I just think you have to really WANT to be a teacher to stay in the profession now. Weekends off? Ha. Vacations? Lots of take-home work or continuing education or professional development. It used to be that someone could get away with being a shitty teacher who did the job for summers off. Those people still exist, but I think they are far more in the minority. There's a reason that 50% of all new teachers leave the profession within 5 years, never to return.

Wow. Teaching is so much like nursing in all of these regards. I think both careers are struggling to have the public understand what they do and how much it's changed in the last 30 years.

I try not to have a chip on my shoulder about it, but if one more person says, "Oh, you're so smart! Why didn't you become a doctor?", I won't be held accountable for my actions.

20-30 years ago?

I had two 'bad' public school teachers. One was mean and liked to paddle kids. One was mean and liked to ride (to the point of tears) her non-favorites... but I don't think either one of them was academically harmful. Incurious maybe, but not incompetent.

if one more person says, "Oh, you're so smart! Why didn't you become a doctor?", I won't be held accountable for my actions

Yikes. My mom has lupus, and has had more experience with the medical profession than anyone should have, and she's always said the nurses make such a difference. I felt the same way every time I've been in the hospital -- I value my doctors, but the nurses are out there on the front line, so to speak, and they've got a tough gig.

The nurses who helped me through labor with Sara earned my lifelong respect.

Hallo everyone! I shall catch up in a moment, but I wanted to spread some joy and happiness, as I feel plenty to share, at the moment. I had turkey luncheon for work, got to go home early, instead went to see "pride and prejudice" (which was AWESOME), hung out at Barnes and Noble, ran into a friend on my way home, and made dinner from scratch! All kinds of yay, so I shall send contentment-vibes-ma all around.

And now to catch up and see who needs them.

I try not to have a chip on my shoulder about it, but if one more person says, "Oh, you're so smart! Why didn't you become a doctor?", I won't be held accountable for my actions.

Hee!!

I feel that way about "Why don't you teach college?"

"...Why didn't you become a doctor?"

The best response to that I ever heard was "Doctors treat diseases. Nurses treat people."

Hey, a teacher conversation.

I observed in a quite nice middle school today, very constructivist in a good way. Fun math classes. It's a weird artifact of the NYC system that the eighth graders sound like seniors, as they discuss their school visits, where they want to go next year, and so forth. They were making suggestions for schools I should teach at. It was kind of funny.

I don't know about parents, yet, but I'm quite sure my life will not be easy, as a teacher.

The nurses who helped me through labor with Sara earned my lifelong respect.

WROD! My L&D nurse was named Jen. I simply called her Goddess.

I feel that way about "Why don't you teach college?"

Yet another parallel between the two professions.

The best response to that I ever heard was "Doctors treat diseases. Nurses treat people."

Heh. Usually I say, "I don't care about research and publishing or diagnosing exotic diseases or performing delicate microsurgeries. I want to make people feel better when they feel crappy. That's what nurses do. "

AmyLiz, I'm so glad you had such a good experience with your L&D nurse. One of the reasons I want to be an L&D nurse is because of the connection I can make with my patients that way. Women remember their L&D nurses. It's a really humbling responsibility to be that person.

Hee. Maybe some day someone will call me goddess.

It explains KBug's fascination with Nawty Worm.

Ok Empress, I died laughing when I found this. K-Bug is indeed a PS kid.

She is also taking two AP classes and a few other advanced classes...her quarter GPA is 3.143.

Oh and she wanted me to remind you that YOUR daughter has both nawty worm and kinky banana.