Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Where Do Educators Go From Here???

Desperately needing a cup of coffee while sitting at home when I "should have" been teaching in my own classroom, I reached for a coffee mug one of my former First Grade students gave me:


Do All Teachers Have Class?
Yes, it's true... "Teachers Have Class!"  But, what happens when a Teacher no longer has a "Class" to "Teach?"  What do Teachers do when they have been laid off after many years devoted to this profession? How do they redirect the talents and abilities God has given them? How can these talents be put to good use while financially supporting their families?  Where do we go from here? 

As the New Year rapidly approaches, these are many of the questions floating through my mind. Do we try to "reinvent ourselves" to keep busy or do we succumb to substitute teaching in someone else's classroom while the "real" Teacher takes the day off ? Yes, it is less work, but it is significantly less pay without the perks of medical insurance and an established schedule. Not withstanding, I can't forget the main reason why many of us "Teach".... We love to work with the little ones and their parents in our own Classrooms!

Yes, some "Teachers Have Class!", but not this Teacher! So, where do we go from here? Our economy is not getting better and our nation's focus is clearly not on education. Consequently, class size reduction will not be happening any time soon and school districts have no need for "seasoned and experienced" Teachers like me with their limited budgets.

I know there are thousands of unemployed Teachers throughout our nation (with 37,000 in the State of California) asking the same questions. So, any suggestions on where good Teachers go from here would be greatly appreciated.

Bring On Your Comments and Thanks In Advance For Listening.  :)