K. A. Robinson: I Am Not A Good Teacher
At the blog Your First Black Friend, K.A. Robinson reflects on his first eight years in the teaching profession. It’s a piece that any and all teachers can take encouragement from.
I have been teaching professionally for eight years now. Being a teacher is all I ever wanted to do since freshman year of college. My route to get where I am now has been by no means conventional or easy. However I do believe that it has been carved out that way to make me into the man I am now. Teaching is not an easy job. It’s not a pretty job. It’s not a job for the weak at heart. But it is needed in our society. It is needed because somebody has to mold the future. I believe that my calling has been to work in education, so I don’t mind the work and hardships that comes with it. I am also a competitive person with a touch of perfectionist, I can be very hard on myself when it is not needed. So trust me when I say “I don’t think I’m a very good teacher” there’s a hint of truth in there even though I am probably being too critical of my craft. But I don’t feel like I’m a good teacher…yet.
Teachers, particularly at this moment, are viewed as superheroes and/or major villains. They carry the weight of other families and their own. They often struggle with the work. But Robinson ends with a hopeful note:
It is totally normal to feel like you can be or should be doing better. Having the support of others and knowing there’s others out who feel like you do helps. To all my fellow teachers who are attempting to navigate this mire that we find ourselves in, I want you to know: I have your back. The most noble of profession is not for the faint of heart, but someone has to do it. Thank you for being that someone.