A bit of a different direction....

So I spent the day yesterday on a picket line for the first time in my life, and hopefully the last.  If you know much about me you will know that I have never been caught up in the fight between teachers and the government as we ask for more money, prep time etc…. I love my job and my kids, and have never complained about the money, hours, prep time or holidays, but this time is different.

I was listening to a talk show the other day on the way home from school, and they brought up a very interesting point, which I will explain.  At this point in history, where everyone in the education world, anyone who has a child or a heart is feeling the pain and suffering that follow the elementary school shooting in the US, it is upsetting to be denying the students a full education.  The point was made by a guest speaker, and one which I agree with, goes something like this (I may have the exact words wrong but the message is there….)

“At this time, where everyone has a heavy heart, it would make sense for the teacher’s union to withdraw their one day Rotating Strike because it is now very obvious how much teachers care for and love their students.  When there are teachers who hid their students in a closet, stowed them under desks and lied about their whereabouts, and were killed for their decisions and actions, it is painfully obvious how committed teachers are to the students in their classes.  These are professionals who, for no fault of the parents, spend more time with these kids than the kids spend with their own parents, and it would be understandable for them to forgo the one day strike and head back into the classrooms because they want to spend time with their students”…..

An interesting thought, and one that I hope the government and the public have been paying attention to…. I’m not sure there are many professionals who would risk their own lives, run to protect and assist others and put themselves in danger if their pharmacy, law firm or bank were in danger…. A bank only contains money, while a classroom contains the hope, future and most precious part of a family…. I can only imagine how those parents, staff and other students feel at a time like this….

So as I get back into school and my 31 kids come back to see me, I will smile at them and tell them that I missed them yesterday, because I did.  For those of us who love to teach, who look for opportunities to improve the skills and knowledge of our youth in every way possible, teaching is about the kids, and these contract negotiations are taking away from the learning and lives of our kids.