If you haven't seen, A&E has a new series documenting Tony Danza's first year as an English teacher in a Philadelphia high school.
If you didn't know, I am an English teacher, so naturally I have my DVR set to record every episode.
I'm still deciding if I love or hate this show. Let me give you some background on what's been going on.
Three weeks ago I started teaching 10th grade English at a local high school (shout out to my s-n-l, Bekka). This was my second time taking over someone else's teaching job, and if you never heard my stories, the first time was no walk in the park. Three weeks ago I was scared, nervous, and expecting the worse, but I was met with kind, respectful, and awesome students.
That honeymoon period, however, has ended.
Defiance, apathy, and dishonesty become my daily battles and at the end of the day I wonder if it's worth fighting. I wonder if this is what I want to wake up to for the next 30 years. I wonder if I'm cut out for this. I wonder if I made the wrong career choice.
This is why I haven't decided if I love Teach, or if I hate it. I often find myself wincing when I watch the show...not because of Tony, but because watching brings back bad memories I desperately want to forget.
things that make me wince
1. Monte (student)- always complaining he's not challenged enough and every episode asserts that he doesn't want "Mr. Danza to get in the way of his education." Do us a favor, Monte, don't talk so close to the camera and sign up for an honors class. It's not Mr. Danza's fault that he has students with a reading level 5 grades lower than yours in the same class.
2. Ms. DeNaples (asst. principal)- could she have made Tony feel like a bigger idiot on the first day when he didn't sign in when he got to work? Ease up, lady...
3. The first-year-teacher ignorance no first year teacher is immune from. It sucks.
4. The Resource room (SPED testing/work room) incident. I'm going to leave it at that because I don't want to say the wrong thing and offend someone.
5. When Paige (student) walked out on Tony when he was talking to her. That's happened to me twice in the last two weeks...with the same kid.
6. Charmaine (student) asking Tony if he was nervous, then telling him he should probably wear and undershirt so he doesn't get sweat stains. Some people's kids...
7. When Tony comes to the realization that his students aren't doing their work at home. Talk about a kick in the you-know-where.
8. When Monte (student) corrects Tony in front of the whole class. Been there, done that. Sigh...
9. Every time Tony is summoned to the principal's office. Dun dun duuuuunnnnnnn.
10. Every time Tony cries.
things I love
1. Every time Tony cries.
2. When Ms. McCloskey (asst. principal) tells him it's ok to cry because everyone does it at one point.
3. Tony has a student named Algernon. Have you ever read Flowers for Algernon? If you haven't, please do.
4. Tony's enthusiasm and dedication...even when things are tough.
5. Ben a.k.a. Kyle and Howard a.k.a. Frankie.
6. "This is an emotional profession." Agreed.
7. Tony teaches 10th grade English and so do I.
8. Tony is always wearing a blue shirt.
9. "Those who care, teach."
10. Tony Danza, a famous actor, knows what I go through.
I love Teach because it assures me I am not alone in my struggles, but I hate it because it reminds me of those struggles. I wish I could call him up on the phone and discuss our triumphs, failures, hopes and disappointments. We could lesson plan and bounce ideas off one another. We could motivate the other to "keep on swimming."
I'm not one to quit at first sign of trouble. I've endured before, and I can endure again. I'm thankful for the attributes I develop and improve every year I teach. My all-time favorite quote by Benjamin Cardozo never fails to recharge my batteries:
"In the end, the great truth will have been learned, that the quest is greater than what is sought, the effort finer than the prize, or rather, the effort is the prize, the victory cheap and hollow were it not for the rigor of the game."
4 comments:
I feel all of your struggles and triumphs. Teaching is emotional work. When is this show on? I need it in my life. I miss teaching more than I thought but that's because I only remember the good moments and I'm blocking out the times when students swore at me, lied to my face, or made me feel like an idiot. Hang in there lady, you are phenom and those kids are lucky to have you.
Oh Lauren, hang in there. You are definitely right about the love/hate relationship. Every year with my job, I find out in March that I won't have a job for the next year. I always feel a little relieved and happy, but then I start packing up my supplies and I get teary eyed and then I end up finding another teaching job. Why? Who knows why we do what we do! I'm already saying that I'm going to take a year off next year. We'll see.
Lauren:
I love you final quote being an english teacher you have most likely read the one from Teddy Roosevelt but I thought I'd share it with you:
"It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by the dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short...gain and again; who knows the great enthusiams, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat."
Thank you for "spending yourself in a worthy cause". We need more good devoted teachers like you in the world...
Remember, Cocoa?? Her real name was Charmaine. I thought of her when you wrote about that student. Students will surprise us as Cocoa did, so keep on keepin' on. The hardest things are so worthwhile sometimes. :)
Post a Comment