Thread by @poundedbypaxton

I am not a teacher. Yet everyday I go into a classroom and I teach 3-6 yr olds how to put on their shoes, pull up a zipper and put on a snow suit. I teach them how to open their lunch box, clean up their juice spill and not put food in their ears/nose. I teach them their letters,

the sounds they make and how to put those sounds together to make words. I teach them how to write those words to tell a story or to tell someone important to them they love them. I teach them that numbers are quantities and that they go in

a particular order and how to add and subtract those numbers. I teach them about graphing when we vote on which story to read and measuring when we compare which Lego creation is biggest. I teach them to be proud of their work.

To be proud of themselves, where they came from, who they are and who they want to be. I teach them about the importance of washing their hands and brushing their teeth. I teach them about recycling and planting seeds and dinosaurs and

spiders and worms. They love worms. I teach them how to say “can I play with you’, how to advocate for themselves, how to ask for help and how to be kind, patient and respectful of each other. I teach them that it’s ok to make a mistake,

to persevere and how to say sorry. But I don’t only teach them. I hold them when they are sad, sick or frightened. I feed them when they are hungry and dress them when they don’t have enough. I wipe away their tears, boogers (there’s a lot of boogers) vomit and

all that stuff that happens in the washroom while making them feel safe, comfortable, cared for while also preserving their dignity. I have been bitten, kicked, punched, spat on and had chairs thrown at me when these little ones are tired, hungry or become

hungry or become overwhelmed by big emotions and I have used myself as a barrier to protect the other children from being hurt. I have attended meetings with speech therapists, occupational therapistsand social workers listening, planning and buying whatever I could to

support the children in my class. I have shed so many tears and lost so much sleep worrying about them and their families. But I am not a teacher. I’m an Early Childhood Educator and I’m proud of that. I love my job and my kids (that’s what we call them).

But I can’t afford it any longer.
So when you hear that education workers are asking for more money it’s true, we are. We love our jobs but we need to survive. #$39000 is not enough.#ece @CUPE4156 @OSBCUCSCSO

Thank you for sharing!