"Those Who Can't Do....Teach"

When I'm asked by non-teachers what "I do" for a living, the responses I get to "I teach" often fall into three general categories: A) those who exclaim, "oh! wow... good for you," and clearly have some concept of the amount of time, love and effort we put into our work; B) those who cry, "your job is so easy...and you get summers off, it's so unfair" to which I often respond, they give us the summers off so that we can retain our sanity; and C) those who smirk and retort with, "what did you do before? oh well, 'those who can't do, teach".


There are a lot of quotes or familiar sayings I enjoy and even endorse, but this is not one of them. Anyone with common sense should easily recognized how flawed this statement is.   Quite simply, how does one expect a job to be completed correctly if the individual is uneducated and/or unable to complete the task.  Even more so, how can one expect the individual teaching to earn any amount of respect if his/her skills or lack thereof are obvious to the naked eye.


For those who need further convincing, here are some prime examples of teaching jobs that quickly dispute this antiquated claim:

1. Driver's Ed - For starters, we drive on the right side of the road...and that sign is Interstate 95, NOT the speed limit.
2. Medical School Professors - Remember this one when you're lying in a bathtub filled with ice and less one kidney.
3. SWAT Team Instructor - Do you really want to be taught to dismantle a bomb by someone who may or may not have remembered which specific wire should be cut? I'll ask again in 30 seconds...
4. Scuba Diving Instructors - Overlook the small detail of oxygen to nitrogen ratio and pretty soon, you'll be "sleeping with the fishes".
5. Acting Coaches - Where would our Hollywood Hunks and Starlets be without the proper coaching and theatre instruction...actually, cancel that. Bad example.

All kidding aside, the reason I became a teacher has nothing to do with my inabilities but instead, my abilities paired with my passion for sharing my gifts and a love for learning. I have always felt that being a teacher is not something to be taken lightly or done on a whim. Despite the stress, the long hours, the low pay...there is a sense of satisfaction and pride when all is said and done. I only hope that years from now, when someone asks, "What do you do?" and I reply, "I teach," that they respond without pity and instead smile and say, "you rock".