[yawn]

Teachers underpaid but appreciated

Gee, thanks, Mr. Carlson. That makes up for it.

I'm not sure [Coach Sheehan] left me with any life lessons, other than knowing to keep quiet when a big guy with a Southern accent is chewing you out. It came in handy in basic training.

Heh. I've discovered that there's nothing quite like my own Southern accent to get some kids' attention. It's definitely disconcerting to some of them, believe it or not, because they've never heard anyone speak in a Southern accent except perhaps on television. I have found it can be an advantage, too, in being disarmingly nice.

Teachers who, yes, are shamefully underpaid, can be absolutely certain they'll go into retirement with something most fat-salaried executives can never imagine.

They will be remembered - and appreciated - and respected - for a very long time.

Whatever. Still means I get to live in a 120-year-old firetrap in the inner city while the executive in middle management enjoys his house in the quiet 'burbs.

Meh. There's a lot to like about my house. And my job. But the pay? Particularly when you pair it with the expectations, it's rather dismal.

I do think I'm getting tired of the obligatory "We love teachers and they don't get paid enough" opinion column. How many times do we read that before anyone actually GETS it? Either suck it up and pay us more, or quit loading us down with piles of crap that have nothing whatsoever to do with actually TEACHING STUDENTS.