I have often used the following video, Building Airplanes in the Air by EDS when talking with teachers because they can relate to how difficult the job is.  Teaching can be as difficult, challenging and worthwhile, as building an airplane in the air. Teachers transform lives.  True, they teach about subjects, content, concepts, ideas, but the bottom line is that they educate children; the whole child. Teachers know this; non-educators do not.  And teachers are continuing to inspire and educate our youth despite the firestorm of recent public disapproval. They aren’t sitting around waiting for a superhero.  They have been not been inspired by Arne Duncan, the Race to the Top, legislation, their administrations, the fear of School Improvement and certainly not by the money.  Dedicated teachers are setting an example everyday of grace under pressure.  They are inspired by the promise of learning and the realization that they are entrusted with a year of each student’s educational lives.  They go about the business of educating and changing lives because it is a calling. Everyone can think of a teacher that impacted their lives.  Frequently people are asked, “Who was your favorite teacher?”  Teachers often become teachers because of a teacher they had that influenced them.

And so my message today on this National Blogging for Real Education Reform day, be on notice education naysayers. Educators are not distracted by the circus that legislators, non-educators, millionaires, and movies create and the media instigates.  We have a job to do, educate our children.  So while we can and will stand up for ourselves in the face of criticism and insist that educators know better than anyone about education; our focus will not shift from our students. No matter what legislators throw at us, how NCLB impacts us, or what public opinion may be, for teachers it comes down to two questions: Am I as inspirational as the teacher who changed my life?  And am I transforming lives?
 


Comments

Tony link
11/28/2010 12:16pm

This is important to keep in mind you are right sometimes we lose focus on the real goal of education when we are bombarded with all the other things we need to do. The question is how do we get teachers involved in the policy making process instead of politicians that have no understanding of our schools?

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Pam link
11/28/2010 2:55pm

Tony, That's a great question. I wish I had an easy answer. Many teachers go quietly about their jobs and are solely focused on teaching. In my piece, "It's Time for the Experts to Step up to the Mic" ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pam-lowe/its-time-for-the-experts-_b_753010.html ), I discuss the fact that teachers need to speak up and out. They also need to become knowledgeable about what is happening to education on the political front. It's time to stop letting things happen to us and to start making things happen.

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Julie
12/16/2010 10:17pm

You're right, Pam. We're so busy doing our job that we forget that, by default, we are allowing others to control our job rather than take that control ourselves. No surprise given how hard and long good teachers work. But you're right; I'm tired of being painted as the bad guy simply because I don't exercise my political voice. Time to change that!

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