Friday, February 16, 2007

When she comes to the club, step aside.

So last night the four of us went to a Japanese place for dinner. It was one of those places where you sit at a big table with a bunch of people you don't know and the chef cooks the food in front of you. We had never been to this particular restaurant, but Jason and I had went to one on our honeymoon and I had been to one a few (okay, like 10 or 11) years ago when in college (the first time), so I knew what to expect.

At our table were Ken and Barbie and their two children. They were slightly irritating in that they completely ignored their children the entire time (I talked to their son more than they did, and I'm not kidding), they were entirely too tan for it to be February, and the woman ordered by far the most expensive entree on the menu and then took exactly two bites and left the rest on her plate. But them? Yeah, whatever. They didn't really bother me.

The people at the table next to us? Yeah. They bothered me.

The next table seated four couples; none of them knew each other. They were all young couples and were being friendly with one another, asking, "Where are you from?" "What made you move here?" "Are you married?" "Do you have kids?" All of that was fine. They talked NASCAR for a while. They talked about some different football teams for a while. Whatever.

Then one of the women at the table, who was clearly drunk, began to talk about her job.

She's a first grade teacher.

Now, let me begin by saying that I have more respect for teachers than just about any profession. When I went back to school, I had every intention of majoring in Elementary Education, and I did for a while. I only changed my major because working for the government proved to have perks that working for a public school system did not (read: $$$). It was merely a situation of being in the right place at the right time. Were it not for the job I got in May 2005, I would certainly be teaching school right now. Well, not literally right now, as today is an in-service day. But yeah. In general.

Also, I think that teachers have the right to do whatever they want in their free time so long as it is not damaging to children (or illegal or whatever). If a teacher wants to go out and tie one on, it's no different to me than if an accountant wanted to go tie one on. Whatever. After you leave work, you've left work. I have no problem with that. If she was, you know getting drunk and flashing her boobs at kids, then yes, I'd have a problem with it. Otherwise, if she wants to drink, that's her business.

However.

She announced to the entire table (lo, the entire room because she was talking REALLY REALLY LOUDLY) that she was a first grade teacher. She then announced the school at which she teaches. She then proceeded to talk smack about:
1) The school
2) The principal
3) The "idiotic" parents
4) The other teachers
5) The students in her class, that she is currently teaching (particularly the non-white students)
6) A bunch of other crap, I tried to block her out

Not only that, every other word she said was the F word and I don't mean freaking. All four of the kids at our table got really wide eyes as she went on an on with F-This and F-That.

Clearly, she's miserable, she hates her job, and she does not want to be a teacher.

And that's primarily what I have a problem with. That and the huge headache she gave me because she wouldn't SHUT UP.

When I was a credit counselor I saw a lot of teachers. This makes me profoundly sad, as teachers are ridiculously underpaid. I would ask each and every one of them, "Do you like your job?"

Never, not one time in five years, did a teacher respond, "Yes! I love it!"

Every single one of them said they hated it. They didn't just say, "Oh, it's a job." Or, "It has good days and bad days." They said, "I HATE IT."

The children were in kindergarten when we lived in North Carolina. They went to a school that had 1200 students (grades kindergarten to fifth grade). Every day I would walk them into their classes. I passed the fourth grade hallway every day and every single day (even the very first day of school, and I'm not kidding) I heard one teacher screaming at the children in her class. Not raising her voice. SCREAMING. Clearly she was also miserable and hated her job.

I've had jobs I hated. Good Lord. I've had jobs I hated so much that I would literally pray to God that a drunk driver would hit me on the way to work so I could have a day off. I have sat in jobs thinking, "I have to get out of here". A huge part of why we moved away from North Carolina was so that I could get away from a job that was slowly crushing my very soul, and start over.

I know jobs are not easy to come by sometimes. I do understand that. But really, I wish that woman last night would go get another job. Anything, ANYTHING other than teaching children. Because she hates her job. She is miserable in her job. And I just have a hard time believing she is doing an effective job teaching these "f*cking" children she hates so much.

15 comments:

Gerbil said...

Wow. And she hates teaching FIRST GRADE? That's one messed-up woman.

Brown Eyed Girl said...

I find that a lot of times people with teaching degrees or English degrees (like my husband) get out into the real world and find they hate it and they don't know how to change it.

Once the f-bomb got dropped I would have said something about the kids being around..but that's my confrontational self.

Unfortunately this is more common than most realize. So so unfortunate.

Unknown said...

While I'm sure teaching any grade is a challenge, she should NOT be doing it if she feels that strongly about most aspects of her job. I would not want her to be my child's teacher.

Barbie & Ken? HaHa...

dennis said...

hmmm...you know the school, the principal, other teachers, the racist comments...

I seriously consider getting this particular woman out of the classroom.

Not because I am a white guy who happens to be the father of two caramel kids. But I am also someone who tried the teaching route and found it was not my career of choice.

teachers like her will do more long-term damage than good...

ok, you can have the soapbox back now.

:)

dennis said...

oops...
I meant to say "I seriously would consider..."


a lifetime of college flushed...

M said...

Ooooh! That Dennis fellow has wise advice. Call that f-ing school and give them a heads up. What a hag.

I'm happy to announce that I actually DO know teachers who LOVE their job. PK's ex and his wife are two of the most amazing elementary school teachers I know. Sure, they have their bad days but the two of them do it for the right reasons.

Teaching is a 'calling'. If you aren't called to it get the hell out. Doing a crappy job at any other job because you hate it is fine. Doing a crappy job teaching children is so unacceptable it makes me twitch.

Alpha Dude said...

Wow.

I'll say it backwards.

woW.

But watching the guy with the knives doing his Japanese chef thing was cool though, right?

my4kids said...

That is really sad that she would talk like that especially talking about her students. If it is really that bad she needs a new job so she doesn't do any damage to any kids. I mean imagine if one of her students just happened to be in that restaurant? Thats just really sad.....

Julie said...

How dissappointing to hear her speak that way.

On a lighter note, when I was younger I spilled a full class of soda on the grill at one of those Japanese steakhouses. THANK GOD there was no food on it at the time but how embarrassing.

Happy Working Mom said...

It scares me to death thinking that I will be sending my little children to be with people all day that don't want to be there. At least now I have chosen a babysitter that really does love my children and enjoys spending the day with them. If you don't like teaching, don't do it...the kids will know you hate it.

Jocelyn said...

I wish the chef had mistakenly chopped her fingers off, in the midst of whacking some greens, just to stop that public tirade.

Stir-fried pinkies stop all work-related rants.

Proven fact.

(btw, my sister is a bilingual first-grade teacher, and every time I visit her classroom, it makes me want to go back and do first grade again)

Emma in Canada said...

I agree with Dennis. She put all that information out there, is she looking to get herself out of a job? I would call that school.

I do know that teachers talk about their students and parents that annoy them amongst themselves. But she took it way too far.

Silly Hily said...

I can't even begin to imagine what a challenging job teaching is. But with every challenge there must be rewards. I know teaching can be rewarding but she seems to be overlooking that side of it. I would NOT want her teaching my children.

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