Expected not to pray* Creech

NEW TEACHER > >> > >> > >>After being interviewed by the school administration, the eager > >>teaching prospect said: "Let me see if I've got this right. You > >>want me to go into that room with all those kids, and fill their > >>every waking moment with a love for learning. And I'm supposed to > >>instill a sense of pride in their ethnicity, modify their > >>disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse and even > >>censor their t-shirt messages and dress habits. You want me to wage > >>a war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, check their > >>backpacks for weapons of mass destruction, and raise their self > >>esteem. You want me to teach them patriotism, good citizenship, > >>sportsmanship, fair play, how to register to vote, how to balance a > >>checkbook, and how to apply for a job. I am to check their heads > >>for lice, maintain a safe environment, recognize signs of > >>anti-social behavior, offer advice, write letters of recommendation > >>for student employment and scholarships, encourage respect for the > >>cultural diversity of others, and oh, make sure that I give the > >>girls in my class fifty percent of my attention. > >> > >>My contract requires me to work on my own time after school, > >>evenings and weekends grading papers. Also, I must spend my summer > >>vacation at my own expense working toward advance certification and > >>a Masters degree. > >> > >>And on my own time you want me to attend committee and faculty > >>meetings, PTA meetings, and participate in staff development > >>training. I am to be a paragon of virtue, larger than life, such > >>that my very presence will awe my students into being obedient and > >>respectful of authority. And I am to pledge allegiance to family > >>values and this current administration. You want me to incorporate > >>technology into the learning experience, monitor web sites, and > >>relate personally with each student. That includes deciding who > >>might be potentially dangerous and/or liable to commit a crime in > >>school. I am to make sure all students pass the mandatory state > >>exams, even those who don't come to school regularly or complete > >>any of their assignments. > >> > >>Plus, I am to make sure that all of the students with handicaps get > >>an equal education regardless of the extent of their mental or > >>physical handicap. And I am to communicate regularly with the > >>parents by letter, telephone, newsletter and report card. > >> > >>All of this I am to do with just a piece of chalk, a computer, a > >>few books, a bulletin board, a big smile AND on a starting salary > >>that qualifies my family for food stamps! You want me to do all of > >>this and yet you expect me: > >>NOT TO PRAY?"

How true, Creech

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