Her supportive upbringing is now evident in her support of the students that she educates. Dianne is currently living in Verona and working as a middle school teacher at two schools, Badger Ridge and Savannah Oaks, in the Verona Area School District. She started her teaching career in 1973. Dianne believes that she organizes her curriculum in a way that allows all students to succeed since she believes that they all can.
One of the schools she works at has “a much more positive environment” than the other one. She thinks that this is “due to the administration” with its caring attitude, especially concerning disciplinary methods.
Even though the school’s environment can at times be sour, joking relationships survive within its walls. One of the gym teachers, now retired, Ruth Heffron, “was always throwing the kids in the pool.” On one occasion she even put me, a teacher’s kid, into a garbage can upside-down. Dianne stated that Ruth also did strange things like “climb in and out of windows.” Ruth Heffron also had fun, joking relationships with the teachers. For instance, Dianne told me “she would hide things on people.” Occasionally, this did upset some, but for the most part it was appreciated and brightened others’ spirits. Dianne also has had joking relationships with students in classes with which she has felt comfortable enough.
Teaching has dramatically changed over time. It used to be thought of as being a woman’s profession. However, this no longer seems to hold true. There are now approximately equal numbers of males and females teaching in the world.
The different classes that Dianne has taught have changed dramatically over the years. When I asked Dianne, “How has teaching changed over the years?” she replied with the exclamation, “Oh my! A lot!” The biggest change has been the increase in diversity. “There was no diversity when I first started teaching [1973],”claimed Dianne. She said now there are Hmong, African-Americans, Indians (both from India and Native Americans), and a large Hispanic population. There are also more special needs children who require special attention, students that are homeless, and students that are without proper parental supervision. Overall, “Teaching is much more difficult now than it used to be,” claimed Dianne.
Some techniques or “tricks of the trade” can help make teaching easier. One way is by setting up a personalized disciplinary plan that works. This differs greatly depending on what the individual teacher’s beliefs are about discipline. Another is to remain a professional, and not get too close to the students. A professional distance must be maintained. Otherwise, the students will not give the teacher the same amount of respect. Teachers must maintain a professional stance and refrain from behaving as a student would. Also, a good learning environment is necessary to succeed. It should be a comfortable and caring atmosphere to optimize learning. Hence, teachers should foster the principle of community, not conflict, and expressions of pride, not alienation.
Furthermore, there are certain initiations that teachers must undergo for them to be successful. When teachers are just beginning their careers, “They must learn the ropes.” Teachers often look down upon other teachers if they’re too outspoken when they first start, causing disruptive conflict in the teaching community. It’s somewhat of a requirement to put in some time and gain experience before taking charge of things like committees. A teacher’s status generally becomes higher by putting in more years. Teachers are given seniority rights as well, in which they are given preferential treatment in transfers to other schools and in class assignments within their system.
Another type of initiation is student teaching. This begins by a “student teacher” observing a teacher, and then gradually the student teacher begins to instruct the teacher’s classes, until finally they take over all of the classes. Teachers must go through many experiences to succeed. These initiations prepare them to fit in and do well as a teacher.
Teachers have their own jargon, or vocabulary, as well. Most of it would confuse an outsider not used to the language. There are many acronyms, such as E.E.N. (Exceptional Educational Needs), I.E.P. (Instructional Education Plan), and A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder). Teachers must also become familiar with the terms for the various illnesses and special needs that students have. This jargon somewhat alienates those who use it because many “outsiders” are unfamiliar with it.
Additionally, teachers use nicknames. They call the students other names. As groups, they’re called pet names like “cherubs” or “my kids.” This is probably due to the close relationship that develops between the teachers and their students as they spend a lot of time together. It’s an example of community, rather than conflict, as it expresses the teachers’ pride in their students and closeness that has developed.
Since teachers are generally at school during lunchtime, they often eat what is called “hot lunch.” The school itself serves this, and various kitchen staff prepare the meals for the students and the teachers. These meals include things like French toast, sandwiches, pizza, hot dogs, fruit, chicken nuggets, and goulash. One day this month, the meal consisted of the following: goulash or corndog, lettuce salad, pears, sherbet, and milk. Another day, it was a fish sandwich or hamburger, potato wedges, pineapple, and milk. On the next page there is a hot lunch menu for the month of March in the Verona Area School District. There is some variety in the type of food that is served, but usually the same things are served every month or so.
Teachers put in a great amount of time at their workplace, however they are commonly given a long annual vacation, which is generally during the summer. They can use this time for things such as recreation, relaxation, furthering their education, or making more money. That’s a great benefit of this line of work, appreciated by all.
There are many different roles that teachers perform both in school and in the community. Their roles in the school or university can consist of the following: mediator of learning, disciplinarian or controller of student behavior, parent substitute, confidant to students, judge of achievement, organizer of curriculum, bureaucrat, scholar and research specialist, and member of teachers’ organizations. Their community roles can include public servant, surrogate of middle-class morality, expert in some area of knowledge or skills, community leader, and agent of social change. These various roles require a lot of work and commitment from the teacher. Some of these roles conflict with each other. For instance, a teacher must be a disciplinarian and also a confidant to the students. In the community, the role of surrogate of middle-class morality tends to conflict with the role of agent of social change. Due to the presence of these role conflicts, the teacher must learn to balance, to know when and how strongly to act in a particular role, and when to change to another in a flexible way.
When minor children are entrusted by parents to schools, the parents pass on to the school certain responsibilities for their children, and the school assumes certain liabilities. Thus, the school and teachers take on some of the responsibility and some of the authority of the parents. The exact extent and nature of this responsibility and power vary from one society to another and from one school system to another. This is spelled out to some extent in the law, but much of it is determined by local custom and practice. Obviously, there’s a close relationship between the age of the student and the teacher’s responsibility and liability for the student. Young children have to obey their teacher, and the teacher might use the practices expected and tolerated in the community to control the children’s behavior. Furthermore, the child’s physical safety is entrusted to the school and to the teacher, who thus become legally liable for the child’s safety, to the extent that they can be proved to be negligent.
Teaching today is an important path of upward social mobility. It provides an excellent opportunity for the economic and social advancement of intelligent and motivated young people. According to the book Brazilian Secondary Education and Socio-Economic Development, a study of social origins of middle school teachers in Brazil in 1963 showed that about half of them had moved up in social class as a result of becoming teachers.
Traditionally, schoolteachers are expected to support their local religious group and serve their community. Teachers are usually seen as useful minor civil servants, without abnormal political or economic attitudes.
Overall, teachers are given a lot of respect by society, and they are well deserving. They are the people who educate the future leaders of our country. The professional manner in which they conduct themselves causes them to be given high regard. Teaching is a highly esteemed career.
