Tell Tale

Growing up who really ever thought so much went into teaching? Outsiders looking in see the profession and say "alright, enjoy your vacations". Everything looks better from the outside. Most teachers I had, the younger ones, still had to work every summer to keep their head afloat (student loans, not looking forward to repaying those). In my high school as I spent my years there you could see a major turnover in the old to young ratio. More younger teachers were flooding the hallway in an effort to revamp the school as a whole.

Actually most older teachers were ousted from the profession altogether to make room for the younger teachers. Experienced teachers were loaded with hefty benefit and retirement packages to pave the way for the fresh crop. The deals were apparently too good not to go for so this was the case. The district just felt that their lessons and methods were dated and the school being as large as it was and the reputation it had was getting an influx of applications. As I noticed more experienced teachers leaving and the younger ones emerging I also noticed something brewing from that middle hierarchy.

Teachers who were once heavy advocates of reading textbooks and writing massive papers were all of the sudden bringing the class down to the library to get associated with a computer lesson and later on I don't think I had one class that didn't meet at least a couple of times in the library. Technology, as corny as it sounds, seemed to form the generation gap between teachers, nobody was really that much further ahead of another they all seemed to feed off one another to keep themselves surviving the struggle of a younger workplace.

Call me "old school" but I'm a laid back guy. I don't mind the thought of staying in one district for as long as I can. I understand the trials that can arise but if I could have it my way that's what I would do. I understand now that it is not at easy as it seems. You have to stay up to date. you have to learn just as your students do and survive the workplace struggle. Then again maybe I can get a nice retirement package!