Emma, Reader's Comment, Hey politicians, leave those teachers alone, Jane Caro

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Emma, Reader's Comment, Hey politicians, leave those teachers alone, Jane Caro, The Drum, ABC News, 11 March 2013: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4565396.html Historical link preserved from the original page.

Teaching can break your heart.

The drone of insults being thrown at the teaching profession is wearing down the morale of those willing to do this job.

You would think that teaching is some sort of highly prized profession, given the way the government wants to make it harder and harder to get into.

Lets face it, those who choose teaching know that it can break your heart.

Regardless of your literacy and numeracy levels, or how much passion you have - teaching in this day and age, can simply wear you down and burn you out.

I'm a high achiever, I achieved an ATAR equivalent to 95.

I worked in a management roles in my 20's and early thirties, but decided to train as a teacher in my mid thirties to fit in with my family commitments.

On one level, I can say I have loved teaching, on the other, I have had to find my own inner strength and commitment to keep going with it.

Schools, teachers and education have become the 'whipping boy' for society's failings.

Remember how you couldn't wait to get home from school, and go home at the end of the day?

Well now, school often represents the most stable element of a child's day.

Many kids actually prefer to be at school because their parents have basically not created a home for them.

Wo, that's a big statement isn't it?

Simply ask teachers what is expected of them now, that was NEVER expected 20 or 30 years ago.

We don't just teach, we raise many people's kids.

Who taught you how to tie your shoes; have basic manners; wipe your nose; learn to play fair; tidy up after yourself... your parents?

These days teachers are asked to do many, many things that parents used to do.

Every class I have taught has contained at least 2 or 3 children (usually boys) with significant behaviour/emotional/psychological problems that disrupt the classroom on a daily basis.

Busy parents aren't coping with their kids.

Aside from the stress of actually teaching, the teaching profession also has to deal with daily stress and pressure from parents; from school admin; from curriculum experimentation and changes; from the general community.

It can become a 'pea soup' of pressure, and stress... creating low morale.

Teachers want to go home at the end of the day and have something left over for their families.

Many don't.