Thread by @dkemball

Thinking about this whole 'merit' and the 'greedy, lazy teacher' bit. According to a @OCT_OEEO report from 2018, almost 1/5 of accredited teachers drop out of the profession in the first 5 years in ON.

oct.ca/-/media/PDF/20…

They suggest this possibly has to do with job insecurity. But we cannot discount the fact that Education is a tough job. Devalued by many.

We are yelled at, hit, spit on, kicked, bitten... sometimes by parents and other community adults as well.

We all have had excellent teachers - those who gave of themselves and reached us when no one else could. Mine was Mr. Jones from @MartingroveCI. He introduced me to #coding and opened a whole new world to me.

But I do not judge all EDUs by that one incredible person.

All EDUs do their best. But they are human too. Some work multiple jobs, have young families, or older relations that require support.

I know EDUs with cancer, migraines, PTSD.

The job we do is NOT possible in the hours we are in front of students.

We cannot judge EDUs by how much EXTRA work they do to make incredible experiences for students. Some have the time, some do not.

When I was a new teacher I created complex worlds for my students with dove-tailed assignments across multiple subjects.

I created whole online tasks (in a time when these were rare and before CMS). I went through multiple textbooks to create an equitable narrative no one text would show.

I spent days creating each assignment.

Now I have three children under 6. A wife. Two aging parents...

I am not lazy but that doesn't mean I have the same time to spend on each piece I create.

I will get there again. When my children are older and doing their own thing. When I am no longer the sole support for my parents (hopefully long in the future).

I have always believed that those who get into teaching for the perceived 'ease' of the profession are those who leave when they realize just how much work goes in to even doing a passable job as an EDU.

A UK study found a dropout rate of 6.1% in teacher training programs. I would argue that some of this also has to do with the work load we face.

Luckily so many EDUs are passionate enough about what they do to overcome the negatives.

For those of you still with me - thank you. I know I'm rambling a bit here.

My point is this: despite being vilified by every government, increasingly attacked verbally and physically in my place of work, and harassed by those I choose to serve - I still serve with pleasure.