I admit it. Over the course of two days I saw both Barbie and Oppenheimer. Actually, I wound up seeing Barbie twice in one day, but that’s another story. Both movies left me with a lot to think about. As I thought about Barbie, it occurred to me that teaching is a heavily female profession. According to Google, it is nearly 75% female. It made me wonder, as others have, if this is one of the reasons the teaching profession is not held in higher respect: basic sexism. I am a male in a female-dominated profession As the character Aaron, a Mattel employee says, “I’m a man with no power. Does that make me a woman?”
Thinking about the movie again recently, it suddenly struck me that the now-famous and oft quoted monologue performed by America Ferrera’s character, Gloria, could be adapted to be about teaching and teachers. So I did. It is actually longer than the movie monologue, but has some similar rhythms. I think it says some things that needed saying. Enjoy.
It is literally impossible to be a teacher. We are so talented, and so smart, but it kills me that we’re made to think we aren’t good enough. We have to always go above and beyond, even as the system underpays and underappreciates us.
You’re supposed to teach kids to think, but you’re not supposed to think too much. You’re supposed to promote American freedom, but you are discouraged from having any freedom or autonomy as a teacher, which means you also aren’t supposed to give any freedom or autonomy to your students. You’re told to innovative and be creative, but then you’re told to follow the curriculum map with fidelity and teach like everybody else. You’re told to make it all about the students, but then told to focus on data and test scores. You’re supposed to encourage your students’ interests and individualism, but you are supposed to dole out standardized assignments and assessments to each of them the exact same way.
You’re told to be outstanding, but then told to be just like everybody else yourself. You’re being held responsible for student learning, but not given power over the process, so really, it’s the people who tell you what to do who are responsible for student learning.
You’re also responsible for your students’ behavior even when you didn’t raise them and can’t really control them. You are supposed to uphold all the rules and be tough on misbehavior, but also be understanding and help students grow into better behavior. You’re supposed to be positive and affirming but swoop down on misbehavior and write students up.
You’re supposed to be engaging and fun as a teacher, but also strict and mean. And you can’t be so popular that you threaten other teachers. You are supposed to motivating and engaging, but not gimmicky, but also rigorous and involved in high level thinking.
You are a hero one week and the horrible, greedy corruptors of the nation’s young people the next.
You’re supposed to love being a teacher, and not complain about your pay or teaching conditions. You’re supposed to be in it for the outcome, not the income, but if you mention that it’s hard to make ends meet and you need to work a second job, you’re told you must not be dedicated enough.
You’re supposed to promote literacy and reading, but also self-censor any book in your classroom that might offend anyone. You’re supposed to use lots of technology, but keep them off their phones, even though their phones and apps are designed to target the addiction centers of students’ brains and are constantly being updated by tech wizards from around the world. Also, you can’t call their parents about their phone use, because they are texting their kids all day.
You’re supposed to emphasize learning over grades, but always keep your gradebook up to date.
You’re supposed to develop warm relationships with students, but not too warm or too close. You’re not their friend, you’re their teacher. You’re supposed to get them ready for college and careers, but also make them emotionally intelligent, informed voters, critical thinkers, good citizens, and healthy, balanced people.
We have been educated in our fields, but our education can be trumped by the ideology of politicians, who tell us we’re the ideologs.
I’m just so tired of watching myself and all the other teachers tie themselves in knots to try to please students, parents, school administrators, district leadership, the state, and the general public in the hope that everyone will stop badmouthing us.
And if we claim to love education but are chasing teachers out of the profession in droves and our young people are avoiding the profession in droves… then I don’t even know.