I personally think "hero" gets used all too often in this society. It's like the participation trophy of adulthood. Agree that their jobs aren't easy at times but hero might be a bridge too far IMO.
When I first started teaching, I foolishly accepted the first place that offered me a job and was simply happy to have gotten an offer. I didn't realize that a lot of principles have their heads up their asses and don't hire teachers until late August/September around here so I took a position at a truly horrible place. I worked there for only two years.
One of the weird things I learned is that a lot of gang kids really loved going to school. Two free meals, hanging with their friends, and knowing they won't get in any real trouble for real crimes was a nice thing for them. In my two years at this school I was involved in breaking up at least one real fight a week. Turns out that school districts don't respect gang territory lines and turf wars continue into school.
I stopped counting how many of my students got arrested while I worked there, but I do remember that 7 got busted for rape and 3 for murder in those two years. Just last week a buddy of mine that also worked there for those two years showed me the newspaper arrest report of another murder arrest. It isn't like these kids stop being rapists and murderers and drug dealers when they walk into the school hallway. It also isn't like they give a shit that you are an "adult" (which they don't see most teachers as) or a teacher. Schools like that are really fucking dangerous.
Clarify "unsafe schools" and "at risk children" please
Just go to about any inner city school and you'll know what they mean
I personally think "hero" gets used all too often in this society. It's like the participation trophy of adulthood. Agree that their jobs aren't easy at times but hero might be a bridge too far IMO.
I'm definitely do not see myself as a hero.
When I first started teaching, I foolishly accepted the first place that offered me a job and was simply happy to have gotten an offer. I didn't realize that a lot of principles have their heads up their asses and don't hire teachers until late August/September around here so I took a position at a truly horrible place. I worked there for only two years.
One of the weird things I learned is that a lot of gang kids really loved going to school. Two free meals, hanging with their friends, and knowing they won't get in any real trouble for real crimes was a nice thing for them. In my two years at this school I was involved in breaking up at least one real fight a week. Turns out that school districts don't respect gang territory lines and turf wars continue into school.
I stopped counting how many of my students got arrested while I worked there, but I do remember that 7 got busted for rape and 3 for murder in those two years. Just last week a buddy of mine that also worked there for those two years showed me the newspaper arrest report of another murder arrest. It isn't like these kids stop being rapists and murderers and drug dealers when they walk into the school hallway. It also isn't like they give a shit that you are an "adult" (which they don't see most teachers as) or a teacher. Schools like that are really fucking dangerous.