Yup! it’s Labor Day and I’m late on posting, but school has started and for all my friends who are teachers I post this.  When I returned to school for the first time I discovered that my classroom had been used as the dumping ground for every box labeled “Fourth Grade” and that while everything was there, the desks were not where I had left them and the chairs were all piled up in a corner.  Those of you who are not teachers (and think it must be an easy job) you need to understand some of the logic in the educational system as I have experienced it.  The week before school lets out you are supposed to prepare your room for the summer.  This usually means taking everything off the walls and shelves so they may be cleaned, this includes your desk.  Those of you in business think of it as before you leave fro vacation you not only have to make sure that your projects are caught up, but you must also strip your office of everything.  Then when you return you have to put everything back.  Now here’s the kicker- All this moving and storing is done when you are not on the clock, in fact you’ll be severely reprimanded if you do it when you are supposed to be working.  I came in took one look at my room and went home.

I recall when Sue took her new job and I asked when she was going to go into the office to get things ready fro her first day.  She looked at me funny and told me she would be going to the office on her first day and spend the day getting things together.  Some teachers do have that luxury they have a couple paid days before school, I do not.  Our first day is filled with meetings and then at 5:00 the parents arrive to meet us and everything needs to be ready before they arrive.  This requires a few days of unpaid prep.  Do I hate my job?  Far from it, what I dislike are the people who think that because we have a summer break that my job is easy.  I put in a year’s worth of hours in 9 months and need that summer to recharge and spend time with the family I have neglected during the school year.

Enough of that soapbox while the majority of schools in the United States start tomorrow, I need to decide if I have enough information to send home mid-terms on Friday.  To my teacher friends-  may your students be well-behaved and may their parent’s helicopter be out of fuel.

The Conquering Hero Returns
Posted on September 7, 2009 by Bruce
Yup! it's Labor Day and I'm late on posting, but school has started and for all my friends who are teachers I post this.  When I returned to school for the first time I discovered that my classroom had been used as the dumping ground for every box labeled "Fourth Grade" and that while everything was there, the desks were not where I had left them and the chairs were all piled up in a corner.  Those of you who are not teachers (and think it must be an easy job) you need to understand some of the logic in the educational system as I have experienced it.  The week before school lets out you are supposed to prepare your room for the summer.  This usually means taking everything off the walls and shelves so they may be cleaned, this includes your desk.  Those of you in business think of it as before you leave fro vacation you not only have to make sure that your projects are caught up, but you must also strip your office of everything.  Then when you return you have to put everything back.  Now here's the kicker- All this moving and storing is done when you are not on the clock, in fact you'll be severely reprimanded if you do it when you are supposed to be working.  I came in took one look at my room and went home. I recall when Sue took her new job and I asked when she was going to go into the office to get things ready fro her first day.  She looked at me funny and told me she would be going to the office on her first day and spend the day getting things together.  Some teachers do have that luxury they have a couple paid days before school, I do not.  Our first day is filled with meetings and then at 5:00 the parents arrive to meet us and everything needs to be ready before they arrive.  This requires a few days of unpaid prep.  Do I hate my job?  Far from it, what I dislike are the people who think that because we have a summer break that my job is easy.  I put in a year's worth of hours in 9 months and need that summer to recharge and spend time with the family I have neglected during the school year. Enough of that soapbox while the majority of schools in the United States start tomorrow, I need to decide if I have enough information to send home mid-terms on Friday.  To my teacher friends-  may your students be well-behaved and may their parent's helicopter be out of fuel.

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