Oh the comments

So, I never get comments on this blog. This is due in part to my lack of followers/readers. This is fine with me. I write infrequently and so do my 2 followers. Such a weird one "followers" it makes me sounds like an evil genius or something.

I need to never read the comments from a local paper ever again, I will but, I shouldn't. There was news about the tax levy for my school district and once again people just come out with the claws. I always want to respond but know I should not because it is maddening/I don't want to have work repercussions. I like being employed. Of course, most people don't know how tax levies work and all of the ways of school funding. I don't and I work in it.It is quite complicated.
So, as always, it is stated that teachers are money grubbers who are lazy, do nothing and really don't care about the kids. First in  the money grubbing, if you really want to know my salary, go look it up. It is a law that all public teacher salaries are published and accessible to the public. If I wanted to make lots of money and put in the same amount of effort  I would not choose teaching. Second, why are teachers not allowed to earn a living wage? We have advanced degrees (that we paid for ourselves)  often required to do our jobs.
Lazy? How many hours was I at work today? I might have had only six hours of classroom contact time with the kids. Add the hour long meetings before work, up to seven. Then add another hour+ of after school club, we are at 8 the standard work day. Now, I stay and grade papers, create new lessons, create SMART board (my board was not paid for by the district)  pages so my students who learn in more interactive ways have an outlet. I arrive to work close to 7:45 and leave near 5:30 or later every day. I could go on.
 If I wanted to have a job that allowed less work or effort, I would have picked a profession that has less emotional toll. I know nothing about many professions and their emotional toll. I do know which of my students come to me hungry or ill cared for. Who cried in my room today because their parents were fighting last night or this morning. I know who is in my room now and is homeless. I know who just threw up on me because they were sent to school sick. I guess I really don't care.

I am not alone. I am not the minority. I think of the teachers I see every day and cannot think of one who does not fit this profile.

Feel free to comment.