One of the most surprising realities is that most teachers do not have an eight week long summer holiday each year. Many many teachers, especially those who are the sole financial supporters of their growing families take on jobs in the summer. They have to take on these extra jobs just to support themselves and their families. Even teaching couples have to do this to make ends meet. My husband and I are no exceptions. Every summer my husband does house repair-work and construction. I work on farms in the harvest and I make rag dolls for craft shows. Colleagues do similar tasks, including delivery driving, working at summer camps, and running day care programs. It is rather pathetic, I know, but c’est la vie. Teachers just aren’t paid salaries that do justice to the work they do. In a way, teaching is a humbling experience similar to being a servant. But that is just my opinion.
What about the teachers who don’t do work. There are many other work-related tasks they do in the summer. Teachers take extra courses either online or at colleges. Some go back for masters degrees. They have to constantly upgrade their skills to remain competitive in today’s job market. Teachers go oversees and teach English in such underdeveloped countries as Korea or Thailand. Teachers also go on international exchanges, swapping homes with others to gain valuable teaching experience. Teachers are happy to do these things, even though they are part of the job. However, it is obvious that their job is not one that begins at nine in the morning and ends when the bell rings and the children flee the school like a herd of panicked buffalo in every direction.
Teaching is a twenty-four hour a day commitment. No matter what the rest of the world has in their heads, teachers do not work eight hour days and spend the other sixteen lazing about at home living the good life. Teaching is both extremely demanding and extremely rewarding. It would be even more so without the typical “lazy” stereotypes we must endure. ,Although there are some lucky teachers who live within walking distance to school, most
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