This sounds oddly familiar: Teachers’ hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It’s time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do – babysit! We can get that for minimum wage. That’s right. Let’s give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That …would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to……… 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan– that equals 6 1/2 hours).

Babysit?

Immediately my hackles raised. What! We babysit! Let me tell you about babysitting this week. I have a small load as far as classes go. Many teachers would love to have my classes. My largest class now has 27 in it. My smallest class has 9. This, however, is in a district that has 62 students in the high school and now 50 in the junior high.

This week, I checked in on a student who lost her mom to a sudden heart attack two weekends ago, I counseled a student about being a leader toward good and not bad, I took 11 students on an overnight field trip to the University of Oregon to celebrate Foreign Language and International Studies, I guided students in writing a play to perform and video, and I encouraged high school students to do community service so they can graduate. That was just a few things.

Hours

Where did someone think teachers get 45 minutes for lunch when we have a contracted half-hour lunch. This year, the only time I’ve had a full 30 minutes was on days when we were at work without kids–professional development days (think work training) and grading days (think filling out endless forms).

Besides lunch my day runs from 7:45-3:45. That varies from school district to school district, but most places have an 8 hour day. As for planning time, have you ever tried to do your job without being prepared? It’s horrible. Just once, try standing in front of 22 people to teach them how to do what you do, and you’ve not had time to make the copies to give to them or get the presentation ready for the projector or even create an outline of what you need to say. That’s really what prep period is.

Pay scale

Now that my blood was boiling, it was time to read further.

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day…maybe 30? So that’s $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations. LET’S SEE…. That’s $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

My jaw dropped. $105,300 a year!!! Now, we’re talking true professional level pay. So, I went looking to see if any Oregon teacher even makes that much money, and I discovered in 2010 teachers in the Portland area who worked two positions, such as night school and teacher, or who were athletic directors made $102,718 or lower. Oregonlive continued to state that “Most teachers with the very highest pay worked extensive evening, weekend, and/or summer hours.” However, of the schools my size reporting salary pay this year the minimum salary with base education is $34,321 and the maximum for the top level is $63,273.

Education

The post carried this thinking even further.

What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master’s degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year. Wait a minute — there’s something wrong here! There sure is!

In Oregon, a Master’s program is now mandatory for not only teachers but substitute teachers as well! That’s three years of education beyond a Bachelor program, and Master’s level courses cost more than the Bachelor level, around $200 more per credit hour.

Summary

The post finished out.

The average teacher’s salary (nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/per day/30 students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student–a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

What a deal? I’d say we need to educate our population a bit better. If America is going to raise the standard of education, it is going to start in the mindset of parents at home, and we must view teachers as more than just babysitters.

To raise the standard of American education, we must start in the mindset of parents.

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According to one site, this is the job description of a teacher:

“Prepares lesson plans and instructs students in an assigned school. Evaluates and monitors student’s performance. Requires a bachelor’s degree, 2-4 years of experience in the field or in a related area, and may require certification. Familiar with a variety of concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks. May lead and direct the work of others. Typically reports to the principal.”

Although this description is faulty, it still illustrates what teachers do. Step into a classroom and watch what all goes on. From the teacher moving around guiding and directing students, to experiments, reading, speaking, and active engagement, to students with difficulties trying to focus on everything, there is too much to contain in one little sentence, and yet it all happens every minute of every day in school.

Ending

How did the piece end?

Heaven forbid we take into account highly qualified teachers or NCLB…
Make a teacher smile; re-post this to show appreciation  all you out there!
Standing up for our children’s educators, one of the most important people in our kids lives.

By the time all was said and done, yes, I did smile, but it got me to thinking. Teachers are one of our nations best kept secrets.

As a parent and a teacher, I see the value in schools and the inherent issues as well. When my daughter returned from Finland, she raved about the schools there. The educational world has also noticed the wonderful schools in Finland. After a year back in the States, my daughter finally came to the conclusion that Finnish schools are as good as they are because of more than just the teachers, administrators, and any laws. They have the results they do because of the society they are based in. Standards at home and societal norms enable teachers to do their job to the best of their capabilities. I wish this was true here in the United States.

In the meantime, I’ll do as one of my Master’s level professors said, “Do the best you can within the bounds of what you’re given.” Therefore, I’ll rearrange my room to allow student interactions, I’ll counsel students, I’ll take field trips and open up new horizons for my students, and I’ll collaborate with other teachers to bring the best possible education for students. My bio statement is true because I really do teach students about “Spanish, leadership, and life.”

Mom as Teacher

As I stood teaching a Spanish 1 class of high school students, I found a table in the back where two students sat chatting. I did my typical walk around to get their attention, tap on their desk, call on them, etc. Nothing worked. They continued to chat. I caught two phrases: Sword Art Online, and SAO. So, in a lull in teaching, I meandered back to the two students and looked them in the eye.
“Bueno, Kirito, está bien, pero es para la clase de Japonesa no la clase de Español.”
The two students looked at me in bewilderment. I repeated the sentence. One of the student’s eyes popped open wide. “Did she just say, Kirito? Does she know Sword Art Online?”
I nodded. “That’s thanks to having five kids.”
Again the student’s eyes grew wide. “I thought you only had David.”
“Nope, he’s my youngest.”

A mom and teacher victory! I had spent time with my kids enough to know their culture and was able to gain respect from my students instead of belittling them into paying attention.

Mom as Mom

Friday was one of those days that I had just had it by the time I came home from work. I hadn’t had an opportunity to just relax. My prep period was filled with an assembly, my lunch with an Associated Student Body meeting. So, I sat and scrolled through Facebook. As I did, I came upon a link to a blog post that caught my eye, 9 Truths ‘Moms of Boys Only’ Need to Know. What a delightful read. In fact, it inspired this blog post. I laughed at number 4. You see, I do have two daughters. The youngest is twenty and living at home. That day she had a rough day and my husband had just come into our room shaking his head at the girl emotions. Then as I finished reading the post, with tears in my eyes, I look up as I hear a male voice call out, “Hello, people upstairs.”I laughed. Sure enough. I will always love my boys. I shared that section with my nineteen year old who had just bounded up the stairs after work.

Mom as Author

This Mom thing has wrecked havoc with my writing! No, honestly. I thought for sure Duskya was the main character of Dragon’s Future, but to my surprise, as I sat down to write it, Ruskya took over. I know it has to do with being a mom to mostly boys. I understand them and as stated above, I love them.

Besides making my main characters boys for the most part, being a mom has shaped the way I write. I share tidbits of what it’s like to be a mom. There’s the joyous laughter around a dinner table, the arguing and bickering that goes on between siblings, the little brother annoying the bigger sister, and other mundane life happenings that have made their way into my stories. These all came from real life in my family.

My mom hat comes on when I’m drawing because what I choose to draw is kid related. As a photographer’s assistant, I’m able to chat with the women who come in and put them at ease. (It’s surprising how many people don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera.) I will always be a mom at heart. It will be fun to see how many more times the different areas of my life will be influenced by being a mom.

1. Get to know your child’s teacher

Teachers are real people. They have lives outside of school. Just like everyone else there are introverts and extroverts, athletes and scholars, bookworms and gamers. At your child’s sporting events, strike up a conversation with their teacher.

When you know someone, it takes away the fear of communicating.

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I can say from the teacher’s point of view that if I know the parent, it’s a lot easier to call home saying an assignment’s missing then if I’ve never talked to the parent. You wouldn’t dread a phone call from your best friend; why dread a phone call from your child’s teacher? Okay, because you jump to conclusions and want to defend your little one, or not so little one.

2. Hold back your judgment until facts are learned

One of the main areas of conflict between parents and teachers is the student. Teachers see their students for as little as forty-five minutes a day to as long as six and a half hours! A teacher may see only a snippit of your child’s life or have great insight. I had one student two years ago for a semester. She was in my class for about fifty minutes a day. However, by the end of the term, I thought I knew her. She was chatty, fun-loving, and outgoing. I loved having her in my class. One day, I said something to the effect that she couldn’t go a class period without talking. The other students with strong conviction told me that this girl didn’t talk in any other class. I didn’t believe them until I began talking with other teachers. Sure enough, she’s known as the quiet one. Yet, in my class she felt free to talk.

Listen to your child’s teacher. Then dig deeper. Find out why your child behaves the way he or she does in class. There’s always a reason for actions. Is your child bored, tired, hungry, or challenged? Once you’ve heard the teacher’s point of view, share yours. Be careful not to come across as judgmental. Just share as part of a team.

3. Visit the school

Yep, you heard me. Go to that boring Open House, or Parent-Teacher Conferences. I’d even suggest going in on a day you pick your child up from school. When our oldest was a teenager, I learned to parent in the non-conflict times. This holds true for parents and teachers. Go in and meet your child’s teacher in his or her environment before you’re called in for a parent-teacher conference.

Go in and meet your child’s teacher in his or her environment.

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It’ll help when the time comes and you’re nervous about the report.

What can you do? First off, have your child introduce you. Even a kindergarten student can learn to introduce someone. As a language teacher, I know that introductions are considered one of the easiest things to do. After the introduction, explain why you’re visiting. This will put both of you at ease. After chit-chatting, have your child show you around the room and then leave. A teacher’s time is valuable. They don’t have enough of it to plan and get ready for each day.

4. Understand the teaching profession

Teachers are busy people. They are working hard to teach your child the standards and information that government officials have said are important to teach at each grade level.

At the same time, a good teacher wants to impart those non-gradeable values that will enable your child to be a successful citizen.

As if that wasn’t enough, teachers often are being graded themselves with their jobs on the line. In Oregon, teachers are evaluated on how well students progress each year and on how well they are able to do the numerous teacher things, such as lesson planning, working with other teachers, classroom management, and how well they know their subject. This puts an awful lot of pressure on teachers to perform.

As you send your child off to school today, tomorrow, and throughout the rest of the school year, think of what you can do to make your child’s teacher have a great year. The effort will work to your advantage. If your child’s teacher is enjoying his or her school year, then your child is more likely to have a good school year.

This first one is just flat adorable. How many of us adults know the facts of these countries and can find them on a map? My 6th grade Spanish students will be introduced to the Spanish speaking countries this week. They are to prepare a quick report of fun facts, geography, food, and history with the class on one country. I want to share this video with them so they get an idea of what type of a report it could be–it doesn’t have to be dull and boring!

One of the biggest challenges of my job is to show students that learning a language is important and that they can travel outside of the Southern Oregon Coast. They think that they can get by speaking English, no matter where they go. This next video shares why it’s important to be multilingual in a very unique way. Who doesn’t want to have a great personality?

What do you think? How many languages do you know? How many could you understand?

The first student to fall and have to bring a surprise brought in homemade cookies for the class. The next brought in a box of CapriSuns. The students appreciated these surprises, and it made for a fun day. After that, the students have become even more creative. They have brought in surprises that were free.

A seventh grader took me back in time to when my grandpa was still alive. My grandpa fought in WWII on a navy ship in the Pacific. One day, a lone fighter jet followed the airplanes back to the ship and let loose one bomb and skedaddled back to his base. That one bomb hit the munitions dump and blew things to pieces. My grandpa received shrapnel in his hand and had a scar to prove it for the rest of his life. A little seventh grader brought that story to life by bringing in a shell casing from a WWII ship gun.

This last week, after a boss battle that caused several students on one team to fall in battle, a student shared one by one how she appreciated each student. She told of fun times in volleyball, good times to come in basketball, and shared experiences through the years. With each telling, she looked the person directly in the eyes and relived the memories.

Both of these last two acts cost nothing but time and thought. The one took the time to double check that he could bring something to school. His treat brought history alive for his class and his teacher. The other cost a bit of humility to get up in front of the class and talk from the heart. It also took a bit of thinking to decide what would be meaningful for each and every student and the teacher. These are both gifts that can be shared this holiday season.

As we think of Black Friday and the gift giving season, think of those gifts that cost nothing. Sometimes this are worth more than those that cost a fortune. What can you give today that is free? Will you take the time to share memories of times past to make history come alive for a younger generation? Will you tell someone what you appreciate about him or her? These are simple and yet profound gifts. Gifts that anyone can give.

However, I can’t stop being mom. Seven o’clock each morning, I have left and gone south past the high school to drop my eighteen-year-old off at work in a field where he is changing irrigation pipe. My thirteen-year-old earned a part in the local adult theater group’s Christmas play which means extra trips north throughout the week.

I have been so busy with school and family that several book events have fell to the side. Wednesday while at school, I had a moment to check email and saw a Twitter notice of a blog post. It was my post on Vox Dei’s webpage! I had forgotten it was to air that day. As my eighteen-year-old says, “Face palm!” The next day, I had another similar experience. I checked email just before lunch during my prep period and found a Twitter announcement of my cover reveal for The One Who Sees Me. How could I have forgotten that! I knew I needed to get a better grip on my calendar.

Saturday loomed big in my vision. I had to be ready for the book signing and release party of Dragon’s Future. My husband and eighteen-year-old would be off at a men’s retreat which left my nineteen-year-old and thirteen-year-old at home.

Grandprize packet of swag and a signed book went to a high school senior.

My thirteen-year-old and I enjoyed the Cranberry Parade at the local festival, and then we headed to the art gallery and used book store which was hosting the signing. After frantically trying to find parking, I was able to elicit help from some friends to carry books and supplies to the gallery. My three hours were fun and profitable. Many came through to purchase books, and I even met a journalist for the local paper who wants to do an author interview. We’ll see what happens.

In the meantime, I am ready for another week of school. I will try my hardest to be better at budgeting my time between family, school, and author work. It is a challenge this year, but it can be done.

Scrapbook page from Sound of Music

Four years after playing in The Sound of Music, I married my friend, Eric Wyatt. He had had more experience in drama at South. He called himself a ‘drama junkie’. He hung out in the drama room whenever he had the opportunity to do so. He went on trips with the drama club and loved theater. So, for our honeymoon, he purchased tickets at Ashland’s Shakespearean Festival. It was my first introduction to Ashland and to professional theater. I fell in love! Through the years, we returned again and again to Ashland and the festival. In 2003 we decided to introduce our two oldest children to Shakespeare. The kids were 9 and 14; they were old enough to enjoy Romeo and Juliet. We brought along the younger two, ages 6 and 7, to enjoy Ashland. Eric had arranged for childcare for the younger two and we were ready to have fun. To our great surprise, the childcare fell through! To our even greater amazement, we were able to find two more tickets located just a row below the original seats. With grateful hearts, we settled in to enjoy a Shakespeare classic. However, it was not presented in the classic style. When we reached the end of the play, Juliet pulled out a gun and shot herself! The stage rotated upward and showed Juliet in white, on a white stage with the red blood dripping down. Eric and I exchanged glances and grimaces. That wasn’t what we had expected or wanted for our 6 and 7 year olds, but it had happened. Once outside, all four children agreed that was the best thing they had ever done, and they wanted to do it again. We agreed to stick to Shakespeare’s comedies from then on out. It became such a standard in our life that the one year old who had stayed home, counted down the years until he was old enough to join us. As soon as he turned six, we took the whole family to see A Comedy of Errors. David sat spell-bound for the whole time and the next year, when I took him to see another play, he was disappointed when they didn’t introduce it exactly like the year before.

Wyatt family, 2003, after OSF’s Romeo and Juliet

Our love of theater and drama has carried over into our everyday world. From the time the kids were little, they have been in Christmas plays. Our oldest son was Baby Jesus before he was born! Eric and I were Mary and Joseph in a living nativity scene the weekend I went into labor with our oldest son. Each one of them have played a version of Baby Jesus at some point in time. Our youngest son, David, was a very unhappy two year old Jesus who needed a “nanny”, so I sat on stage to keep him with Mary. As the years progressed, we moved from just the kids acting in dramas at church to Eric and I writing, directing, and playing in more grown-up dramas. Our first was a two night production of The Passion Play. It was a dinner theater that moved the audience from one part of the church to another. They started out in the foyer, moved to the gym for dinner, moved to the auditorium for the garden scene and trials, and back to the gym for the crucifixion and burial scene. Eric and I co-wrote and co-directed it. Eric and our oldest son had parts in the drama as well. That led me to my Christmas program writing. I wanted to give the church a solid Christmas and Easter message in one setting. I knew people came to Christmas programs to see the little kids. So, I incorporated the little ones into the plays, but also gave more meaty passages and themes to the adults. My first one was He Made a Way in a Manger. It was the same year as The Passion Play. The play is about the Christmas story but it is seen from Mary’s point of view at the cross. She has monologues as she recounts the story remembering what happened and trying to make sense of why her son is on the cross. It ends with Jesus coming and talking with her about why it all had to happen the way it did. The second was God in Human Form. I used some musings that Eric had voiced to me to showcase Joseph’s reactions to the whole story. Finally, I produced Heaven Bends Down. This play is the Christmas and Easter story from the point of view of the angels looking on. It was so well received that every so often our pastor still refers to it from the pulpit.

David as a shepherd, 2014

Eric, as Jesus, explains to Mary why it all had to happen. (He Made a Way in a Manger)

Eric, as Jesus, in The Passion Play. (the wording went with the ending slide show in He Made a Way Through a Manger)

This early introduction to acting has shaped the lives of our kids. Our two youngest sons have found a love of acting. Our 19 year old surprised us when he joined drama his sophomore year. He blossomed on stage. A quiet, non-talkative teen became a boisterous bell-boy, a hairdresser who portrays a window, and a mentally disabled young man who falls in love. By his senior year, he was quietly encouraging the younger students to step up and take part. Our youngest son, David, was intrigued with his older brother’s performances. His day was made and he was in heaven when the drama teacher said he could tour backstage. So, when his friends told him about a local kids’ theater, he was ready to audition no matter what Dad or Mom thought! We were behind him and let him participate. He was a huge success as a bunny rabbit in Cinderella last year. This year, his acting ability was stretched as he played Colonel Poupon in Clueless in the Ballroom. This Friday he will have opening night of New Artist’s Production, Peter Pan. David is one of the lost boys.

David in New Artist’s Production of Cinderella Reprisal.

Second youngest son in Midsummer’s Jersey.

Second youngest son in Midsummer’s Jersey

As I sit back and see how we have grown over the years, it is amazing to see how much drama has influenced our lives. From one simple audition for me and a choice of class for Eric, we have directed our own lives and the lives of our children. Little did Ms. Bentley know what she was doing when she taught a gangling high school student. How many more lives did she impact over the course of her thirty plus years of teaching drama and English at South Albany High School?

A tribute to Ms Beth Bentley at South Albany High School