I'm Proud to Have Been a Teacher

I am proud to have been a teacher/principal/professor. I worked my fingers to the bone and many, many long hours and never made an enviable salary. I loved every minute of it and wouldn't trade it for anything. However, I was given the freedom to teach how I thought the students would learn best. I tried to make learning fun and I think my students learned. Most of them grew up to be wonderful contributors to society. Yes, I'm proud to have been a teacher! I'm saddened to see the state of education today. I hurt for today's teachers whose hands are tied by political regulations. Teachers are naturally creative, but they aren't allowed time for creativity. They are bogged down by paperwork and regulations. The children are being served, not entertained. Politicians need to take a cue from Sesame Street. The program is constantly entertaining, yet educational. THAT'S the way children learn and retain knowledge. When I taught reading, we sang. When I taught math, we danced. When I taught social studies, we dressed up. When I taught science, we got our hands dirty. I'll never forget my first year of teaching. I had a room full (36) of third graders. I was in 'hog heaven'. My first parent complaint to the principal was because we started each day with morning exercises = pledge, national anthem, scripture, followed by calisthenics to The Beatles' songs. (You can do some mean Jumping Jacks to 'She Loves You'.) This was 1963. The Beatles were new on the scene. (So was I) The parents didn't complain about the patriotism, nor the scripture. Parents didn't approve of my choice of music. So the principal came down to observe our morning exercises. By the second verse, he was jumping with us! Let it be known that I never was a traditional teacher with my hair in a bun and my feet in orthopedic shoes. When I'm Queen of the World, teachers will be allowed to have fun, freedom, and frivolity in THEIR classrooms.