Community Corner

It Ain't Easy Being Teacher

I found out firsthand how difficult it can be to stand up in front of youngsters.

It’s funny, but when I got invited to J.S. Jenks School on Monday to talk about one career, I actually ended up gaining a greater appreciation for another.

Teachers may get a bad rap from some segments of society, but you’ve got to give them credit, for the job is not something everyone can handle.  

Let me just say that I stood up in front of a few classes for a total of about three hours during the school’s Career Day, (this included lunch and a short break, so probably less), and I found myself questioning how people do this for 30 years.

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It’s not that the kids I had in my sessions were bad, or misbehaved in any way. But let’s face it, intimidation can be a factor, especially when dealing with the older groups.

Middle-schoolers are a notoriously difficult bunch, and can we blame them? Hormones are running wild, they’d rather be playing sports or video games, (or sports video games), than sitting inside a classroom.

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Therefore, keeping their attention on any given day is a challenge in itself. So, in addition to trying to teach our children, educators are coping with the constant struggling of simply gaining and keeping students’ focus.

The education profession runs in my family, so I have been privy to the trials and tribulations of the job. My mother is an elementary librarian, my stepdad is a middle school guidance counselor. And my girlfriend teaches elementary-age children with Autism. I see, and hear, from loved ones what it’s like to work in our nation’s schools.

I also now know why those close to me are physically exhausted at the end of the day. Standing in front of a classroom and attempting to teach large groups of children can be taxing. During my brief stint in an educator’s role, I found my throat getting sore rather quickly, (it’s not uncommon to find oneself talking over students), my legs getting tired and my brain hurting a bit simply from trying to convey a message to those who could care less.

Actually, that was the case in past career day stints, but I must say that the crowd at Jenks was more than accommodating. I really had no issues with disruptive students, (there are always a few), and most of the kids seemed somewhat interested in what I had to say.

Sure, the afternoon crowd was a bit restless, since they no doubt wanted nothing but to get out of that school building for the day, but overall my experience was positive.

I suppose I can only hope that my message of the importance of journalism did not fall on deaf ears. Hopefully I sparked an interest in a few kids. Heck, if I was able to get through to just one student I did my job.

And so now I think I know what it means to be a teacher.

Thanks for having me out there, Jenks! I’d come back and do it again anytime.  


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