I was visiting Kastner yesterday, and Rick told me about an article he’d found in the Oct. 20 edition of Newsweek.  He said he’d shared it with his staff, because it was a nice affirmation of the hard work all teachers do.  It’s a great little piece called “I Am Not a Babysitter”; a little essay in the My Turn column of the magazine.  In the essay, teacher Heather Robinson of Dallas talks about all of the misconceptions of teaching that she has encountered.  She also talked about what teachers REALLY do, and a little bit about WHY we do it. 

I remember years ago, when I was a new teacher (spending extra hours working on classroom ’stuff’, spending extra dollars buying curriculum supplies and spending Saturdays and summers clearing my credential and taking class after class after class…) some dufus in line at the hardware store made some comment to me about my ‘cushy job’.  I thought my husband was going to rip him limb from limb. 

If you can get your hands on the Oct. 20 edition of Newsweek, flip to page 19 and read the My Turn column.  I know you’ll find yourself nodding in agreement as you read.   

—LisaMarie