Location: St. Augustine, FL
About Me: A high school Biology teacher's coping with rosacea while living in the interesting and sometimes insane world of public education.
December 20, 2004
Christmas
I finished the week giving final exams. Everything is graded and I even gave a makeup exam to the "f- you student, as demanded by the dean. We wouldn't want to upset the parents by holding the student accountable for his stupid behavior, would we? Teachers get no respect these days and we have low self esteem. This is not a business for the timid or those of weak character. Your honor and sense of self worth is sometimes all that keeps you in this business. One of our Biology teachers is not coming back after Christmas. She is an excellent teacher who has been given a horrible group of kids and no support from the administration. They have spent the past two weeks harassing the Biology teachers for asking too much from their students! So far my irascible demeanor has kept them away from me, but it is a matter of time before I become a part of this battle. We are trying to keep kids learning in an environment where mediocrity is the rule and teachers dare not expect a lot from students. As I said before, image is everything and parents only have to call the office to elict a panic reaction from the administration. Those who want their students to learn and who push them will be battling the parents, the kids, and the administration. It doesn't matter that the U.S. has low science scores compared to other countries. Don't make waves and this keeps everyone happy. School politics is not taught in education classes, but it should be. It might keep some excellent people from making the mistake of entering education as a career. I ask myself why I have stayed in this business as long as I have. Some days I just do not have a good answer to that question. The rewards get fewer each year and experienced teachers are dropping out with regularity.
Healthwise I have a sinus infection. The rosacea is pretty good with rest but my cholesterol is very high. I go the the doctor Wednesday and will probably be put on a drug to lower the lipid levels. I will also ask for an antibiotic to clear up this miserable sinusitis so I can have a few days of relative peace before being thrown back into the snake pit we call school. Christmas gets more depressing each year. Both parents are dead now and I have no close relatives to visit. We will stay at home again this year and hug the cats and rabbit and be thankful for having them.
Happy holidays.
Posted by on December 20, 2004 07:28 PM
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Posted by: Tawnie at October 20, 2009 01:45 PM