Pushing back to the "why" question you raised, a breakfast for ten crossing guards and bus drivers and a luncheon for 80 school staff members and faculty: are you kidding me (obviously you are not)? I haven't read enough of your blog to know whether your kids are in public or private school but goodness gracious great balls of fire! No offense to the guards, drivers, or staff members, who I'm sure very much deserve it, but that is nuts. Your kids' school decided to do this ... why? You decided to do this ... why?
Why indeed. Even my local friends have questioned my commitment to volunteering in my children's school. Why don't I take advantage of my child-free time? they ask. How could I give up going to the gym or spending time alone or with my friends to check out books with the first graders or spend time working on reading with the third graders? Don't I have enough to do, and couldn't I even use that time to maybe work on my house? Work on myself? Work?
They're not wrong, of course. I do spend a good bit of my time when all three of my children are in school volunteering. I did when my children were in private school, and I do now. In part, I am enjoying the opportunity to get to know the faculty and staff at the school and my children's new classmates and friends. I am also truly enjoying working with children -- I enjoy being in the educational setting and I miss my work with kids. I'm good at school (so much better than I am at housework!), and I like it there. But yes, it is a lot.
I am on the PTA Board this year, and my position is to co-chair American Education Week. The premise of AEW is to celebrate the country's public schools and the people who make them great. Yes, American public schools are struggling. Yes, they are very, very flawed. Oh yes, I would change so very much about them if I could. But there is no denying that there are also very special people working in our schools.
Sometimes I wonder why anyone would still grow up dreaming to be a teacher. The pay is crappy, the working environment stressful, the students unsupported at home in many instances. It's freaking depressing. But even mired in all this bad, there is still good. No, there is still great. I have been so heartened this year to see that my children's teachers are excited about what they do. They know these kids. They work very hard. In a broken school system, they are making it work.
Tonight I baked my beloved Pioneer Woman's pumpkin gingersnap caramel cheesecake for the luncheon tomorrow. While it was in the oven, I sorted out the slips of paper we gave the children at the beginning of the week. On the slips, there are blanks for the children to write a faculty or staff member's name and then, below, tell why the student thinks that person makes our school special.
There were many, many, "You teached me everything I know," statements, sure to incite some chuckles and probably more than a few groans. There were many, many "You are nies," statements. But two of the slips stood out to me, even though I didn't have time to read all of the hundreds of slips as I sorted them into piles to wrap in ribbon and present to the teachers and staff at tomorrow's luncheon:
"You put up with me even though I am a handful," scrawled one first grader. He's a first grader I happen to know, and he is a handful. But somehow the self awareness and the acknowledgement, written in his small, block-print handwriting, felt so vulnerable it nearly made me cry.
"You didn't give up on me," wrote a fourth grader to his third grade teacher on another slip.
And that, my friends, is the reason why: the reason why I spend my child-free time helping my children's teachers accomplish all they need to in their classrooms, the reason why I am spending my nights organizing a luncheon for the entire faculty and staff, the reason why I baked a cheesecake tonight despite being thoroughly exhausted from a week of injuries and sleep deprivation. I'm so, so grateful that my children have teachers they love. Apparently, I'm not alone, as I have had emails and phone calls all week from parents asking to contribute as well. I'm lucky enough not to be waiting for Superman and I am lucky enough to be able to volunteer my time. This is the kind of work that keeps me sane, not the other way around.
Next year, though, my co-chair and I will likely NOT plan both the breakfast and the luncheon on the same day. That was crazy talk, I agree!
9 comments:
My sister and her husband are both teachers and I am routinely blown away by the gift they must be to teh children they teach. I see the impact my kids' teachers have had, even though one of them in particular can sometimes be way more than just one handful ... and you are right, there are so many reasons NOT to pursue that path. Thank GOD some still do. One of my favorite things about Hilary and T's example is that my kids will grow up knowing that is a wonderful option for them. I'd be immensely proud if either of them decided to go into teaching.
You don't need to wait for Superman. You are Superman.
Thank you!!!!! As a former first grade teacher and wife of a fifth grade teacher. I am often a bit annoyed with all the bad news about schools and teachers. It just seems to be so much negative out there with little focus on the positive. Your post today reminded me there are still some people that see the positive. Thanks :)
This is my new favorite blog - I found you because of the Lisa Belkin article and when I read you from work I can't get to the comments... Hats off to you for supporting our teachers and our schools. I am not a "kid" person and it only takes going on one field trip (5 minutes into it) for me to remember that teachers do NOT get paid enough.
Re; you post on who reads you- I work mostly full time, mostly outside the home, I have 3 kids 6, 9 and 11. I love them more than anything but feel like I am a far better bureaucrat than a mother and take comfort in blogs that remind me I am not alone in feeling inept and laughing. Thank you for sharing
So ... originally query-er, here. On the one hand, (a) yes to supporting our public schools (and teachers, and staff, and ...). And beyond that, of course, (b) you are adult and capable of making your decisions about how to manage your time. And beyond that, (c) there's little more aggravating than someone saying, "But instead of doing good deed X, you should do good deed Y."
On the other hand, I first came here from Belkin's link to your post about how difficult it is for moms today to cope, so you can see, I assume, where that query might have originated. And honestly, intending no offense, vis-a-vis (c) I have to say it seems to me that for the amount of effort involved there might be things one could do that would produce a better effect than what you are doing. But then again, it's entirely likely that what I'm really saying is that I, personally, would be utterly lousy at doing what you are doing and should therefore find other ways to work on behalf of our public schools and teachers, while you focus your energies where you feel they are best used, and hopefully we each manage to respect one another's contributions.
(Disclaimer: though I have, in fact, volunteered in our local public school in the past, I am not doing so this year; I do plan to start again when my son reaches school-age, but for now, there is no need whatsoever for you to respect my contribution; it's non-existent. I do, however, respect yours. Honestly. Even as I think you are nuts for undertaking it!)
Your post brought a tear to my eye. Keep doing what you are doing.
Co-chair here. Yes, not on the same day next year. Made the morning too hectic. However, this was something that was worth the chaos. I'm proud that my kids go to a public school that has teachers and staff members that go so far above and beyond. If it means I add another week of chaos to a chaotic life to be able to recognize how much they are appreciated, then so be it.
Teachers can be the most amazing people on earth! I am sure that yours are thankful for all you do.
I also found you through the Belkin post, which was really well-written and insightful (I commented there on that important discussion). I also spend what is probably too much time w/my kids schools (doing NaNoWriMo with the 3rd grade this month, which is a *lot* of time...) but beyond all the great points you've made, it also makes a great difference in the quality of the school community when parents are involved and invested in the education of the children. My children go to private (parochial) school, and there is a high degree of parental involvement, and it definitely makes the school a safer, emotionally richer, more productive, responsible and responsive environment.
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