Hats off to teachers!!

You know that old saying about walking in the shoes of a man before you judge that man?  That saying can not possibly be more true than when comes to teachers. I substitute teach. I don’t do it often because there are other things going on in my life. However, for a few days a month, I choose an assignment and bravely go few dare…into the class room.

The fact that one dares not to enter into the classroom does not mean that there are not a lot of opinions about teachers, the job that they do (or the job that they DON’T do), nor that opinions do not run the gambit of how much teachers should be paid. Who ever said that teachers don’t do it for the money was right on the money (pun intended). I am not able to raise the position of substitute to the same level as that of being a teacher but I at least am able to say that I have a better idea of how difficult being a teacher can be and an opinion of the pay.

When I was a youngster, it is true that we did give subs a harder time, in general. However, it also seems true that times have changed and the both the curriculum, methods, and what is allowed (particularly in discipline) has changed. This is not a post about correcting things or a call to arms because of injustices or perceptions of what would make it better. There are a lot of those.

What I hope to be able to do in this post is to pay tribute to the very difficult job of being a teacher. It is such a thankless  job, and so long, and so underpaid that while one might be able to fix the pay thing, the rest just seems to go along with the job.

In this month of November, along with the many things that I will be thankful for, I will be thankful for the teachers who taught me how to read, write, and to through more than one sentence together in a coherent thought called a paragraph. From Ms. Gibson (Casey Park Elementary in Auburn, New York….where ever you are) to Mrs. Wheeler (2nd grade and those long finger nails that never QUITE left a mark—though it would be a big NO-NO today!) and teachers whose names I have forgotten (at least the lessons where not) Thank you for the job you did. I know it was not easy with me and for those who are teaching little Steven’s all across this country. A big THANK-YOU also. You deserve more than you get.

Thanks to them…I have it covered.