education

I've always taken my education for granted. Everything in school (until college) came really easy for me. Hence, I didn't bring with me, any sort of study skills in college, which is why I'm not where I wanted to be. However...as for the rest of the population...

I've taken a new role as a teacher. A Catholic middle school teacher...and I'm slowly realizing what an academic snob I am. I have certain expectations, being a product of the Catholic school system myself. However, it seems as if the population of students have changed. I've seen it gone from overachievers to students who have special needs. Parents question my qualifications on a daily basis. My 8th grade picture is hanging on the wall in the hallway of the school. So, it's obvious how old I am...and that I don't look all that different from 10 years ago. Therefore, they wonder if I really know what I'm doing.

During parent-teacher conferences, I was questioned: "What I'd like to know, is how long have you been teaching? Also, I would like to know where you've teached."

• If you're going to question whether or not I am qualified to teach, I would rather you ask me using proper grammar...as if YOU were educated.

"You're the reason why my child won't be accepted into a Catholic high school. You have something personally against him/her, and I don't like it one bit. I have proof."

• There's a lot of things going on here. One...7x7=49 and not 14. I highly doubt that I've made that person lose all sorts of math knowledge within 3 months. I HIGHLY HIGHLY DOUBT this. And I don't have anything personally against this child. What proof do they have?

I do not have the thick skin required to be a teacher. I can take the criticism from the middle school kids (because I know more than them). However, I cannot take it from parents because I will assume that they know more than me (because they're older than me). And when I know I'm doing an AWESOME job...I don't like someone to tell me that my entire teaching method is wrong. Obviously, something is wrong if everyone else is succeeding...and not the child who refuses to study, refuses to take notes...and more importantly, wonders why I'm asking them to open up their books.

[/rant of being a teacher]