I just finished writing a paper that took me, what, eight hours? Yep. Eight hours. I just finished writing a paper that took me straight up eight hours to write. Well, maybe more like seven if you include the breaks I took to eat some lunch and go to the bathroom. Put that on top of the time it took to complete that paper I wrote Monday night and the time it took for me to add my thoughts to the discussion posts my colleagues wrote and, well, there you've got the perks of getting a Master's degree via the world of online education.
Does that even make sense? Probably not. I'm seeing stars over here. Literally.
(And thus it begins to make sense as to why I have so many damn migraines. Computer time. I'm sure of it.)
So. I write papers. I research articles. I teach. I read textbooks. I write more papers. I teach.
Oh, and I'm also a mom. And a wife.
Lucky them.
Here's the thing. In order to be a teacher, you have to do shit like furthering your education.
Come on, admit it... you want your kid to have a teacher who knows her stuff (like the back of their hand, mind you). I've heard how many of you watched those movies featuring the worst teachers in the world of public education ever... the ones who could care less about how successful your children end up. The ones who scratch their buns and eat the snacks you send to school because they would rather spend their time thinking about the tv shows they watched last night and what they plan on doing during summer vacation rather than focusing on the needs of the children directly in front of them (and what needs they all have, by the way! Each and every single one of them! Needs!).
Don't pretend. It's an expectation. You want the best for your child. You expect the best for your child. You want their teacher to get it.
I do too. Which is why I'm doing this.
Which is why I'm a shitty mom right now. And a shitty wife right now. And a shitty friend right now. And a shitty daughter right now.
It's hard and intense and I can't wait for these days to be over. I know. Wishing my time away. How awesome is that?
You want to know one of the best parts (those italics mean intense sarcasm)? I'm doing it so I can get a pay deduction next year. Because the thing is, apparently there's no money for those of us out there who do care, who do try, who do sacrifice their time with family and friends (and themselves!).
Man. It's hard.
My advice? Get out there and hug a teacher. They could use one.
