I am a third grade elementary school teacher in La Prairie, on the South Shore of Montreal. I have been practicing a profession that I have loved for twenty years now. In addition, I have the chance to work in a pampered environment.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
However, over the past few years, I have become more and more disenchanted with the daily exercise of my profession. I am in fact overwhelmed by the lack of recognition towards teachers that is increasingly evident in the population.
Yet teaching our young children is the very foundation of a well-organized society. Just as much as we are, doctors, nurses, accountants, lawyers or others, we have all passed through the same benches from school to elementary school.
To my disenchantment is added the fact that a significant proportion of my colleagues have been tired and out of breath since the start of the pandemic.
I am certainly not the only one to have the impression of finding myself among the left behind. Great importance has rightly been given to caregivers and front-line workers. They were among the first to be vaccinated and salary bonuses were even granted to them.
I totally agree with all of this. But why have we primary school teachers who are in direct contact with young people and who are exposed daily to this least vaccinated part of the population, not obtained this same rapid access to vaccines or rapid tests? ? Do you really believe that it is possible to keep 2 meters apart with more than twenty children in a classroom?
The succession is desired
I am worried about the future of my profession. It’s true that I don’t have to ask for a vacation in the summer or during the holiday season, but a teacher doesn’t even earn $50,000 a year at the start of her career despite four years of university studies. I have two daughters and I wouldn’t advise them to do this job because its former prestige has disappeared.
The recruitment of new teachers is so painful that we now allow a student who has completed only one semester of his teaching baccalaureate or who has failed the French exam to come and do a replacement. Other professionals without the required skills also find themselves teaching children. How did we get here?
I would also like parents to understand our reality and speak well of us to their children. They have to team up with us and trust.
Teaching today is no longer just a question of instruction and education since we support parents in their work to bring up their children well.
Primary teachers need to feel valued and respected. This profession must begin to interest young people again.
My greatest wish is to rediscover this feeling of pride that inhabited me at the start of my career. I still believe that it is a marvelous job, one that I am passionate about, but I am worried to see that my difficult reality is discouraging more and more young people from becoming primary school teachers.
At the end of the day, our children will pay the price.