It’s 8:15 p.m. on a Monday night. I just finished my workday as I put away the last of many graded essays into my briefcase. I opened my Tribune and read letter writer Steve Lardner’s diatribe against public school teachers. According to him, I work a seven-hour day, eight months a year.
Let’s see, on this particular day I started work at 7:15 a.m. and worked till 8:15 p.m.
The day before, a Sunday, I worked 12 hours on projects.
Days off?
I do get sick.
Then that’s two workdays in one–one for my substitute and one for grading the papers my substitute collects.
Summers are filled with institutes and workshops.
Last winter break was filled with grading essay finals.
I challenge Lardner to spend one week with me putting on five one-act plays a day, every day; answering phone calls from students at night; writing recommendation letters for college students-to-be; calling the Department of Children and Family Services because of child abuse, etc.
Our jobs are to awaken a passion in 30 teens who would rather look at each other than learn the causes of the Civil War.
Yes I challenge Lardner to keep up with me and most of my colleagues.
Teaching and learning are two parts of the same coin.
I don’t think I’ve had a day off in 32 years.
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Editor’s note: Readers may now post comments on letters to the editor that have been published in the Chicago Tribune by visiting chicagotribune.com/letters
