How do you spell R-E-L-I-E-F?

Thanksgiving Break – that’s how.

As I bask in the glory of having the week off for Thanksgiving I contemplate one of the oldest arguments in regards to educators and public perception. Vacation time for teachers.

People who work in the private sector (businesses, banking, medical care) think teachers have it made. Summer off, 2 weeks at Christmas, a week at Thanksgiving and Easter. And they are right – it is the single best part of the job, and if an educator says that the rewards from teaching children outweigh this perk, they are lying. Don’t believe them. It’s the time off that makes the job appealing and do you know why?????

Because we would all be insane WITHOUT this time off. You would have psychiatric facilities full of teachers and administrators mumbling incoherently and swatting at imaginary things in the air. Really – we would all be cuckoo. And why would this happen?

One word. 

One single word... 

Children.

OK, now if you have children you are thinking MY precious brood would NEVER do ANYTHING to aggravate a teacher. And that may be the case. Maybe. However there are enough children out there that do not have the same self-control as your darlings and these children cause mass chaos for the teachers and administrators. We all are prematurely grey IF we have any hair left by the time we have completed 10 years in this profession.

Me in 2000
Ready to educate the world

Me in 2014
Who said children keep you young?

Now don’t get me wrong. Teaching children has its rewards- for sure. It

just seems that nowadays there is an imbalance between the warm fuzzies of watching children learn and grow and day to day struggle to maintain control of not only the classroom but of your own frustration.

Think about it – we stuff 32 children into one room and as a teacher you have to not only teach the content but also keep control and as we like to say in the current vernacular – keep them “engaged”.

What happens in your own house on a rainy day and you have your, let’s say, two children home for the day? Tell me they have not driven you nuts by the time 5PM rolls around. Now multiply those 2 by 16 –don’t let them watch TV, sword fight, build legos, dress up dolls or watch a Disney movie. It ain’t pretty.

Teachers deal with rolling of eyes, talking back, sucking teeth, directions completely ignored and sometimes even profanity thrown at them. And this is on a daily basis. So when you think about how teachers are “spoiled” because the time off they get, I want you to consider doing this:

Invite every child in your neighborhood over for a rainy day (must be at least 20). You have the sole responsibility to keep them engaged in learning activities for 6 hours (no cheating by turning on Sponge Bob). Then, when it’s time for your 20 minute lunch, you must scarf down your food while never taking your eyes off your wards for fear they will begin a Tater Tot war, bully someone, or watch porn on their cell phones (not making this up). Good luck. You will surely be in the liquor cabinet as soon as they leave.

All said and done – teaching has become extremely difficult. But I know if I asked my teachers if there is any other profession they would choose they would look at me like I was crazy. They are dedicated, caring, and amazing individuals who are on the front lines everyday trying to educate this next generation. It’s not easy and it’s not always pleasant. So throw them a bone, cut them some slack, and let them enjoy the time off without resentment. THEY HAVE EARNED IT!