But photography is her side hobby. Teaching is her profession, and it's much more than that. It's her passion. I hate to say out loud that I don't know if I've ever met a more passionate teacher, because I have many passionate teacher friends. But Tamar blogs often about her teaching journey, and through those posts, I've come to appreciate her devotion to her job. She has a fun classroom that I wouldn't even mind being part of, and I probably would learn much, even though I'm (ahem) a bit above her average age!
Tamar has been kind enough to send along some of her thoughts on teaching along with some of her classroom photography. I hope you learn a bit about what life is like in an elementary classroom these days! Just so you know, this is Tamar's 6th year as a teacher, and her students are third graders!
Did I just hear a bunch of teachers yell YES? Today's teacher does more than teach all the main subjects. They educate the "whole child," which means more than imparting academic knowledge. Throughout her school day, Tamar cheers up kids whose feelings are hurt, helps them move past (and learn from) frustrating mistakes they've made, and mediates fights over who won a game at recess or who said what about whom. I think that means some days she also serves as a detective! Of course her young charges are kids, so she contends with sneezing, coughing, and worse (and we'll just leave the worse at that).
Regardless of the size of her classroom, she has a multitude of personality types to recognize and juggle while keeping everyone on task with learning and working hard. Tamar makes it a priority to reach every child every day - in a recognizable way. She gives hugs, sets boundaries, and wants all her kids to know they matter to her. It's a huge job, when done well, and from my perch, Tamar does this well.
After a full day of giving and investing, though, she gets to go home alone at 4:00, and that allows her to recharge for the next day!
Doesn't it just make you cringe when you hear of someone who went into an education profession because they wanted summers off? (I can say this because that was my own plan many years ago, and thankfully I changed courses!)
With so many school systems going to a balanced calendar, summers are much smaller than they used to be, but regardless of the length of that "vacation," Tamar wants you to know that teachers work countless hours behind the scenes.
She may get to leave the chaos of school at school, but Tamar works at home every single night, looking for new lesson ideas that will really stick with the kids, writing lesson plans, emailing colleagues and families, and making sure she is as prepared as she can be for the days to come. She often goes to the classroom on the weekend to get lessons prepared and make sure she has the best plan of action in place for her kids. She added that most teachers either work a second job over the summer months or spend that time doing professional development or curriculum preparation for the coming year.
Teachers - at least GOOD teachers - become teachers because they want to make a difference in the future. They want to help shape the lives of the next generation by pouring into them during their formative years. Teachers choose their job just like doctors choose medical school and rabbis, priests, and pastors choose ministry. It's a calling for each of them.
I think we all know that teachers are not the highest paid folks on the planet. But we may not realize just how much of their personal salaries go right back into their classrooms. Tamar said many of them spend thousands of dollars each year to buy materials for their rooms to ensure they are giving their students the best possible environment to learn.
Schools do have spending budgets, and they do reimburse their teachers for some of the expenses they face, but without money from their own pockets, every teacher's room would be more drab, their activities less exciting, and their cabinets a bit bare. (Side note from me: this is a great reminder when thinking of places to offer a donation! If you can help a teacher, you would probably make his or her day!)
Regardless of the dates on the calendar or the size of the classroom, teachers have students in their care for 180 days. In that time, they fall in love with these impressionable little minds. They get to know these kids inside and out. They have inside jokes with them and get to know their likes and dislikes. (Doesn't that make you feel great as parents? The teachers care about the kids YOU love!)
When those 180 days come to an end, they have to say goodbye, and it's a loss for those teachers. Sure, they want to see their kids grow up, move on, and thrive in their next environment, but they also want to hang onto them and keep working with them. It's an actual grief when they have to let go.
But then a new year begins, and a new group of students walks through the door, and they fall in love all over again with a new group of kids, and the cycle starts all over!
Thanks, Tamar, for letting us peek into the world of an elementary school teacher! Thank you for all the hard work you put into your classroom every day, and for desiring big things for your classroom and the kids in it! Kudos to ALL of you out there who teach elementary-age kids. It is a calling, just like Tamar said, and you don't hear thanks enough! Your work matters!
To see a list of all the "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" posts, look here!)
3 comments:
I am honored you asked me to do this and love how you brought my points to life!
As a substitute teacher who has a bird eye's view into many classrooms and has gotten to know many kids (albeit to a much lesser extent than teachers do), I can attest to much of this. I'm sure that Tamar is an excellent teacher; fortunately, I've had the privilege to work with and for many great ones in my school district. It's good to know that good ones are everywhere :).
Thank you for being part of the series, Tamar! I loved it!
Maria - My passion for teaching has returned (in a totally different way) and while I may never be able to teach in a regular classroom, I'm so glad I'm able to TEACH! I appreciate the ones who teach well, in whatever capacity!
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