Sunday, February 03, 2013

Early Bitterness

The Official Dilbert Website featuring Scott Adams Dilbert strips, animations and more


When I started teaching in the '70s, things weren't easy.  The school I was in was rough.  (I got lucky.  It was in a safe neighborhood.) In fact, it was one of the first schools closed down in the mid 80s.  My AP was a nightmare.  In spite of this, no one talked about retirement and getting out.  We worked hard and worked together.  Our goal was to help our students and to have fun while we were doing it.  The group I started with is mostly retired now (we are old) and we succeeded in what we set out to do.

When I used to sit around the math office at Packemin, (only when I was running off copies, otherwise I avoided it like the plague) I heard young teachers talking non stop about the envy the felt when one of us seniors left and how they couldn't wait until the day they too could leave.  It was sad seeing young people who seemed doomed to go through the next 20 or so years hating their jobs.  I thought about them when I read this Dilbert cartoon while drinking my morning coffee. How sad that the system has destroyed so many young teachers, teachers who should be happy they are working in a good school, located in a safe neighborhood, teachers with the ability to help so many.

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