Imagine having a career where many people refuse to acknowledge that you are a professional, yet it is the same people that say they could never have or handle that job. Imagine spending years in college, taking tests after getting your degree to continue to prove you are qualified for your job, but the state is making changes to regulations for this profession to allow less qualified people preform this job because they fail to recognize the importance and impact of your career. Imagine getting hired and being told you have certain supplies required to do your job, but you have to supply them yourself.
This is the reality of public elementary school teachers across the United States. Society has a pre-determined image of what they think a public school teacher’s day and job looks like, but it is extremely surface level and not completely true. This image is part of the reason that people fail to recognize them as professionals because they work with children, but they are educating the future generation. Teachers are teaching kids how to become functioning and successful members of society by teaching skills such as reading, writing, math, and even how to deal with emotions. Without teachers, who is educating generations to come?
Traditionally, to become a public elementary school teacher, a four year degree in elementary education was required as well as state certification. However, there are some states that have emergency certified teachers due to the teacher shortage. These are people that have a degree, but not in elementary education or in education at all. Currently there are states pushing for allowing people to become teachers with only a high school diploma. This is problematic because it is not addressing the cause of the teacher shortage, but only the effect. Therefore, the individuals getting hurt are going to be qualified teachers with degrees and the children.
Looking at a teachers classroom, the basics, the tables, chairs, whiteboards, and projector is what the school supplies. Sometimes there is more, but these are the basics. The supplies necessary to run the classroom, the teacher has to supply themselves. That costs a lot of money, money that the teachers do not have. They often have to replace supplies mid-way through the year as well because of wear and tear or because they get lost. This would not be the case if education was properly funded. When the classroom has to go without these supplies, it is not just the teacher that is hurt, but it is the child’s education. Supplies can be used to help further a student’s understanding of difficult concepts and going without can be extremely harmful.
The double of a public elementary school teacher can be seen through Braudy’s theory, but in this case it is the seen and unseen. On the surface, the career of an public elementary school teacher might be seen as stress-free and easy going. They might seem always happy because they are surrounded by children and bright colorful classrooms. To depict this, I used a shoe box. The outside of the shoebox representing the surface level. I chose a shoebox because when looking at a pair of shoes they could appear really pretty and comfortable, but when you put them on it could tell another story. The shoes could be incredibly uncomfortable and unbearable to walk in. I am trying to say it is hard to understand the true struggles of a public school teacher until you walk in their shoes, however look beyond the surface and realize there is more to be seen.
