A Moment of Quiet

I have had jobs all along the spectrum of work.

As a teacher, I never rested.  Ever.  I was up and going and certainly not taking a bathroom break.

As a nanny, part of my day was taking a nap.  I should have appreciated that more.

And I've had all kinds of jobs in between.  The internship I just started is proving to be one that's a little closer to the teacher side of things - I am busy busy all day, and I am certainly not comfortable enough yet to take a coffee break.  But I did eat lunch today, so that's a step in the right direction.

So even though I'm sure you're all fascinated with my daily routine of the past and present, that is not, in fact, the purpose of this post.  The purpose is to say this:

What actually makes up your workday is a really under-discussed matter in the debate on teacher compensation.  Because, yes, teachers do get summers off.  And while there are incredibly dedicated teachers who stay until 5, 6, 7 PM, most teachers do go home at around 3:30 or 4, a luxury for those with office jobs.  However, those hours from 8 AM to 3 PM are nothing like the hours the rest of the world experiences.  There is no coffee break, clearly.  But there is also no bathroom break, no quiet break, no sitting down break.  I think if you wanted to make this somehow equivalent to an office job, it would be like giving a presentation at a meeting of your colleagues all day every day.  No, it's not as high-stress as giving a presentation to your bosses, and yes, it gets easier eventually.  But there's no having an off day.  You have to be on point, all the time. 

So maybe it's time to stop discussing how much teachers work, when they work, etc.  At the next meeting of the district or central office, perhaps we should ask administrators (/Republicans everywhere): how much would we have to pay you to give up any kind of down time during your day?  How about the privelege of ever leaving your office or chatting with other adults between 8 and 3?  Ok, now add a little boost for the privelege of leaving your job and having everyone tell you you don't work hard enough.

Now do teachers seem overcompensated?