Klarinet Archive - Posting 000705.txt from 1998/07

From: "Kevin Fay (LCA)" <kevinfay@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Teachers and Teaching
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1998 23:41:40 -0400

I agree with Ed that teachers are overworked and underpaid. I happen to be
married to a middle-school band director, and have often "helped out" in her
classes; I have seen first-hand the requirements of the position. It's
hard.

The following is perhaps a bit of overstatement:

"there is no job in the world that is more
difficult than that one. President of the United States? No comparison.
Air traffic controller? Piece of cake compared to teaching music in the
schools. Brain surgeon? Like falling off a log. Business executive?
Farmer? Laborer? None are nearly so difficult. Housewife and mother?
Well, I've never been that (don't have the qualifications), but it might
be a close second to being a band director."

Being a teacher does have some benefits, however:

--The ten weeks vacation every summer is pretty OK. Now I know all the
arguments about how that time isn't paid for, and that many teachers use it
to improve their skills, invest additional time yada yada yada. That's all
true. What is also true is that my wife gets it and I don't--most worker
bees get less time off than teachers disregarding the summer break.

--For the most part, a teacher can't be summarily fired (unless they commit
a felony). Sure--an unpleasant principal can make life difficult--but not
being able to summarily fire you changes the entire relationship. Other
folks have bosses who are assholes too, and they can fire you.

Tenure, no matter how imperfect, is far superior to employment at will.
Most people can lose their job at any time, with no notice, for no reason
at all--and with that their house, their car, and even their family. Tenure
isn't a big deal only when you have it.

--Teaching has no immediate upside; it also has no downside. Having
students perform well is its own reward. If a student doesn't play so well
at the end of the year, however, nobody dies, no one loses a pile of money,
and Mr. or Mrs. Band Director won't lose their job. Sure, it may be
frustrating when Johnny just can't get that D major scale. I have a good
friend who is an ER nurse; she's a little more "frustrated" having children
die in her arms. Get real.

Lots of teachers leave the profession because it's hard--but I bet are in
store for a rude awakening once in the real world. More leave because the
pay sucks, and they would like to provide better for their family (IMHO, the
underpayment of teachers is a national disgrace, but that's another
conversation). A certain portion leave because they have their 30 years in
at the ripe old age of 52.

kjf

-----Original Message-----
From: Edwin V. Lacy [mailto:el2@-----.edu]
Subject: Re: [kl] Re: mozart...

On Tue, 21 Jul 1998 Cheddar99@-----.com wrote:

> Teachers need to put more effort into their job and help individuals.

You just pushed my button with that statement! I've been a high school
music teacher, and I can tell you that if you are conscientious about
wanting to do your best, there is no job in the world that is more
difficult than that one. President of the United States? No comparison.
Air traffic controller? Piece of cake compared to teaching music in the
schools. Brain surgeon? Like falling off a log. Business executive?
Farmer? Laborer? None are nearly so difficult. Housewife and mother?
Well, I've never been that (don't have the qualifications), but it might
be a close second to being a band director.

If you are a band director, you are expected to teach music, give
individual attention and care to each student, please your administrators
who probably don't understand what you do or care what you do, please the
parents of your students, be an organizer (band library, band uniforms,
instrument inventory), be an expert on each of 20 or so different
instruments, be a conductor, keep current in your field, be a physical
education instructor during marching band season, organize trips, be a
public relations expert, survive under constant mental, physical and
emotional strain, and leap over tall buildings in a single bound!

Unless you have "been there, done that," don't tell me that "teachers need
to put more effort into their job." I find that uncaring, insensitive and
insulting.

Sorry if my words are too strong, but I feel very strongly about this.

Ed Lacy
*****************************************************************
Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
*****************************************************************

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