Things you might not know about your kids teachers

There are just some things that I don't think "regular" (IE. non-teacher) parents know about teachers.

1. We really put time and thought into how our classroom looks. Where things go, colors, pictures, desks, trash cans, clocks, etc. So much so, that the week before school starts, we lose sleep over things like that. How will Johnny see the clock? Will Timmy understand the system I have set up to turn in papers? How clear are my classroom rules? Are they posted where all the kids can see them? Do I need to move some desks so all the kids can see the board? Are the boards clean? etc. No, really, I could go on and on about the thought that goes into that type of thing, and how it keeps us up nights right before school starts. Then, school starts.....

2. We worry about your kids in ways you have never even thought of. You worry how their grades are and if they're making friends. We worry if they're able to work in cooperative groups, contribute to a classroom society, and if not, how that can be addressed. We worry if they are adjusting to a new school, new grade, new city, new classroom, etc. We are constantly trying to make their adjustment the easiest possible for that child. We worry if their needs are being met educationally, and if not, what we can do to facilitate learning for that child. We lose sleep over this!

3. We worry if we see your child dating, hear stories about what they do with their friends, and where they go with you think they're at Tina's house. We hear things we'd rather not ever know, and we lose sleep over it. And you know what else? When we call you to let you know what your angel is telling us, you yell at us and tell us to mind out own business. Then we cry beside you at their funerals, or smile and make cute faces at their babies - your new grandchildren.

4. We watch your child grow - spending hours a day with them. 5 days a week, 9 months a year. Sometimes, we get more than one year, sometimes we get three or four years. We love that time, we love to see them grow and mature. It's an amazing process. Sometimes lovely, sometimes scary, and yes, often we lose sleep over it.

5. We show up to the places that your children get jobs at - because they ask us to come. We eat at places we don't like, go to movies we'd rather not see, go bowling, skating, putt-putt, etc. because your child got a job there, and needs to be seen as successful someplace outside the classroom - so we go. We smile, we tell them how proud we are of them. We tell them what a great job they are doing, and how this is an excellent opportunity for them to expand themselves. We don't do this because we have too much money and not enough ideas on how to spend it. We do this, because we too love your children. Sometimes however, they share their jobs with us, and we cry, and we lose sleep over how they are making their money.

That's why teachers look so old and broken down half the time - we're losing sleep over your child. We don't mind, it's not just what we do, it's who we are. If we weren't like this, would you really want to trust your child to us? Would you really feel like your kid was getting the best?

It's not really a post to anyone in particular. Just an explanation of what teachers are really like. You hear "she's so mean" and "she picks on me". Let me assure you, that is probably true. We are mean - we hold kids to a standard and expect them to rise to it - but not without support. We pick on them - how else would they know we care about them if we didn't give them a standard, expect them to meet it, and then stay on their case until they do?

Ok, random post/rant is at a conclusion...