Here we are already at the second Sunday in January, the 12th, it's 6:56. The weather is typical for an Alabama winter,meaning it's chilly but not cold and expected to get a little chillier this week and then a little warmer. In the background, my husband is watching football and my son is singing in the shower. I've just returned from the second week of new member classes, and feel even more strongly that I have chosen the right church. (Or God has sent me to the right church.)
It could get boring really fast for me to write a summary of each week's lesson, mostly because I don't know enough to make it interesting. This week we covered the Bible in one hour and 45 minutes. That's pretty amazing, huh? Really we talked about the history of the Bible, how it came to be and how we should use it. Primarily, the Bible exists to bring people to Jesus and salvation. That in itself is a great deal to think about.
Also, from this morning' s message, we talked about our obligation as a follower of Christ, and Pastor made the point that anytime we are talking with others about God, we are witnessing for Him, which gives this blog some sort of responsibility. I've been thinking about that all day and hope that I do a good job with whatever I write. But remember, these are my thoughts and observations.
What I really want to write about this week is the Pastor of this church who so passionately brings the message of Jesus to his flock.
Here's why. When I think about religious people, I have an awful stereotype in my head of people with a great deal of arrogance, a really buttoned up kind of person that makes you feel like you need to filter everything that comes out of your mouth. Or sort of an older, somber, quiet guy who only shows passion behind the pulpit. Or maybe a bible-thumping judgemental, you are going to hell type. No, not this Pastor. He wears a Star Trek T-shirt, and that says it all for me.
This weeks disclaimer-he does NOT wear a Star Trek T-shirt behind the pulpit. There, he looks like one of God's biggest angels.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Sunday, January 5, 2014
New Member Classes Week 1
This is the first Sunday in January in the year 2014. It's 5:28 in the evening. The weather is drizzly, the current temperature is 56 degrees, but we expect a low of 18 degrees with a wintry mix.
I was so excited about starting new member classes tonight, I wanted to get a new binder, with fresh new paper and a pack of my favorite pens. I resisted, however, because I didn't want to look like a total nerd teacher's pet on the first day. I'm sure without even trying the finer points of my personality will be revealed. (I did download the most used version of the Bible for this congregation for iPad, and I carried along my Small Catechism.) Fortunately Pastor D had some nice little packets made for us that can be added to as we go along.
Although everyone in attendance, except Pastor D, was female, the group is still diverse and interesting. We have a college student, a retiree and two mid life school teachers. I think the discussions are going to be brilliant once we get to know each other and get comfortable.
Tonight we discussed the history of the Lutheran Church. If, at any point in school you studied the Protestant Reformation, you studied the history of the Lutheran Church. Seems this guy, Martin Luther, in order to avoid being a lawyer undertook becoming a monk. After a couple of years, he may have been doubting his decisions, but he stuck with it and gave it his whole self. That's when he discovered something was seriously wrong with the Roman Catholic Church. So called Holy Men were taking advantage of the very people they were charged to serve in some most grievous ways. Luther said, hey guys, this just isn't right lets talked about it. This prompted him to post a list of the 95 things he wanted to discuss, otherwise know as the 95 Thesis. Well, the Church, as it often does, couldn't abide anybody with different ideas than their own, and they told Luther he was not welcome anymore. This started the most sweeping revolution in religious history since the Coming of Christ called the Protestant Reformation. Luther wrote some general guidelines for the Church, some folks adopted them, and lo and behold, the Lutheran Church as we know it happened.
This all happened in the 1500's, just when the world was waking up from many years of darkness. Skip ahead about 300 years to the Industrial Revolution and the influx of Eastern Europeans to the United States. A group of Germans and Saxons settled in the midwest bringing their religion with them. Several congregations got together and formed what is now known as the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. And it is in this structure, and a member church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, that I find myself. ( I love history!)
So?, you say, What are these people all about?
Well the Lutheran Church's beliefs can be explained through six parts: The Ten Commandments, The Apostles Creed, The Lord's Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession and the Sacrament of the Alter. These six parts are encompassed in the three Principles:Word Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone.
This church has four objectives in their Mission: Reach, Connect, Equip and Send. The Vision of GSLC is to be a place where anybody (ANYBODY) can come in to learn Jesus without being judged or condemned by the church.
So why am I attracted to this Lutheranism? Because, I can easily read about, study and understand the Three Principles of the Church, and I can understand the way to worship through the six parts of the the religion. I get it. I'm not saying I'm anywhere near practicing, these things are not ingrained into my daily actions or thoughts, but it's something I can work with without being confused by outside issues that seem to cloud other religions for me.
And why am I attracted to Good Shepherd? Because this Church has a clearly defined Vision and Mission based on the teachings of Jesus.The Church supports and is active in missions in our community such as a local women's mission, supporting a foster mother, the Firehouse Shelter and other practical things that support all of us. And the Pastor vehemently supports making this Church a place where anybody can come to worship Jesus.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that I have paraphrased and added my spin to the history of Martin Luther and the beliefs of the Lutheran Church. For more information go to:
http://www.gardendalegoodshepherd.com/index.cfm
http://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=190
I was so excited about starting new member classes tonight, I wanted to get a new binder, with fresh new paper and a pack of my favorite pens. I resisted, however, because I didn't want to look like a total nerd teacher's pet on the first day. I'm sure without even trying the finer points of my personality will be revealed. (I did download the most used version of the Bible for this congregation for iPad, and I carried along my Small Catechism.) Fortunately Pastor D had some nice little packets made for us that can be added to as we go along.
Although everyone in attendance, except Pastor D, was female, the group is still diverse and interesting. We have a college student, a retiree and two mid life school teachers. I think the discussions are going to be brilliant once we get to know each other and get comfortable.
Tonight we discussed the history of the Lutheran Church. If, at any point in school you studied the Protestant Reformation, you studied the history of the Lutheran Church. Seems this guy, Martin Luther, in order to avoid being a lawyer undertook becoming a monk. After a couple of years, he may have been doubting his decisions, but he stuck with it and gave it his whole self. That's when he discovered something was seriously wrong with the Roman Catholic Church. So called Holy Men were taking advantage of the very people they were charged to serve in some most grievous ways. Luther said, hey guys, this just isn't right lets talked about it. This prompted him to post a list of the 95 things he wanted to discuss, otherwise know as the 95 Thesis. Well, the Church, as it often does, couldn't abide anybody with different ideas than their own, and they told Luther he was not welcome anymore. This started the most sweeping revolution in religious history since the Coming of Christ called the Protestant Reformation. Luther wrote some general guidelines for the Church, some folks adopted them, and lo and behold, the Lutheran Church as we know it happened.
This all happened in the 1500's, just when the world was waking up from many years of darkness. Skip ahead about 300 years to the Industrial Revolution and the influx of Eastern Europeans to the United States. A group of Germans and Saxons settled in the midwest bringing their religion with them. Several congregations got together and formed what is now known as the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. And it is in this structure, and a member church, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, that I find myself. ( I love history!)
So?, you say, What are these people all about?
Well the Lutheran Church's beliefs can be explained through six parts: The Ten Commandments, The Apostles Creed, The Lord's Prayer, Holy Baptism, Confession and the Sacrament of the Alter. These six parts are encompassed in the three Principles:Word Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone.
This church has four objectives in their Mission: Reach, Connect, Equip and Send. The Vision of GSLC is to be a place where anybody (ANYBODY) can come in to learn Jesus without being judged or condemned by the church.
So why am I attracted to this Lutheranism? Because, I can easily read about, study and understand the Three Principles of the Church, and I can understand the way to worship through the six parts of the the religion. I get it. I'm not saying I'm anywhere near practicing, these things are not ingrained into my daily actions or thoughts, but it's something I can work with without being confused by outside issues that seem to cloud other religions for me.
And why am I attracted to Good Shepherd? Because this Church has a clearly defined Vision and Mission based on the teachings of Jesus.The Church supports and is active in missions in our community such as a local women's mission, supporting a foster mother, the Firehouse Shelter and other practical things that support all of us. And the Pastor vehemently supports making this Church a place where anybody can come to worship Jesus.
Disclaimer: Please be aware that I have paraphrased and added my spin to the history of Martin Luther and the beliefs of the Lutheran Church. For more information go to:
http://www.gardendalegoodshepherd.com/index.cfm
http://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=190
Saturday, January 4, 2014
When I was a kid...
I don't think I was ever any happier than I was a school aged kid growing up on military bases and transient neighborhoods. This upcoming frigid weather has jingled some memories of stuff we did when I was a kid.
I learned to ride a bicycle when I was 5. Santa Claus delivered a bicycle to my house in North Carolina from my PawPaw in Alabama. It was red, white and blue, with dangly things on the handlebars and a banana seat. It was, by far, the best gift I ever received. I don't think any 16 year old getting their license can match the experience of freedom I felt when I learned to ride this bike. I cannot understand why my almost 7 year old will not take the time and trouble to learn to ride his without training wheels. Hell, I don't even if they made training wheels in 1972.
Well, anyway, I digress. I bring up the bike because truly, this thing gave m e wheels and I went just about anywhere I wanted to on this thing. As I mentioned before, I lived on military bases, which are actually pretty safe and quiet places to raise kids. But every once and a while, the lure of the big city would make us want to ride into town. (a strictly forbidden activity.) So one afternoon, my best friend and I, at about age 10, hop on one bike, one, her on the handlebars, and ride into the little town of Millington to have lunch at McDonalds. We just tooled down the sidewalk along a five lane highway during lunch traffic like nobody's business. We had lunch, scored some really cool Space Invaders toys, and rode back home.
I also learned to swim around this time. One really cool thing about living on base, is the fact that we had access to a pool, pools rather. There was an enlisted pool (I could go there with my military ID and my Dad's SSN), the officer's pool (where I was often the guest of my friends) or the indoor pool. We walked or rode our bikes to all of the above places from 3-6th grade without parental supervision. (well, they had lifeguards). I cannot remember a single time we were accompanied by an adult. To the pool. No supervision. We signed up for Red Cross swimming lessons, and all became fish.
I have many more memories like that, but my favorite memories during this time are the things we did when it snowed or iced. Several things stick out in my mind from these times. One year, we played relentless games of war. We had snowball fights in teams, and you were not able to use whatever part of your body was hit by a snowball until you were rendered totally useless. So in essence, you could be laying in the snow, throwing snowballs with only one good hand left. Oh, man that was so much fun. Another memory of that time is of my Dad tying a piece of plexiglass to the back of a Volkswagen and dragging us all around the ice. The best strategy was not to fall off! We built snowmen, snow caves and snow forts, and slid on anything that would slide.
And all this gave me an idea. How could I give my new millennium child the same thrilling and exciting adventures I had as a kid? I have a wonderful sidewalk that goes straight down hill into my driveway. What would ya'll think if I sprayed it down with the hose tomorrow night and turned it into an ice slide. I wonder if that would create the kind of nostalgia I have for when I was a kid or a run to the emergency room.
I'd love to hear your memories!
I learned to ride a bicycle when I was 5. Santa Claus delivered a bicycle to my house in North Carolina from my PawPaw in Alabama. It was red, white and blue, with dangly things on the handlebars and a banana seat. It was, by far, the best gift I ever received. I don't think any 16 year old getting their license can match the experience of freedom I felt when I learned to ride this bike. I cannot understand why my almost 7 year old will not take the time and trouble to learn to ride his without training wheels. Hell, I don't even if they made training wheels in 1972.Well, anyway, I digress. I bring up the bike because truly, this thing gave m e wheels and I went just about anywhere I wanted to on this thing. As I mentioned before, I lived on military bases, which are actually pretty safe and quiet places to raise kids. But every once and a while, the lure of the big city would make us want to ride into town. (a strictly forbidden activity.) So one afternoon, my best friend and I, at about age 10, hop on one bike, one, her on the handlebars, and ride into the little town of Millington to have lunch at McDonalds. We just tooled down the sidewalk along a five lane highway during lunch traffic like nobody's business. We had lunch, scored some really cool Space Invaders toys, and rode back home.
I also learned to swim around this time. One really cool thing about living on base, is the fact that we had access to a pool, pools rather. There was an enlisted pool (I could go there with my military ID and my Dad's SSN), the officer's pool (where I was often the guest of my friends) or the indoor pool. We walked or rode our bikes to all of the above places from 3-6th grade without parental supervision. (well, they had lifeguards). I cannot remember a single time we were accompanied by an adult. To the pool. No supervision. We signed up for Red Cross swimming lessons, and all became fish.
I have many more memories like that, but my favorite memories during this time are the things we did when it snowed or iced. Several things stick out in my mind from these times. One year, we played relentless games of war. We had snowball fights in teams, and you were not able to use whatever part of your body was hit by a snowball until you were rendered totally useless. So in essence, you could be laying in the snow, throwing snowballs with only one good hand left. Oh, man that was so much fun. Another memory of that time is of my Dad tying a piece of plexiglass to the back of a Volkswagen and dragging us all around the ice. The best strategy was not to fall off! We built snowmen, snow caves and snow forts, and slid on anything that would slide.
And all this gave me an idea. How could I give my new millennium child the same thrilling and exciting adventures I had as a kid? I have a wonderful sidewalk that goes straight down hill into my driveway. What would ya'll think if I sprayed it down with the hose tomorrow night and turned it into an ice slide. I wonder if that would create the kind of nostalgia I have for when I was a kid or a run to the emergency room.
I'd love to hear your memories!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
the Next Big Thing
It's remarkable the we get so many chances to reflect and start over. In fact it is an inherent quality in humans. Socrates is quoted as saying "the unexamined life is not worth living." So here again, we are at the beginning of a new year, thinking about what we did last year, and how we can improve this year.
I have spent the last few weeks reflecting, deciding what I wanted to write about, and how I want to live this year. Turns out, while I had a year filled with blessings and good things, it was actually pretty mediocre. It's almost as if I've been on auto-pilot. I'm a little bored, overly distracted by electronics and social networking and in a lot of ways just kind of unmoored. So here is my obligatory list of ways I want to improve, ending with my Next Big Thing.
I have GOT to get in better shape. It's really not something I need to keep fooling around with. I haven't been diagnosed with diabetes, but I have recently had some blood sugar scares. I don't want to be sick. And changing that is all in my hands. I have some great new ideas for getting in shape this year, and I will post more if the initial plan is approved.
I need to produce more at work. I haven't had any kind of Big Idea, fun program, club or anything that has really stood out at work and possessed me to the point of obsession. (I know, but I live for the adrenaline.) I believe part of the reason is because I spend too much time worrying about Facebook. I think it is stunting my growth. Really. So I plan to spend less time on Facebook. Ya'll don't really want my opinion on gay marriage, religion or teacher pay. Not really. So I am going to spare you. I plan to fill in the time reading professional articles and blogs, writing better lesson plans and spending more time with my son. Oh, but you can still find plenty of photos of the little guy on Instagram. You can find me at violanders.
And now for The Next Big Thing:
First read this, it's from a post I made on September 28th.
Then there is religion. I'm trying to come to grips with religion. I want to bring my son up in a caring, responsible way, and I want him to find God of his understanding without having to crawl into the bottom of a bottle. The only way I know how to do that is by sending him to a local church and setting a good example for him. So I find myself once again at a crossroads of whether or not to attend church and what I hope to gain from that.
This is what I'm thinking. I want Sunshine to identify strongly with his community, and I want to be a permanent part of a community.I want to do good works. I would love to be part of missions, particularly to serve the poor or mentally ill. I want to be part of a group of people that are trying to live the best life they can by exemplifying the teachings of Christ. I want to learn how to lead a better life and develop the kind of relationship I had with God when I went to AA. I want to be a good example fro my son.I do want to sing loudly and joyously.
I don't want to be put into a box where there is only one way to believe and one way to get to heaven. I don't want to be judged because my religious and political views are a little different, my personality is a little odd and my clothes look a little funny. I don't want to feel nervous or pressured.
I think I may have found the church I was looking for. I have been visiting since about mid October, and I plan to start new member classes on Sunday. So this year, I want to focus on my spiritual growth.I plan to spend a good bit of time learning to pray, meditate and discover what it means to be a Follower of Christ. I hope ya'll will take the journey with me by reading and commenting on my posts and supporting me through your prayers and love.
Happy New Year!!
Monday, November 25, 2013
What gratitude means to me
I have really enjoyed reading all the posts about Gratitude over this past month. I have posted a couple of times, but am undoubtedly grateful for so many things. This is a list:
I'm grateful I have a nice car that won't break down, hasn't been impounded or at risk of being towed to the Quik Pawn Shop. There was a time...
I'm grateful that I have more than a job, but a calling and a career. There was a time getting hired for minimum wage as Christmas help was a difficult task for me.
I'm grateful the electricity is on, and I can afford to run the heater. I've been cold.
I'm grateful that I can walk up and down stairs without fear of falling. There were times I was shaking so bad, I couldn't grip the banister.
I'm grateful that this warm child is snuggled up to my side. I've never had anybody love me like he does. I've never loved anybody like I love him.
I'm grateful I have a home. There were times I was couch surfing.
I'm grateful I have a relationship with my Dad, there was a time we were estranged.
I'm grateful I have dozens and dozens of friend, and a few very close friends. There was a time I worked hard to destroy the ties I had to anybody who loved me.
I'm grateful for my husband. There were times I thought I would die young and alone.
I'm grateful for plenty to eat and choices. I lived a whole summer on cheese sandwiches. Cheap cheese, like Generic Kraft. (Ew)
I'm grateful I can answer the phone without fear it will be a bill collector. There was a time I didn't even have a phone to answer.
I'm grateful I can wave at police officers when I pass them on the road. There was a time I feared they were going to pull me over and send me to jail.
I'm grateful I don't have to visit the Jefferson County Courthouse once a month. Yes, there was a time I had to do that.
I'm grateful I have sock choices. There was a time I only bought white athletic socks because I could manage to match them.
I'm grateful I lived yesterday without harming anyone, including myself. There was a time I tore through people like a tornado.
I miss my Grandmother so much, but I am grateful she saw something worth saving in me and lived to see me sober, married and teaching. There was a time I couldn't bear to look at the disappointment on her face.
I am grateful that through my difficulties, I found a God of my understanding. And I am grateful that at this time I am learning about that same God's Grace on this miserable sinner. There was Time when I was morally, spiritually and physically bankrupt. I did not know God.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
More About Religion
I know I have written about religion before, so I was reviewing my past entries to see what I had written. I talked some about moral and ethical issues, but not so much about where I stand on religion. It's a sticky topic, but I spend a great deal of time thinking about it, so I wanted to write about it. Maybe get an idea of where I stand.
A little over 18 years ago, I had a spiritual experience where I felt God convince me that I had to leave the life I was living. I had a burning bush experience. It is etched deeply in my memory, and I can attest to a strong and unshakable belief in Gad. I would not be here today otherwise. Immediately after that experience I was introduced to AA. The first 2 or 3 years I was a member I attended anywhere up to 11 meetings a week. I learned to pray and think about God in a way I could understand in a roomful or people from all walks of life, poor and homeless to wealthy steel heirs, from followers of Islam to Christians, to Jews. I attended meetings that were predominately gay,only women, newcomers, in mental health centers, the veterans administration hospital, the Birmingham City Jail and at the Salvation Army. Some meetings I went to, I was one of the few white people there, many meetings I went to, I was one of the only woman there. I went to meetings when I went out of town in New Orleans and even in Paris. (yes France). I was a regular in meetings in Beaufort, SC. Occasionally I went to meetings where I may have been only one of two people in attendance not locked up.
All 12 Steps are necessary for recovery, but none are more important in my view than the first 3 as written in the 2nd edition of Alcoholics Anonymous:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Come to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
That brings me to what's been on my min and "as we understood Him." This is what I know about God. He is a being of my own understanding that guides me. I learn how he guides me when I am vigilant about morning prayer and meditation and I listen to or feel His guidance. That's the whole thing for me. It's really very simple.
Then there is religion. I'm trying to come to grips with religion. I want to bring my son up in a caring, responsible way, and I want him to find God of his understanding without having to crawl into the bottom of a bottle. The only way I know how to do that is by sending him to a local church and setting a good example for him. So I find myself once again at a crossroads of whether or not to attend church and what I hope to gain from that.
This is what I'm thinking. I want Sunshine to identify strongly with his community, and I want to be a permanent part of a community.I want to do good works. I would love to be part of missions, particularly to serve the poor or mentally ill. I want to be part of a group of people that are trying to live the best life they can by exemplifying the teachings of Christ. I want to learn how to lead a better life and develop the kind of relationship I had with God when I went to AA. I want to be a good example fro my son.I do want to sing loudly and joyously.
I don't want to be put into a box where there is only one way to believe and one way to get to heaven. I don't want to be judged because my religious and political views are a little different, my personality is a little odd and my clothes look a little funny. I don't want to feel nervous or pressured.
So tomorrow I go.
A little over 18 years ago, I had a spiritual experience where I felt God convince me that I had to leave the life I was living. I had a burning bush experience. It is etched deeply in my memory, and I can attest to a strong and unshakable belief in Gad. I would not be here today otherwise. Immediately after that experience I was introduced to AA. The first 2 or 3 years I was a member I attended anywhere up to 11 meetings a week. I learned to pray and think about God in a way I could understand in a roomful or people from all walks of life, poor and homeless to wealthy steel heirs, from followers of Islam to Christians, to Jews. I attended meetings that were predominately gay,only women, newcomers, in mental health centers, the veterans administration hospital, the Birmingham City Jail and at the Salvation Army. Some meetings I went to, I was one of the few white people there, many meetings I went to, I was one of the only woman there. I went to meetings when I went out of town in New Orleans and even in Paris. (yes France). I was a regular in meetings in Beaufort, SC. Occasionally I went to meetings where I may have been only one of two people in attendance not locked up.
All 12 Steps are necessary for recovery, but none are more important in my view than the first 3 as written in the 2nd edition of Alcoholics Anonymous:
1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Come to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
That brings me to what's been on my min and "as we understood Him." This is what I know about God. He is a being of my own understanding that guides me. I learn how he guides me when I am vigilant about morning prayer and meditation and I listen to or feel His guidance. That's the whole thing for me. It's really very simple.
Then there is religion. I'm trying to come to grips with religion. I want to bring my son up in a caring, responsible way, and I want him to find God of his understanding without having to crawl into the bottom of a bottle. The only way I know how to do that is by sending him to a local church and setting a good example for him. So I find myself once again at a crossroads of whether or not to attend church and what I hope to gain from that.
This is what I'm thinking. I want Sunshine to identify strongly with his community, and I want to be a permanent part of a community.I want to do good works. I would love to be part of missions, particularly to serve the poor or mentally ill. I want to be part of a group of people that are trying to live the best life they can by exemplifying the teachings of Christ. I want to learn how to lead a better life and develop the kind of relationship I had with God when I went to AA. I want to be a good example fro my son.I do want to sing loudly and joyously.
I don't want to be put into a box where there is only one way to believe and one way to get to heaven. I don't want to be judged because my religious and political views are a little different, my personality is a little odd and my clothes look a little funny. I don't want to feel nervous or pressured.
So tomorrow I go.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
I'm Mad
I'm mad and I'm going to tell you why. I'll start with an anecdote then explain what I mean. Last year I earned and was awarded what is often recognized as the highest honor in the teaching profession, National Board Certification. At the beautiful reception the President of National Boards talked about how teachers should be treated more like professionals, such as doctors and lawyers but we had to present ourselves as professionals and fight for that treatment. Oh, I agreed wholeheartedly when I was listening, I surely did. I swallowed it hook, line and sinker, but the obstacles are invisible and in this society nearly impossible to hurdle.
So here is why I am mad. Maybe you see all those funny Memes on Facebook and Pinterest about how a teacher brings her/his work home and is always working on lesson plans or whatever. THAT IS NOT A JOKE! I read countless emails, professional journals and websites on nights when I don't have any other work to do. I communicate with parents and teachers on my off hours daily. I work on newsletters, websites, promotions and planning hours and hours a week, and I'm not even what you would call hard working. My colleagues do all of this, and grade papers, and papers and papers. Their life is consumed with their work, their practice, their career, however our compensation and level of respect is cursory at best. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, we do this because we love it. We love kids. But heaven help, people need to realize we are professionals.
Another point, I tend to a liberal political view, but this whole pay fast food workers a living wage is bullshit. I'm barely paid a living wage, in fact I would be hard pressed to make it on a single income and I have two master's degrees and am Nationally Board Certified. Pay me a comparable wage! And no, I did not have the benefit of a loving, supportive family that helped me achieve my goals. I worked for them! I paid for them! I am still paying for them! And no, I'm not shocked at the amount of my student loans, I signed the papers. If the bleeding heart commies want people to make a better wage, why don't they work for dully funded schools that offer alternative job training and leave the fast food jobs to teenagers, who need to work and stop living off their parents!
So often I see little quotes about how precious our children are, how they are the future, we must educate them! YES! But put your money where your mouth is! Fund schools! I spent all day telling kids they couldn't afford to buy things in my book fair because they didn't have enough money. Why the hell do I have to run a book fair anyway to buy library books and electronics? Aren't the nations's future leaders in my hands? I should spend 30 hours running a store and dressing up like a funny character to raise money when Nick Saban (yes, I'm attacking the Almighty Saban) makes 5 and one half million dollars a year to coach football! Really?
This whole idea of an educator working in any kind of public school setting just being grateful they have a job is wrong! Teachers as a lot are taken advantage of because we are care-takers, we just want to teach, we don't want to rant and rave. Heck, we don't even mind so much all the extra time we spend preparing for our job. But we are educated professionals, and we should be treated as such. Remember, we are teaching the future. We shouldn't have to fight to be recognized as professionals, but revered because we teach. Every single parent who has enrolled a child in a public school, and has uttered the words I want what is best for my kids, should be fighting for us to be valued as professionals.
So here is why I am mad. Maybe you see all those funny Memes on Facebook and Pinterest about how a teacher brings her/his work home and is always working on lesson plans or whatever. THAT IS NOT A JOKE! I read countless emails, professional journals and websites on nights when I don't have any other work to do. I communicate with parents and teachers on my off hours daily. I work on newsletters, websites, promotions and planning hours and hours a week, and I'm not even what you would call hard working. My colleagues do all of this, and grade papers, and papers and papers. Their life is consumed with their work, their practice, their career, however our compensation and level of respect is cursory at best. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, we do this because we love it. We love kids. But heaven help, people need to realize we are professionals.
Another point, I tend to a liberal political view, but this whole pay fast food workers a living wage is bullshit. I'm barely paid a living wage, in fact I would be hard pressed to make it on a single income and I have two master's degrees and am Nationally Board Certified. Pay me a comparable wage! And no, I did not have the benefit of a loving, supportive family that helped me achieve my goals. I worked for them! I paid for them! I am still paying for them! And no, I'm not shocked at the amount of my student loans, I signed the papers. If the bleeding heart commies want people to make a better wage, why don't they work for dully funded schools that offer alternative job training and leave the fast food jobs to teenagers, who need to work and stop living off their parents!
So often I see little quotes about how precious our children are, how they are the future, we must educate them! YES! But put your money where your mouth is! Fund schools! I spent all day telling kids they couldn't afford to buy things in my book fair because they didn't have enough money. Why the hell do I have to run a book fair anyway to buy library books and electronics? Aren't the nations's future leaders in my hands? I should spend 30 hours running a store and dressing up like a funny character to raise money when Nick Saban (yes, I'm attacking the Almighty Saban) makes 5 and one half million dollars a year to coach football! Really?
This whole idea of an educator working in any kind of public school setting just being grateful they have a job is wrong! Teachers as a lot are taken advantage of because we are care-takers, we just want to teach, we don't want to rant and rave. Heck, we don't even mind so much all the extra time we spend preparing for our job. But we are educated professionals, and we should be treated as such. Remember, we are teaching the future. We shouldn't have to fight to be recognized as professionals, but revered because we teach. Every single parent who has enrolled a child in a public school, and has uttered the words I want what is best for my kids, should be fighting for us to be valued as professionals.
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