Friday, January 25, 2008

What is Just Teaching?

I have had many occasions recently to contemplate this question, with different plays on "just."

When I worry about the silence that has accompanied many of my job applications, the naysayer in my head imagines faceless HR Reps tossing my resume aside:
"Oh, it's just teaching... I thought she had nine years of real experience."

And at those moments, I try to channel Taylor Mali and remember:
The best teaching, teaches justly ... and teaches justice ... and that's the teaching I have always pursued.



But Taylor, I am reminded that sometimes, it doesn't matter what we "make" in the interactions with our students. When the administrators who "make" decisions about our class assignments, our paychecks, and the trajectories of our careers decide to make decisions that leave us literally hungry, tired and poor, how can they expect us to inspire our students to achieve their dreams and have faith in meritocracy and justice?

Teachers merit just treatment ,
which is something my employers, just don't seem to get.

1 comments:

Don said...

Keep your head up. It appears they hav turned it into a game.