Goodbye Good Teachers

Ok, to this point I have remained relatively silent when it comes to the attack on teachers being mounted by the Alabama government. I read the articles and I don't love it but it is the comments that really piss me off. Thus, I can't take it anymore. There are holes in my tongue from all the biting. So, here we go.

I am SICK of all of the great people of this state who believe that we, "over paid babysitters", are greedy. I am even more sick of the argument that we don't do anything and that we are the problem. Thus, I am going to give you a run down of a typical day in the life of THIS teacher.

5:00 AM  The alarm goes off
5:30 I get out of bed and get ready for work.
6:15 I leave my house
6:45 I arrive in the office to sign in and check my mail for parent conferences before heading to my room
7:00 I am in my classroom turning on my computer, smartboard,and  laptop(which is mine not provided by the school) before writing assignments, warm ups, objectives, and national and state standards on my board
7:10 I am checking email for announcements and ISS names to ensure I have work assignments for them
7:20 The bell rings for school/I am in the hallway directing traffic and ensuring there are no fights before class begins
7:30-9:20  I am actively engaging my students in group work, individual practice, lecture, reading, etc. while never turning my back on the students bc if I do there could be anything from someone throwing a pen to an all out brawl.
9:20-10:15 I am on my planning period which means talking to co-teachers about struggling students and strategies to help them, making parent calls, filling out FBA's, or making copies for the next day. NO BREAK HERE
10:15-11:10 I am actively engaging my students in group work, individual practice, lecture, reading, etc. while never turning my back on the students bc if I do there could be anything from someone throwing a pen to an all out brawl.
11:10-11:55 I am escorting my students to lunch, sitting with them while they eat to deter induvidual fights or food fights, escorting them back to class, and supervising them in the hallway while they rotate to the restroom
11:55-2:45 I am actively engaging my students in group work, individual practice, lecture, reading, etc. while never turning my back on the students bc if I do there could be anything from someone throwing a pen to an all out brawl.
2:45-3:00 I clear the hallways and prepare my classroom for tutoring
*Somewhere in this, I also monitor 750 ninth graders in the hallways, break up fights, council students who are close to fights, listen to kids who are going through unimaginable home lives, give make up work and tests, keep problem students for other teachers, and keep track of truancy
3:00-4:30 I tutor struggling students in English and Reading through one on one attention and group work
4:30-6:00 I am in the auditorium working with the step team on routines for each upcoming show. (They are awesome by the way/I am proud of them)
6:00 I am locking my classroom and making sure no step members need a ride home
6:15 I am either heading home or taking a student home before heading home.
6:45-7:00 I am arriving home to eat dinner before working on a power point lecture, putting grades in INOW, grading papers, or completing my mountain of continual paperwork
8:30-9:30 Talking to SB, checking FB
9:30-10:00 Getting all things prepared for the next day/Paperwork, lunch packed, etc.
10:00 Getting in bed to toss and turn for 30 minutes turning my brain off from all the things I didn't get done before going to bed.
Finally falling asleep just to get up and go again.

Now, this is not complaining. I love what I do. So, please don't tell me if I don't like it, find a new job. I don't like it. I love it. That is why I do it. However, it is quite offensive to be told repeatedly that I don't work or that I don't deserve a decent paycheck or that I do deserve a pay cut bc I am greedy. Ask my bank account if I am greedy. Ask my students who can't afford a step uniform but miraculously have one if I am greedy. Ask the kids without paper or pens if i am greedy. Ask the young lady whose mother was buried by the 1,000 dollars given by teachers and administrators at Lee High School if I am greedy. You, dear ignorant people of Alabama, have no idea what greedy is. I work my ass off and I give until I have nothing left for the betterment of the children of this state. So, next time you feel the need to accuse teachers of greed, laziness, or incompetence please refer to this blog and my schedule.

Now, having gone through that, Alabama only has 2 things to offer good teachers at this point in time.
1. Tenure- I am not a tenured teacher and I get laid off yearly bc of that. However, it is what keeps good teachers in Alabama which does not pay as well as other states over time.
2. Retirement/Insurance- I get great insurance for a low price and a good retirement for the same. Again, if I can't have that, why not go to GA and make more money.
Therefore, citizens of Alabama, what are you going to do when all good teachers leave for greener pastures and you are left with the few teachers who really are crappy and can't find a job anywhere else. Good luck with that.