We know how crucial education is, yet people seem to forget that teachers are the ones who facilitate that education. So join me in my daydream, and together we can imagine the step-by-step improvements that could be made if teachers were given the respect they deserved.

Step 1: We acknowledge that teachers are well-educated professionals that essentially create all other professions

Everyone recognizes that teaching is hard, and that educators are skilled professionals who are knowledgeable about content, learning strategies, and interpersonal skills. Instead of throwing doubt and blame at teachers, society respects the individuals who are responsible for the education of the next generation.

Step 2: Teachers are compensated as the competent experts that they are

Salaries rise dramatically in order to compensate these well-educated, multi-degreed professionals. And they even get consistent and significant raises for their dedication and impactful work.

Step 3: A higher number of talented educators enter the field of teaching

A role where people are respected and paid well? Count us in! Becoming a teacher shifts from being a sacrifice to a viable career option, and we see an influx of motivated, intelligent leaders in schools everywhere.

Step 4: An increase in teachers means a decrease in class sizes and workload

Every classroom has a manageable student-teacher ratio, and every teacher has more time to devote to their kids and their classes. Teachers are also given fewer preps, instead of teaching five completely different classes to groups of 30+ students.

Step 5: With more qualified staff to share responsibility,teacher stress drops dramatically

Instead of relying on nights and weekends to complete all necessary work, teachers have ample time built into their workday for planning, grading, and meetings. Now that they get enough rest, these calm and passionate teachers set the tone for their calm and passionate classrooms.

Step 6: Less stress and fewer responsibilities allow teachers to be their best selves for their students

Teachers are encouraged to give every single student the academic and emotional education that they need. Relationships strengthen, trust builds, and kids of all ages are part of learning communities that are built to meet their needs.

Step 7: With all of the individualized attention, students grow academically and personally

In these manageable classrooms focused on individualized instruction, students make significant progress as they learn to become better students and better human beings. Instead of emphasizing standardized testing, schools recognize that students can show what they know in a multitude of ways.

Step 8: Student success encourages more (and equal) school funding

All of this incredible achievement gives everyone yet another reminder of how crucial education is, and more money is allocated to every single school. In addition to paying teachers a higher salary, schools also take full responsibility for funding a classroom that truly facilitates learning. And, since teachers are respected and their opinions are valued, they get to choose what that means.

Step 9. Teachers enjoy being teachers again, their mental health improves, and fewer leave the profession every year

Teachers feel respected: Every. Single. Day. Not because there’s a teacher appreciation week, not because teachers can wear jeans on Fridays, and not because admin vaguely encourages teachers to focus on their mental health. By this point, it has become an obvious fact that teachers, without question, deserve to be respected.

Step 10: The world becomes a better place

Every single child grows up to be a happier, healthier, and well-educated, well-rounded adult. We are constantly reminded that education can change everything. And we see that it does.

Teaching matters. It’s why so many teachers have stayed in the field despite the lack of respect, the low pay, and the unrealistic expectations. We know that what we do changes lives. And with more respect, we could make even greater change.

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/if-we-actually-respected-teachers?fbclid=IwAR0uRB3VlcGpq_DTAJgKpUOYaZYpdBzYbVWyQsLBbth9jWtLE3JTEiRb8TM

As I am taking the special ed course, I become more aware of this topic…

Use conversation starters

• Something funny that happened this week was…
• If I could escape anywhere for just one day, it would be…
• Something hard that I had to deal with this week was…
• I wish my friends…
• Something you don’t know about me is…
• My favorite way to spend a day off is…

Make a friendship tree

Kids are usually tasked with making a family tree at some point in school, but making a friendship tree is a great way to help kids realize that they have many different friends in life. Just as family extends beyond the people living in your home, friendships blossom in a variety of contexts.

Start the tree with the friends your child knows the best (even the ones she doesn’t spend much time with), but cue your child to think about friends made in sports, through religious organizations, in extracurricular classes, or even at your local park. In filling the branches with friends from a wide variety of settings, girls learn to focus on the positive relationships in their lives. When kids see that they have more friends than the people sitting at their lunch table, they are empowered to strengthen those other branches and even add new ones by trying new clubs, sports, or activities.

Create a personal billboard

When friends constantly leave a child out, that child internalizes the message that he or she is unlikable or not a good friend. It’s important to help kids tap into their inner strengths and recognize that they are good friends to others.

Give your child a small poster board and ask her to think about her positive qualities. This can include anything from cracking funny jokes to creating cool games to giving great compliments. Next, explain that billboards are used to draw attention to things and showcase the highlights. Have your child put her name in the center of the poster board and ask her to create an eye-popping billboard that includes her positive traits. This is a great way to help kids recognize and focus on their strengths.

Problem-solve together

Reference: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/six_ways_to_help_your_child_deal_with_social_exclusion?fbclid=IwAR2x-khr5ru1aWk02h-87nerOT8pcO2nxSLzIZ3WIy-PnJGERE9FNv5-39U

I just chatted with my teacher friends and some of them were so frustrated due to the admin team. I do feel that the first item is really true!!! Good luck to me—I have finished the first draft of Disability Impact Analysis.

1. “Change to X, Y, Z curriculum. It will solve all your problems.”

When schools do not achieve the results they want, they look for the next silver bullet in the form of the latest fad curriculum. But the best curriculum is one that we, the teachers, feel comfortable with and can make our own.

2. “Get another job if you are unhappy.”

Not sure that this is the advice that should be handed out to teachers so freely right now in the midst of a massive teacher shortage. How about we take a proactive approach and eliminate the causes of job dissatisfaction instead of telling us to quit?

3. “Be stricter to improve student behavior.”

Pretty certain I’m not scaring anyone, no matter how loud I yell. Students know our hands are tied with discipline. They just go home, tell their parents that we are picking on them, the parents complain to administrators, and it is all our fault once again.

4. “Build relationships to improve student behavior.”

We completely agree with this one, but can you make it a little easier on us? Hugging students is not allowed anymore. And cramming forty students in a classroom doesn’t really set the stage for heart-to-heart conversations.

5. “Stick to teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic.”

If only we could, if only we could. Sigh. The public sometimes has the view that students are coming to us, sitting at their desks quietly, eyes glued on the teacher, eagerly learning everything we have to teach.

No, they are coming to us with out-of-control behaviors brought on by early trauma and lack of structure. We are teaching emotional regulation, self-control, and manners. Somebody has to do it.

6. “Remember to take care of yourself.”

Would this occur before or after the mountains of unnecessary paperwork, intricate lesson planning, meetings, subbing for other classes, and grading? Our insomnia due to excessive anxiety and stress interferes a bit with self-care.

7. “Don’t spend your own money on stuff for your class.”

But we really need stuff for our class. Schools can’t even afford to supply us with enough copy paper. If we want our students to have what they need, we must provide it, unfortunately.

8. “Schools need to use their dollars wisely.”

What are these elusive dollars in which you speak? Education is drastically underfunded. Some believe that we are given plenty of money and are just squandering it away on pizza parties and staff shirts. No, teachers buy those things from their own pockets.

9. “Just finish your work at school.”

Friends and significant others don’t quite understand the magnitude of our workload. It can’t be just left behind in the classroom. If we did leave it for the morning, we would be up all night worrying about being grossly underprepared for the day.

Honestly, it is impossible!!!!

10. “Do it for the kids.”

Politicians and school leaders routinely use the tagline that education is a calling, and we should lay down our very lives for our students.

This is emotional manipulation.

If they really understood what putting kids first meant, they would make sure that the people who were truly putting the kids first are respected, valued, and fairly compensated.

11. “Take a day off to regroup.”

We would love to but… We must plan for hours to prepare for a non-existent sub.That day we take for our mental health would cause us more stress, guilt, and worry than just showing up, so we show up.

12. “Just take student phones away to get them to pay attention.”

This is like taking a slab of meat away from a hungry lion cub and its mother. Even the most angelic students will become defiant, and their parents will be up at the school in five seconds flat, wondering why their children didn’t immediately respond to a text.

13. “Sell Rodan + Fields, Scentsy, or some other MLM to supplement your income.”

Why should we have to? Many teachers participate in multi-level marketing sales. These take a lot of time; and often, educators lose money instead of making money. Educators who have completed years of advanced schooling should not have to hit up their peers to make a sale to supplement their inadequate incomes.

14. “Go back to teaching ‘The Old Way.’”

We get this a lot from parents about Common Core and curriculum methods. The problem is teachers do not control the curriculum. Please refer this advice to your local state government or school district.

15. “Make school more fun for kids.”

What does this even mean? Sorry, we can’t compete with video games, and we shouldn’t be required to do so. We do our best to make the curriculum relevant and motivating, but to expect fun and games every day is unrealistic.

We know everyone is trying to help, but the only advice teachers truly benefit from is given to us by our colleagues. Other educators completely understand the issues that we face, and their experiences are invaluable.

So, if you are a friend, spouse, or administrator to an educator, please give us a listening ear and leave the expert advice to those that have been there.

Exactly!!!

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/most-common-pieces-of-advice?fbclid=IwAR0SG0brGTJeXrs2KiBZ54ERgQ3N4SYbjywehWIqjUwxp4rky5HanSX9XrE