Instead of making a difference, teachers maintain status quo

We’ve all seen those movies where a teacher from an upper class neighbourhood fresh out of college crosses to the other side of the tracks with dreams of making a difference. We see them struggle to get through to hard-to-reach students and change the lives of countless individuals who would have most likely dropped out. Or there are the stories of the big city teacher who, in search of change, moves to a small town and opens their students’ eyes to a world they are missing. In fact seeing those movies or even having inspiring teachers like the ones on our screens is what inspires most students to become teachers in the first place.

These stories fill their heads with dreams of making a difference, of being that role model in some students’ lives. Students spend years in school with that dream driving them forward and holding onto it when things get hectic. But when graduation approaches and reality sets in, they start to realize their dream they once clung to might not really be what they want anymore.

Small towns often fall under smaller school districts with less funding than those in bigger cities. Even schools in the cities can have fewer resources if they are located in the less fortunate parts of town. As a teacher getting ready to graduate, new schools with their shiny desks and new books are appealing. Compared to the old schools that are falling apart and with old materials, new schools are paradise. People always say “go where the money is,” and sadly that’s just as true in the profession of teaching. In fact, with the current cost of living in Alberta and dismal teacher salaries, the appeal of the private school board becomes greater with every passing day. Though a cushy private school gig is appealing, it is pretty far from that dream that inspired them to be a teacher in the first place.

I’m an education student who is just over a year away from graduation. Now is the time when I need to be considering where I want to apply for jobs. I’m suddenly becoming more and more aware of the fact that I’m not cut out to live in a small town — I’m a city girl at heart. I also realize that I’m scared enough of just the idea of getting in front of a group of students, not to mention a group of students that don’t want to be there. I don’t know if I have what it takes just yet to be the person that convinces students to stay in school and stay on the right track. I think about the debts I will have leaving school and the nerves I will have entering the profession, and I don’t think I could handle the added stress of being in a less-than-ideal environment.

Not all teachers end up in those less wealthy schools that they once saw themselves teaching in, but regardless of where they end up, they are still doing very important and difficult work. It is unfortunate that teaching is not a profession our government seems to value enough and that teachers need to make the choice between helping the students that need them the most and helping themselves in their career. But it is the reality of the world we live in, and unfortunately some dreams get lost in the politics.