacher
Mid-August is back-to-school time.  Book bags are stuffed with 
calculators, colorful folders, pencils, and paper of pure white.  
Trips to the shopping malls are adventures in current style.  (Is 
grunge still in?)  Classrooms are carefully prepared.
     It is the start of another nine-month journey that for everyone 
involved -- students, parents, and teachers -- is guaranteed to be 
unique, unlike any that has gone before.
     One area of preparation, however, suffers from neglect: 
understanding how adults should interact with teachers.  So as a 
public service, I offer the following suggestions on how to talk to 
a teacher--any teacher, not just your childs teacher. 
     When you run into an acquaintance who you know has been 
teaching, do not say, "So, are you still a teacher?"  Of all the 
subtle and unintended indignities a teacher must endure, that, to 
me, is the worst.  Do you ask, "Are you still a surgeon?"  Or, "Are 
you still a corporate litigator?"
     Of course not.  Teaching is a profession, not just a temporary 
stop on the way to real life.  The "Are you still" question implies 
that teachers are just highly educated temps, and that once the 
idealism, independence, and energy of youth are replaced by 
cynicism, debt, and exhaustion, we will move on to something more 
rewarding.  Indeed, some do move on, but most of us -- the best of 
us -- are in for the duration.  Respect that commitment.
     Do not feel sorry for teachers.  True, it is a very hard job, 
but every school is not filled with doped-up, gun-toting, 
out-of-control kids.  Every parent does not blame the teacher when 
little Billy fails a test.  Yes, I work in a private school, so I 
have fewer of the problems that afflict my friends in the public 
sector, but those friends consistently indicate that we share the 
same positive feelings about our jobs:  We like our students, the 
parents are supportive, and we are proud of the job we do.
     Teachers are human.  We have lives outside of school, so dont 
feel you have the right to call us at home at any hour to discuss 
why Sally is getting only an A and not an A+ in history.  And it is 
true that teachers are expected to be "moral exemplars," and we dont 
mind being role models, but we signed on to teach your children, not 
to raise them; parenting is for parents.
     A word about money:  Dont substitute platitudes and tokens for 
decent pay.  Teacher compensation has improved significantly in 
recent years, but it still lags behind other comparable professions. 
 We know we are appreciated--but you cant take warm fuzzies to the 
bank.  We like but dont need any more plaques, coffee mugs, or fruit 
baskets at Christmas.  And we know we "touch the future."  (So does 
the plumber, but he or she makes more doing it.)  In place of 
rhetoric and gifts, we would rather have your support in efforts to 
continue to improve compensation.
     Art Linkletter, a television personality in the 1950s, used to 
have children appear on the show, and he compiled their witticisms 
into a book titled Kids Say the Darndest Things.  You better 
believe they do, so dont be alarmed when your child reports that his 
or her teacher said or did something outrageous.  Elementary grade 
students will tell you everything, but they will get it wrong. "Eric 
Clapton is a guitar god," becomes "Mr. Hendricks said that Eric 
Clapton is God."  Middle school students will tell you almost 
nothing about school or anything else, but high school students will 
tell you just what serves their purposes:  "You have two months to 
read War and Peace" becomes "Mr. Marshall said we had to read 
War and Peace by Monday!"
     Be a little skeptical when your child talks about what goes on 
in school, and remember this:  Your child tells us everything about you.
     And finally, when you have a concern, please first contact the 
teacher at school and avoid the temptation to go directly to the 
highest level of administration that you can reach.  Respect and 
acknowledge the teachers willingness to meet with you and discuss 
any concern.
     I hope everyone has a great school year.  And next summer I 
hope my friends will greet me with a simple, "How is your teaching going?"
Chuck Beams
cbeams@dreamscape.com
http://www.dreamscape.com/cbeams
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* UniQWK #5290* Another good day; the computer is still working!
--- Maximus 2.01wb
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