The Scapegoat

"What do you do for a living?" 

Me: "Scapegoat...er...teacher. I'm a teacher."

Maybe that answer is a bit cynical, but I'm increasingly exhausted, working a profession that is synonymous with "scapegoat." Just a mere six months ago, celebrities and commoners alike hailed teachers the heroes of our daily lives, managing the masses all while staying organized and molding tomorrow's minds. After six months at home with "mean-agers" who probably deserve time in a work camp doing hard labor just to learn a little appreciation, the world has decided teachers are lazy and the sole reason why little Johnny can't read, write, or do math. 

STOP THE BLAME GAME. 

"The best teacher is the first teacher." This motto was espoused in a school where I spent the most miserable year of my teaching career. Don't get it wrong: I learned a ton about myself and the world, but I was a scapegoat of magnificent proportion all because of what I look like and where I come from. Forget my three college degrees, my love of children, and my beliefs that ALL people can learn if they put in effort -- none of that mattered because what the children lacked in skills was all my fault. Back to the motto, "The best teacher is the first teacher." PARENTS! That's you. You're the people tasked to teach manners, compassion, basic memory (addresses, phone numbers, etc.), and fine motor skills (why can't some of my 13 year olds tie their shoes?). You are the people tasked with teaching ownership, good or bad, and demonstrating consequences so that children can learn from their mistakes. If you're not teaching them these things at home, they are coming into my room acting a fool. If they're coming into my room acting a fool, learning English isn't first priority. 

Humans love structure. They do. But it seems we live in a world where we'd rather forego discipline, rules and guidelines so that we'll be liked; we live in a world where throwing a fit and blaming others is a "way out" and suffering consequences is considered cruel and unusual punishment if you come from a certain background or have certain beliefs. We actually live in a world where individuals believe their opinions and feelings are so elevated above other's that tearing others down is an acceptable way to prove a point. 

None of this escapes public school classrooms. As a matter of fact, I'm curious at what point I might be "attacked" and forced to leave the profession (if I don't leave voluntarily in the meantime); at what point I might have to watch my back or hide what I do for a living for fear of being lumped in with the bad examples in education. In many ways all of this is happening. Weekends aren't for enjoying family or leisurely activities -- weekends are for lesson planning, catching up on grading, and worrying about upcoming meetings where someone is mad because Susie Q's grade is unsatisfactory. Nights are miserable because my mind reels so much about what needs to be done, what might happen, and whether or not teachers will be the blame keeps me awake. 

It's funny to me how everyone in education preaches compassion and grace, yet so few on the outside have any for the people in the trenches. I may not be hooking up intravenous lines or doing chest compressions daily, but I'm attempting to mainline knowledge and skills to today's youth and losing patients left and right to supposed "malpractice." I've read emails where I've been accused of confusion because upon consulting their 13-year old 8th grader, the parents concluded the work was turned in and I just lost it. They know it's true because their kid would never lie; they taught him better. *insert rolling eye emoji here* My momma taught me not to lie, too, but at 13, if it meant saving my butt, I probably slipped in a lie or ten. 

As a rule, it's never ok to assume that someone's job is easier or harder than yours; every profession has it's pitfalls, perks, and difficulties; however, I will say it's A-ok to offer help or praise where necessary and to recognize the efforts along the way. I celebrate the move from a 50F to a 55F because there was progress; it's not passing, but it's growth, and that is what education is all about. When will the world stop seeing teachers as bonafide babysitters who are lazy and not doing enough? When will people in my county stop demanding a tax cut because they claim teachers don't deserve the pay since we're simply not working as hard? A pandemic didn't do it, so will it require every good teacher walking away from the profession to inspire people to dig deeper for kindness? 

The fact that any good teacher can talk to you very personally about your child while also being able to do the same for 100+ students is impressive account management. Teachers are expected to accommodate every lifestyle, personality, learning style -- EVERYTHING, but when teachers need compassion, grace, or accommodation, they are accused of laziness, narcissism and general ineptitude. 

I'd like to throat punch George Bernard Shaw for saying, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." If our society truly believed this, college wouldn't be so expensive, education wouldn't be compulsory, and the tests for obtaining a teaching license wouldn't be so rigorous. Good teachers are walking away in droves; don't let your child's favorite, tough-love educator be the next because you undervalue the profession and education very publicly.