American Teacher

           After viewing the documentary, American Teacher, I began to think about the outlook the world has on teachers and what I can do to make a difference. I was extremely angered by the information shared in the video and the negativity towards the teaching profession.  When I think about teaching, the very last thought I have is about money.  Money is the absolute last thing of my concern because teaching is about the lives of students that I am touching every day. 

          Throughout the viewing of the movie, I couldn't help but think of one of favorite poems, "What Teachers Make" by Taylor Mali. Similar to the documentary, this poem talks about how people view the teaching profession stating, “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach”. The poem also speaks of society asking about how much we make and in response the poem closes by stating, “teachers make a difference, now what about you?” I couldn’t agree more with this statement because that is what I feel my future career is all about.  As long as I leave that classroom every day knowing that I have taught my students something about the world, something about themselves, something about one another, than I will be more than happy. My job is to make learning fun, to make kids wonder, question, and explore. My job is to allow my students to be the best they can be and to do what they love. My job is to touch their lives and guide them along the way. My reward is far beyond a paycheck. My reward is seeing the “ah-ha moment”, a smiling face, an eager raised hand, and a unpredictable, bright future. 

          I was extremely disheartened by the lack of respect for teachers. Where would our society be without teachers? Does anyone ever think about that? It is frustrating that so many people have a tunnel vision of the teaching profession. Several people do not realize how many hours a week we are working and how much money from our own paycheck goes into our classroom and to our students. Several people don't realize that we take on several roles throughout the day and make many decisions to better the lives of our students.

          I also felt anger for the males that are aspiring to be educators because the documentary was extremely discouraging to them. A teachers income is not always the second income or the second job in a person's life. As a female, I was frightened to think that I may not have enough money to support myself and my family, let alone, being a male and supporting a family. 

         Overall, I understand that the documentary was just to make us aware of what we may see in our future career.  The viewing of the documentary did anger at reality, however, it also made me feel more proud of my decision to become a teacher. I know that this is what I am meant to do, simply because I absolutely love it and wouldn't imagine doing anything else.