I just watched the end of the Oprah show, and I feel weird. While I am glad that Oprah is tackling education as an important issue, but it just makes me upset the more I always hear about how terrible public schools and public school teachers are.
When I think about all the work that happens on the EC Ning and all the work I do and all the amazing things/teachers/lessons I’ve witnessed in my six year career, I just can’t agree with everything I hear. Plus, I hear about teachers “staying at work until 11 each night” and stories like that…and I just feel guilty. I’ve put in tons of hours since I started. It makes me feel guilty that I’m choosing to have a family this year and that I might not be at school all hours of the night….I just get so confused about it all.
I feel like I plan good lessons. Not every day in my class is perfect, but I do my best each day. I always try to improve. I feel like if Bill Gates or John Legend or Oprah came into my room they’d probably toss me to the curb w/ all the other terrible public school teachers. I’m not superman, but I do my best, keep up with instructional ideas, and reflect on my practice daily – and yet I just feel like crap when I see all this stuff on TV. Maybe this is an issue that has more to do with my confidence than with the real issues at hand. I just hate all the negativity.
So do you just get over it all and hold your head high that you are doing your best no matter what “they” say out there? I guess. That’s what I am going to do – it’s just that there’s a little guilt still in the back of my mind.
I know this is an old post, but I’m reading your blog in preparation for student teaching. After reading your posts and looking at the photos, I see a very valuable teacher that is letting students enjoy English. It seems the media is just looking for someone to blame. Don’t let it get to you.