Mrs. Hinkle is a master teacher.

She was born to teach.

I first met Mrs. Hinkle when my son, Joshua, was 10 years old.  We had moved to a community that had a small, two room school. Mrs. Hinkle was one of the two teachers.  Oh, what a teacher!

This woman loved teaching and you could tell, just watching her with the kids.  She didn't spend her time bemoaning the students' weaknesses. Oh no. She watched and learned about the student, then led and drove and push and enticed the student to do just what she wanted him to do...learn.

The students were proud of themselves. And proud of her.

Mrs. Hinkle taught in this tiny school till it was closed down a few years ago. Then she went on to open a tiny school in her garage.

Wonder why she didn't move on to one of the bigger schools? (Said totally tongue in cheek.  Mrs. Hinkle is not only a master teacher, she is no fool.)

I've met a lot of wonderful and committed teachers.  Yes, I've met some pretty poor excuses for teachers as well. It's the latter that made someone come up with the saying, "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach."  Someone very kind put that last comma in there for these poorer types of teachers.

Anyway, if you are still wondering if you have what it takes to teach your children compared to a "professional" teacher, take a look at some of the following blogs.  Look at some of the things these teachers have to put up with.  Administrative junk, disrespectful students, students who absolutely have better things to do than learn, nasty or uncaring parents, etc etc.

Follow their "friends" lists and read about other teachers.  And what they have to put up with.

These "professionals" can teach your children better than you can?

I want to say that for the most part I have great admiration for these people getting in there and giving their all.  They are pouring their lives out, but have to deal with all that junk just to try to get something across to a handful of children, a few children out of the great crowded numbers in the classrooms they have to handle every day.  When I put quote marks around the word "professional", I'm doing so because there is really very little that separates them from...you.

Both they and you have a passion. Their passion is to teach.  Your passion is to teach...but your passion is to teach your children.  Your passion is your children.

They learned to teach in the classroom.  They did not learn to teach in college.  They started in the classroom.  You will learn to teach in a classroom as well, but your classroom is your living room or dining room or kitchen. 

Mostly the difference between a "professional" teacher and you is, well, administrative junk, nasty or uncaring parents, disrespectful students, students who absolutely have better things to do than learn, etc etc. And of course, they get paid for what they do.

Hey. Deja vu!  Didn't I already say that?

Anyway, here's some links to some teachers' blogs.  Beware. There is some language you might find offensive in some of the blogs.  Take a look at the blogs of some of the friends on Middle School Mayhem's blog.  And note that on Mildly Melancholy's blog, she relates a situation that makes her "a real teacher".

Middle School Mayhem

Mildly Melancholy

A Passion For Teaching

Reading about some of the days of these teachers should give you a pretty good idea of what they are going up against as they try to teach.  And what your kids would have to deal with in school.  And what a great job you could be doing when you are doing the same thing they are doing but you are doing it at home...with *your* kids!

I'm not putting teachers down. Don't get the wrong idea here.  I've met some teachers that I really have the utmost respect for, both on a personal level and in regards to their gifts as teachers. Don't read these links with the perspective of criticising the teachers or looking at what a terrible job they are doing, because in the cases of these particular teachers, I don't think they are doing a terrible job.

Rather read the links and see the world of education from their perspective.

But I'm definitely putting the whole school system in it's place, which should be down.

You can surely do better than the school system, don't you think?