When Do I Teach

 

When Do I Teach

Monday, August 27, 2007

3:31 AM

You got me backed into a corner,

I came to “touch the future,”

To make a difference or two,

To touch young lives,

To teach, to reach out,

Help a young mind find the right direction,

But lately, I find myself wondering,

When do I teach?

 

CST’s, CELDT, GLAS, SABE, SKOWIE, NCLB,

Results testing, writing samples,

At least three times or more,

Who knows?  At times, I’m so confused,

And wondering everyday,

When do I teach.

 

In-services, district buyback days, training,

Staff meetings, grade level meetings,

Parent Conferences, student conferences,

Administrative conferences,  meetings,

 For every grade level, gender, age and race!!

All the while wondering,

When do I teach?

 

Open house, Back to School night, Carnival night,

Fundraising, field trips,

Lesson plans, collaboration, grading papers,

And piles and piles,

Of files of paper to file,

The whole time, wondering,

When do I teach?

 

I wanted to help children learn,

To do this, I’m on a quick burn,

Hours of pep, with no pep,

Keep up your continuing education,

Hours of study into the night,

Dedicated lifelong learners,

That teachers are,

Going to school day and night,

Wondering,

Will I be able to teach?

 

E.L.D., E.S.L., E.L., E.O., F.E.P.,

D.R.A., S.S.T., ISLIP,

Fe fi fo fum, don’t trip,

It’s a new year lets learn another acronym,

One more theory, one more new program,

Each year brings new curriculum,

Mastering each as fast as can,

Wondering,

When do I teach?

 

What? We’re out of time,

Another day is gone,

There’s no more time to teach.

 

The light at the end of the tunnel,

Is clear and bright at first,

With time it fades into dream,

Reality sets in and the dream bursts,

Into the classrooms of today,

Filled with government control,

We wake up and wonder,

When do I teach?

 

 

Salvador Inocensio /September,  2001