-WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE MY ADVICE-
Hi. My name is Valerie Agnew. Some call me Ms. Agnew. Others call me Ms. Swagnew. I also respond to: Bitch, Hey Lady, Yo Teach, That Teacher, Rich White Bitch, and an abundance of other names (including the names of every other teacher in whichever school I'm located in). This is me. The multi-named, easily replaced person that stands up in front of groups of teens and hopes for one little spark.
-WHY YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME A TEACHER-
My reason for writing this:
There are so many people that sit there and say, "Oh! When I graduate from college, I'm going to go be a teacher and make difference!" or "Teachers have it so easy" or "Those who can't do, teach" or any of those other stupid things that people say when they think of teachers. Yes, I said stupid. Including that first saying. Seriously? Those college students that sit there in their education classes and hear about all the methods and such, watch "Freedom Writers" or "Stand and Deliver" over and over again, and think, "I just want to make a difference. I can make a difference for so many people if I become a teacher..." Yes, those people are stupid. Fucking stupid (excuse my use of profanity... actually, don't. If you have issues with profanity, you might want to stop reading).
Anyway, reason for writing this: people need to be informed. People need to know what it is actually like to be a teacher. Especially a fresh-outta-college, 22 year-old teacher. It's not easy. It's not enjoyable. It's not fun. And making a difference is beyond rare. More often than not, that teacher with that big smile on their face is crying themselves to sleep because they know that they aren't doing enough to make a difference. They know that there is no hope for them to get through to certain students. They know that, in all likelihood, they will end up quitting before they have completed their first five years.
Now, you might be thinking, if all these teachers quit before the five-year mark, why do we have so many old teachers that won't quit? First off, those old teachers started teaching in a different time. A time where teachers were actually respected and listened to. This is a new time. New teachers don't have support. They don't have respect (and no, I'm not talking about the students (though we will get to that), I'm talking about the other teachers, the administration, and the parents). When you walk into a room and everyone thinks you are a well-dressed student, you know you're screwed. When other teachers don't listen to you because they've been teaching since the decade you were born in, it makes it hard to want to stick around. It makes it hard to think, "Oh yeah, my thoughts and ideas are respected and taken into consideration!"
Hi. My name is Valerie Agnew. Some call me Ms. Agnew. Others call me Ms. Swagnew. I also respond to: Bitch, Hey Lady, Yo Teach, That Teacher, Rich White Bitch, and an abundance of other names (including the names of every other teacher in whichever school I'm located in). This is me. The multi-named, easily replaced person that stands up in front of groups of teens and hopes for one little spark.
-WHY YOU SHOULD NOT BECOME A TEACHER-
My reason for writing this:
There are so many people that sit there and say, "Oh! When I graduate from college, I'm going to go be a teacher and make difference!" or "Teachers have it so easy" or "Those who can't do, teach" or any of those other stupid things that people say when they think of teachers. Yes, I said stupid. Including that first saying. Seriously? Those college students that sit there in their education classes and hear about all the methods and such, watch "Freedom Writers" or "Stand and Deliver" over and over again, and think, "I just want to make a difference. I can make a difference for so many people if I become a teacher..." Yes, those people are stupid. Fucking stupid (excuse my use of profanity... actually, don't. If you have issues with profanity, you might want to stop reading).
Anyway, reason for writing this: people need to be informed. People need to know what it is actually like to be a teacher. Especially a fresh-outta-college, 22 year-old teacher. It's not easy. It's not enjoyable. It's not fun. And making a difference is beyond rare. More often than not, that teacher with that big smile on their face is crying themselves to sleep because they know that they aren't doing enough to make a difference. They know that there is no hope for them to get through to certain students. They know that, in all likelihood, they will end up quitting before they have completed their first five years.
Now, you might be thinking, if all these teachers quit before the five-year mark, why do we have so many old teachers that won't quit? First off, those old teachers started teaching in a different time. A time where teachers were actually respected and listened to. This is a new time. New teachers don't have support. They don't have respect (and no, I'm not talking about the students (though we will get to that), I'm talking about the other teachers, the administration, and the parents). When you walk into a room and everyone thinks you are a well-dressed student, you know you're screwed. When other teachers don't listen to you because they've been teaching since the decade you were born in, it makes it hard to want to stick around. It makes it hard to think, "Oh yeah, my thoughts and ideas are respected and taken into consideration!"
