Pop Quiz: College Teachers always the Bridesmaid
I have seen this series of e-cards posted to the right around the interwebs for a while, and it has always stuck in the back of my head for a number of reasons. The first is I like how it evens out. There is this weird notion in some people’s heads that teaching a higher grade is a promotion. I teach 9th grade, 15 year olds, and people ask oh don’t you want to teach the seniors. Nope, I like the age I teach. I like the subject I teach. Why would I want to change that?
I am sure elementary school teachers get it too. “Oh wouldn’t you like to teach high school?” But why would a person who is surrounded by the love of young children want the surliness of adolescents? For me it comes down to body fluids. I’ll take surliness over boogers any day of the week.
The difference between elementary and secondary schools is not a difference in prestige, but rather a difference in specialty. So too is the difference between college and k-12 school is just a difference in specialty.
Prejudice is ripe, and I will admit that until I started reading this blog and then writing for it I never considered the people who teach college to be “Natural Teachers” ala the Wire*. In my mind these people were just people who loved their subject and did not devote equal time to the art of teaching. Needless to say that has changed. I have seen through my fellow writers and the people who comment on this site that many people who teach college are my equal in their love and dedication to teaching.
And so I call on you college teachers to add to this “Which teacher has the tougher job?” Share with us your trials so that this incomplete series can be expanded to encompass all Natural Teachers.
The Pop Quiz is a question posed to you, the Scholars of Doubt. Look for it on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoon (ET).
*The term “natural police” is used throughout the [Wire] series to refer to the detectives and other officers who, regardless of politics, rank, or other extenuating circumstances, strive to close cases and get real work done. They do this because, being “natural police”, they are really the only ones with skills enough or drive enough to do so. – NotoriousNTP
Who has the harder job?? I don’t think either of us do. I do know that I don’t get the K-12 discounts at bookstores because my job doesn’t count as much to them somehow. I also don’t have to deal with parents which is why I chose college rather than K-12. I have never taught K-12 but my mother-in-law was a high school teacher and it seems that the problems she faced are pretty much the same as I do. So, I think teaching is teaching is teaching just with either small boogery people or obnoxious loud people take your pick.