Week Two Post Two

There does seem to be a great deal of weight that goes along with being a "teacher". When someone asks what I am studying, once I respond most people have a comment rather than a nod. Many people have their own ideas and opinions about what a teacher is and/or should be. Because of this, we have shoes to fill in this profession. Our students and parents have an image of teachers, particularly of the English variety. This of course follows us out the door and into the rest of our lives. How we deal with that outside space is our own business, but unfortunately a great deal more politics goes along with this particular profession. Most people are assumed to be someone else outside of school, but teachers are teachers every hour of the day. It is a delicate decision to let in our non-teacher side. It goes far beyond being professional, we are supposed to be engaged and passionate all of the time. This extends even into legality. An instructor once told me that as a teacher we are expected to help with any emergency, including car accidents and medical emergencies. Even in the eyes of the law we must be teachers all of the time. Of course the nuances of this depend heavily on the community we choose to teach in. But it seems no matter where we end up, a great deal of our identity will be the role of a teacher.