I Am Not a Babysitter

I am not a babysitter.  I am a teacher.  I don't just sit in front of the classroom and read a book or go over a worksheet that I have the teachers guide to.  I'm so much more than that.

I assess the needs of my students and plan lessons that address those needs, while keeping those lessons in line with the curriculum, and the new Common Core Standards.  I plan small groups to push students thinking further or to fill in the gaps.  I meet one on one with students to set learning goals.  I plan projects that allow my students to exercise their creativity within the framework for learning.  I find 10 different ways to teach fractions so that everyone can understand it.  I grade tests, book reports, and sort post-its.  I field questions from overzealous parents and I pull teeth from ones that are uninvolved.  I work with staff developers to improve my techniques.  I create interactive slides on the Smart Board to engage students and keep them current with technology.  I scour the internet for a video of cheetahs hunting because it fits in with my read aloud.

I'm a firm disciplinarian.  I'm a detective sorting out where missing pencils and silly banz have gone.  I'm a mediator, trying to fix an argument between to "bff's" gone awry.  I'm a motivator to get a lazy kid's rear in gear.  I'm a secretary filling out tons of paperwork.  I'm a student going back for several more degrees.  I am not a babysitter.  I am a teacher.