Without dissociating myself from my union, because I know that we have demands and that they are legitimate, I wanted to write about the teaching profession, because I am disappointed to read such a negative portrait of it in the press. We will then be surprised that so few young people in their twenties, yet full of dreams and passion, wish to embrace this profession.
It is often said that being a teacher is a vocation. I think it’s a mission.
Yes, it’s true, there are little mice in my school, and sometimes on the third floor it gets really hot. I open the windows, put on a fan or take the kids to the park. I don’t need to take a picture of my thermostat and send it to the press. Aren’t people in construction hot, too?
Yes, it’s also true that my heaters don’t always work well in winter. Yes, it’s true that I have primary cohorts that can go up to 26 students with more and more special cases and intervention plans. It’s heavy and not ideal. We have only one special education technician, and our resource teacher is overwhelmed. We do the best we can.
Yes, it’s true that parents are demanding and expect the school to educate their children as much as they educate themselves, sometimes more. But co-education is a matter of dialogue and this is an aspect that I really like. Yes, it’s true that our mental workload is close to the 1001 actions to be done in one day, between class management, pedagogy, timed periods and the administrative tasks that revolve around it.
Yes, it’s true that we have a small budget and therefore we buy a lot of things (books, equipment) with our own money to set up a pleasant class. Yes, we tear our hair out to organize school outings, because the shuttles are overpriced and the budgets are too compartmentalized. And yes, it’s true that there are so many teachers missing that we make emergency replacements in addition to our own work schedule. All of this is true.
But what is also true is that my room with its dilapidated desks is bathed in light in addition to benefiting from a superb view. That I feel at home there. That every day I smile and laugh there. That our mutual aid between colleagues is magnificent. That thinking about pedagogy and reinventing or surpassing oneself each year is exhilarating. And that this mission that I have to transmit a school curriculum to 24 pretty faces, to make them happy for a whole year when they will spend more time with me than in their own family, to listen to them, to help them to have confidence and to grow, sometimes even to participate in changing their lives by loving them and knowing them, this mission still thrills me after ten years of teaching.
I keep in mind children’s faces that amaze me, because by letting go of their hand in June, I know that I left a significant imprint on their path. And them on mine. It is palpable, and it is true. Certainly, our salary does not keep up with inflation. But I think I have a very respectable salary, free periods in my week and a good balance in life. I enjoy unparalleled professional freedom.
My work allowed me to have an incredible window on my daughter’s childhood, instead of juggling the obligation of day camps. I was able to encourage her in tennis, see her swim for the first time in a municipal swimming pool on a Tuesday afternoon in July, cycle with her for miles and picnics, tickle her in a hammock in full week. And not just two weeks. I feel lucky and grateful. Very grateful. I changed careers at 35 and I will never regret it.
So yes, it’s true, there are little mice in my school and the plaster on the walls is crumbling. When a day is difficult or one is sick or less patient, it really is a difficult day. But when a day is wonderful, it is truly wonderful. To inspire idealistic and dynamic 20-year-olds to become teachers, I believe that the important message that we, experienced teachers, must share is that this profession invests us with an incredibly noble and fundamental mission. Above all, you still need to be able to tell them: “I like my job. »