I don't know the author, but I have had this for awhile. It is worth sharing.
A TEACHER IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Let me see if I've got this right. You
want me to go into that room with all those kids and fill their every waking
moment with a love for learning. Not
only that, I'm to instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, behaviorally
modify disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and T‑shirt
messages.
I am to fight the war on drugs and
sexually transmitted diseases, check their backpacks for guns and raise their
self esteem. I'm to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, sportsmanship and
fair play, how and where to register to vote, how to balance a checkbook and
how to apply for a job.
I am to check their heads occasionally
for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of potential anti‑social
behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation for student employment
and scholarships, encourage respect for the cultural diversity of others, and,
oh yeah, always make sure that I give the girls in my class 50 percent of my
attention.
I'm required by my contract to be
working on my own time summer and evenings at my own expense toward advance
certification and a master's degree; and after school, I am to attend committee
and faculty meetings and participate in staff development training to maintain
my employment status.
I am to be a paragon of virtue larger
than life, such that my very presence will awe my students into being obedient
and respectful of authority.
I am to pledge allegiance to
supporting family values, a return to the basics, and to my current administration.
I am to incorporate technology into the learning, and monitor all Web sites
while providing a personal relationship with each student.
I am to decide who might be
potentially dangerous and/or liable to commit crimes in school or who is possibly
being abused, and I can be sent to jail for not mentioning these suspicions.
I am to make sure all students pass
the state and federally mandated testing and all classes, whether or not they
attend school on a regular basis or complete any of the work assigned. Plus, I
am expected to make sure that all of the students with handicaps are guaranteed
a free and equal education, regardless of their mental or physical handicap.
I am to communicate frequently with
each student's parent by letter, phone, newsletter and grade card. I'm to do
all of this with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a few books, a bulletin
board, a 45 minute (more or less) time period, and a big smile, all on a
starting salary that qualifies my family for food stamps in many states. Is
that all?
And you
want me to do all of this and expect me not to pray?