It would be nice if the media could portray teachers as PEOPLE, who work hard and do the best they can, often in very difficult conditions. Looking at them as saints (i.e. Freedom Writers, Stand and Deliver, etc.) only sets unrealistic expectations for new teachers and allows politicians and the public to keep blaming teachers for the inadequate funding and obsolete systems that plague schools. It allows them to think that if teachers just cared more, were more inspiring, more motivated, and tried harder -- like the characters in the movies -- then that would be all that's needed to fix the educational system. The saint portrayal allows the public to assume that the fact that most teachers aren't rising to these unrealistic expectations means that clearly the teachers are at fault.

But I'm not sure portraying teachers as martyrs, as the reviewed films and literature seem to, really performs a better service for teachers or their students. This just allows the public to assume that teachers knew they were going to have a hard job and shouldn't demand better conditions. And just as portraying teachers as saints perpetuatesthe myth that teachers just need to work harder, portraying them as martyrs will perpetuate the myth that they just need to be willing to suffer more. Neither set of assumptions will improve schools or help students have positive and meaningful learning experiences.

The media is full of unrealistic expectations. You have the movies where characters are either unheralded saints, or malcontents forced to teach for some reason or another, only to discover their true calling. As for television, well, I have yet to work at a school that allows me to wander off campus for lunch, step out of the class whenever someone visits, etc.

One thing is correct, however. Teachers must care. Students know if you don't. My students know that I want them to succeed, but that I'm not going to simply pass them.

As a teacher, I think you're absolutely correct that caring is one of the most important things that teachers can do, and one of the few accurate aspects of teaching that the media has (sometimes) portrayed.

Where the media becomes inaccurate is in its portrayal of teachers who must care to the extent that they sacrifice their marriages (Freedom Writers), sleep (book reviewed here), or other aspects of their own personal or emotional mental health. Teachers, like anyone, need to be able to have other aspects of their lives besides their jobs. Any profession that asks more of its workers will lose some of its most promising people.

And yes, I know there are law firms and businesses where people routinely work 70-80 hours per week, but most of those people earn a lot more than teachers do. They can pay someone clean, cook, do laundry, help with child care, fix their car, etc., and they definitely don't need to take a second job during their weekends or vacations.

You're looking at it . . . well, no, you're reading the words of just such an entity.

I know from experience that happy mediums (media?) do exist in real life, but I'm just saying that it would be nice if the media portrayed this more. The media portrayal sets unrealistic expectations and distracts the public from what real teaching is about.

P.S. I hope your ulcer gets better. I looked at several of your posts and I think that most of what you say is right on!

Hee hee... the saint. 1) Actually at parties, when I say I'm a teacher, people either say, "Oh," and turn away, bc teaching has such little prestige, OR 2) they say, "That's so greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!" as if I'm such a good person for doing it. I did go into it for altruistic reasons, but I quickly learned it's not about making a difference. It's about having fun, because then you'll have the opp to make a difference. No one wants to be helped by someone they don't like. Kids are people, not entities to be taught. At this point, I teach because it's fun; you can act crazy, play games, act, joke, hide under desks- even with high schoolers. I'm strict, I'm respected, I have no discipline problems. My students and I work very hard and balance it with fun so we can keep up our pace. I honestly can't say if they learn, because I rarely see them again after they leave; that makes the job difficult. I don't know how people can teach without having fun; even having a fun day, teaching often seems to easy, too stressful, not rewarding and stale. And, you're alone. You teach alone, with no adults to give you feedback, to tell you it didn't work, to tell you what a great job you're doing. I feel lucky I've taught; this is my tenth year, and my energy is waning; I'm ready to be with adults. But I feel so lucky to have gotten to work with kids; it's a privilege, and they can be really, really wonderful. They're almost too precious; you make a connection, and then they're gone... again, easier not to care.

Those other professions mostly have lots of status, too. My son, who is a lawyer, had several years less graduate work than I do and has the casual air of a great man. He drives a very nice car, lives in Palo Alto, and thinks a lot of great thoughts. I think he's spectacular, but I behave lika a reformed, overeducated mother with a good education, and the least skilled assistant in my school tells me how to do my job freely. The thing is I am a reformed mother, and I took up motherhood because I wanted to, and I like that assistant. I also think a lot of kids who raise hell are just too bright for their own good and will do fine if I don't destroy their sprits first.