On Teachers

Blog 3-11-09

Teachers

Miss Dobson bowed forward when she stood. I don’t know if it was her skinny legs that bowed or if she had a natural pelvic thrust. I suspect her bone density numbers were low. She held one arm up with the other, which crossed over her chest. I’m not sure if she had breasts because the arm was always there. The hand that she rested on her arm held her glasses, which were secured with a chain around her neck. She chewed on the end of the glasses. The ends were gnarly from her chewing. She was my first grade teacher. I was six and she, I believe, was one hundred and six.

My eighth grade teacher Mrs. Carey had a permanent look of distain. The only time I saw what I thought was a smile on her puss was the day we graduated. The smile was eerie, as if to say, I let you live and now you’re free to go. 

Those two teachers book-ended my elementary school years. In between I had teachers that were happy to be there. My Favorite was my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Heineman. She was kind and creative. She had a reading club. I still love her for that. On the backs of the reading club chairs were Annie Oakley, Wyatt Erpp, Daniel Boone, Roy Rogers, Dale Evans. When I sat in the Dale Evan’s chair it was so special I could barely concentrate on the book I was reading. I hope she made more money than the rest of them, or at the very least, more than Miss Dobson and Mrs. Carey.

I was listening to NPR and how our president, Mr. Obama, wants to give teachers their raises based on their merit and performance. I like that idea. Based on my experience, most teachers should get more money. It is a labor of love to go into teaching. If you stop loving it, you’re not going to be a good teacher anymore. Kids can’t perform when they’re in the presence of grown-ups that don’t like them.  Based on my experience, if a teacher is happy to see the kids, the kids are going to work hard to please her.

How do we know who’s working well with our kids and who isn’t? Evaluations by superiors, class averages, teacher cams? I’m not sure.  But base pay should go up. I wouldn’t mind splitting the bill with all the people in the form of higher taxes. It’s better than the tens of thousands of extra dollars I spend on private school for my kids.

Did I mention Miss Dobson used to shake kids (mostly boys) by their ears? One day she shook David Meinke by an ear and his head hit the metal file cabinet. There was blood all over the place. I hid under the stairs at home after lunch when it was time to go back to school. Miss Dobson was still there the next day and continued her teaching career.

Where will the money come from? Let’s start with a freeze on congressional wages, CEO wages and keep talking.

This has been Margaret Smith from the bottom.