Talking to a close friend yesterday, whom I don't see too often because one of us in Boston, the other in New York, I was severely chastised for my negative attitude about teachers.
I'm mentioning it because my friend is a teacher herself. And in fact, is someone who represents to me what teaching should be about. Because if there were more like her, there wouldn't be any education problem in Wisconsin, Ohio, or anywhere else.
First and foremost my friend is primarily engaged in a real business, and that's how and why I know her. Because several years ago we worked for the same employer. I ran sales and marketing and she was responsible for advertising, promotion, communications and everything else dealing in the dissemination of information, so we worked together quite often.
Though we went our separate ways professionally a while back, we've stayed in touch, and she's even edited much of my writing, so I'm aware of her outstanding talent. And that's why when she told me she was considering teaching in her field, I thought it was an excellent idea. Because she's someone students can surely learn from. And not only the nuts and bolts of the subject, but how and where they apply in the real world, since she does that every day herslf.
Beyond that, since she's steadily employed in the corporate world she receives compensation and benefits from her "day job," and teaches too simply because she wants to. Consequently, her foremost desire is educating those who really want to learn, and not simply trying to see how much she can rip off from the system for herself.
Now, I've been around for a while and realize that my freind is far from the average teacher, both talentwise and attitudinally. I also very much doubt typical educators would work two jobs, especially since most of them complain about having to work at just one. But nonetheless there's surely some middle ground between the two extremes of true dedication and total responsibility avoidance.
So, maybe that's where today's confrontation should be heading. Trying to find a fair way to trade a commensurate level of compensation in return for an acceptable day's work.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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