On Saturday, I was at school working on curriculum. We came in jeans and sweatshirts and labored over the common core all day. It was great to reflect on all the wonderful curriculum we have in place; it was hard to acknowledge all the gaps we need to fill, but we did. I did moan and groan quite a bit as I left in the icy, early morning cold and even had a bit of a a "pitty party" as I drove down the parkway; but, those thoughts were honestly pretty short lived as I reflected on the fact that is was certainly not the first nor the last time I worked outside of regular teaching hours!
I thought about how when my kids were little, I often went into school on Saturday so that I could get home a little earlier in the afternoons. Now, I am on my computer every night and every Saturday and Sunday either answering emails or planning or working on something school related. It's a lot of work to engage diverse students, meet the diverse standards, and differentiate instruction!
I thought about our busy school days where we hit the ground running with last minute copying and bus duty and emails. We typically start any hint at socializing in the hallway, after the kids have left. At that point, we do what other professionals do during "coffee break" or around the proverbial water cooler! But, we don't do if for long. We plan, we organize and we meet to discuss kids after the kids leave. We discuss what we did and how we can do it better. We call parents and answer emails and fill out book orders. We mentor newer teachers and we coordinate instruction across grades and buildings to assure alignment and continuity.
I thought about teachers who are already teaching every Saturday morning to help kids make up their gaps in neighborhoods with the most needy kids of all. In big cities, like NYC, this is already part of the program - and it is helping. I thought of those who work every day after school, like my son, making big impressions on kids as their coaches. Coaches give their Saturdays, summer days and many a vacation day too. There are theater and music teachers who put in countless hours supervising hormonal kids and guiding them into actors and musicians. While we get some monetary compensation for our extra time, I suspect the hourly pay rate would be startlingly low for many who give so much.
I really cannot complain....about my Saturday even though I had a little less time to clean and shop. I do have a deeper respect for those teachers who work lots more Saturdays than me....in fact, my "pitty party" turned into a "bumper sticker" or "t-shirt logo" of sorts:
Teachers
Don't work 9-3
Don't work M-F
Work during vacations
Shape the future
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