The role of state school teachers

[I have already written about this in the past. Today I am sharing a new perspective on this matter]

When I was working in ELT (and by this I mean working as freelance teacher or for private language schools) I used to look down on state school teachers. I used to think most of them did not want to train to become better teachers, that they were just stuck in their ways or even worse, that they did not know what being a good teacher is.

How presumptuous of me.

In fact, what I wilfully ignored before was how being a state school teacher is much more than simply teaching a language/subject. As a teacher, you are supposed to be a role model but not a friend, an authority figure but without being authoritative, a psychologist but without being too obtrusive, an impartial assessor as well as an empathic confidant. You are responsible for these teens’ future, for how they perceive school and education — and your subject in particular — as well as how they perceive themselves. You might scar them for life or empower them with your words and actions. You are responsible for teaching them responsibility, while also caring for their mental and physical health.

You are overwhelmed with responsibilities, bureaucracy, deadlines, expectations from students, parents, school boards, society.

I was a fool, and I am sorry to say that I see many people around me still convinced that a teacher only works 18 hours a week (I wish!!), that they have three months’ holiday, that their job is simply opening a book and reading from it. I wish these people could do my job for a week, and feel how challenging and draining it can be.

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