To Those Knocking Teaching as not Real Work Experience; You Must Not Really Value Your Children

Boys ‘n’ girls, this is a rant that is long overdue.  I’ve seen the righty trolls bitch about teachers being paid too much or they’re being greedy every time there is a labour dispute as it happened in Ontario recently.  They bitch that teachers don’t really work all that hard and they have summers off.  The good life.  Teaching is a “cushy” job.

Next, Justin Trudeau, a former high school teacher turned politician and now the new leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.  Again, the righty trolls.   Now, I don’t agree with many of Justin’s ideas like being pro-pipelines and anti-gun registry or stronger gun control. In fact, Joyce Murray was my first choice for Liberal leader. Nonetheless, I find myself defending Justin Trudeau today for only one reason,  the fact that Stevie Spiteful and his disciples  keep knocking his lack of experience and that he was “only a teacher”.   Boys ‘n’ girls, Exhibit A as to how teachers are under appreciated.  I also find this attitude alarming.

To those who are knocking the teaching profession,  as the daughter of a  30+ year veteran high school teacher  in both public and private schools here in Montreal and in Ontario,  I have to say you’re soooo ignorant.  They’re more than glorified babysitters.   They do more than teach their respective subjects to students.  They also teach them about life.  They hold the hands of pupils who may need it. Often they provide some kind of counseling when needed and / or asked for.  They mentor.  More often than not, they are available after school hours to provide extra tutoring to pupils who need it the most as well as meeting with parents.  After the school day is over, they work at home more often than not grading assignments and tests, preparing report cards, planning lessons.   They often find themselves working off the clock.  Now that’s dedication.

Also, teaching is one of the few professions where one meets people from all different walks of life and must deal with each and every one of them accordingly.  They must be good communicators.   Yes, boys ‘n’ girls, teachers are leaders and largely in part, teach their students to be future leaders of any stripe. Meeting people from all different walks of life and communicating with them effectively, hmmm, how is that not good experience to being a politician and yes, even a leader of a political party?

Teachers must be good problem solvers. They teach a class of children more often than not with different issues such as learning, poverty,  and even neglect and/or abuse at home or amongst their peers.   One example I can provide is that  I have always had trouble with school for as long as I can remember.  Yes, as the daughter of a man who taught English,  the weird thing was that throughout most of my high school life, besides math, English was one of my worst subjects. When I hit grade 10, my English teacher at the time used to teach special ed. Within weeks, she was able to identify that I have learning disabilities.  She helped me a great deal.  My English grades improved somewhat (I was no longer failing the subject). I was better prepared for Grade 11 English.

Oh yeah!  They’re also dealing with the politics of their school, schoolboard, union or community on an almost daily basis,

For many of my high school years, I sooo wanted to drop out as soon as I turned 16.  It was too much; too hard.  Like many kids, I disliked most of my teachers for a variety of reasons.   However, it was the few teachers who were encouraging and supportive who kept me going until I graduated from high school.  I would not be a secretary for a social services agency had it not been for the teachers who helped me graduate high school.   All this to say, that the success of anyone is largely thanks to a teacher.

As for my father,  I have heard from many of his former students over the years. They track me down on social media asking about him and how he changed the direction of their lives in a positive way.  Once at an NDP gathering in Outremont discussing health care, I met a man who had my father for Economics–he told me my father taught him how to read newspapers differently.  A young woman, who had him for English, now living in New-Zealand wrote a book and has told me she had a lot to thank him for.  I have also heard from former ‘tough’ kids who have said that their lives had changed for the better because of him.  I think every teacher, still working in the profession or not has stories like that to tell. Since when has a CEO of a Fortune 500 company or some Bay Street high roller or corporate lawyer  able to make such claims?

Speaking of High Rollers,  have they forgotten that the reason they’re where they are today is largely in part due to a teacher(s) or teachers?  Those righty trolls and the Stevie puppets have forgotten that someone like Justin Trudeau or my father or any other teacher for that matter has provided many of the tools they possess today.  Columnists and journos of the Harpercon cheerleading media , also quick to knock Justin Trudeau as only a teacher would do well to remember that they wouldn’t be journos or columnists without teachers.   They are providing the tools for your children to build their own futures.  Does that not matter at all?

If you are saying that Justin Trudeau was “just a teacher” and dismiss it as not real work, then you must not really value your children if you entrust them  to those who have a job that doesn’t count for much in your books.

Both Justin Trudeau and my father could’ve done other things, perhaps in the corporate world and made a shit load more money than they did as teachers. My father had the contacts as I’m sure Justin had his.  Both chose to teach instead. My father wanted to shape young minds and I imagine it was the same for Justin.

Aside from the fact that many dismiss the teaching profession and in so doing, must not value their children, those righties have tipped their hand further– more evidence that Stevie and his flunkies are promoting ignorance as they shun education.

Again, being a good communicator, problem solver, being a leader and someone who can and has shaped young minds are just a few qualities of a teacher that is transferable to leading a political party or any group for that matter.  Those are of the qualifications of a good politician and/or leader, more important than being a corporate high roller.

Speaking of experience, just remember that Stevie Spiteful and most of his flunkies when they stormed Parliament Hill didn’t have political experience neither.   Something conveniently forgotten by many, not the least of which by corporate media.

As for you, Justin, you had some attack ads running fast and furious, including, no doubt, mocking your tenure as a teacher.   I believe I just did your homework for you, touching on that attack.  What are you going to do about it?