TOMMIE SAYLOR: 'We are not the enemy'

“The mediocre teacher tells.  The good teacher explains.  The superior teacher demonstrates.  The great teacher inspires.”

-- William Arthur Ward

By Tommie Saylor

Kennedy High School Principal

If I could write an open letter to the public, it would start with, “We are not the enemy.” Those of us in the field of education were drawn to the profession out of a strong desire to serve.  True, some may become a teacher because they bought into the premise that teachers have summers off and great benefits, but those people do not last long, and are quickly weeded out.  Those of us who are veteran educators, who have withstood the test of time, have personalities deeply rooted in service. This could also be why many of us at one time in our lives served in the military.

Teaching is a calling every bit as spiritual as those who enter the clergy.  It is a mindset where one individual is willing to spend an enormous amount of energy and time to better the lives of others, often at the expense of their own health and welfare.  Teaching is a way of life where you put your students first, your family second, and yourself last.  Teaching is deeply personal, emotional and parental.  It is a way of life where you strive for the success of others, and measure your own self-worth by how profoundly you are able to touch another’s life.

Given the nature of those of us in the field of education, I hope and pray that parents and community members understand that we are on their side.  The field of education is not just a job it is a calling where we do everything that we can to help them raise their children into becoming productive and successful members of our society. In doing so, sometimes the best thing for a student is to tell them no, to make them face the consequences of their actions, to discipline the misbehavior.  This is never enjoyable for us, and in fact, takes a great deal of effort to overcome our natural desire to just let the kid have what they want and be happy. 

But, in order to teach the student a “life lesson” that will better serve them their entire life if properly learned, educators are often forced to swallow their natural desires and give the student what is best for them, not what is easy for us. 

Trust me when I tell you that the last thing an educator wants to do is remove a student from a learning environment.  But sometimes this is the only action that catches a student’s attention, and until you have their attention, you can’t teach them anything.

I was recently asked, “Would you advise your own kids to enter the field of education?”  My answer was that I would explain to my children the reality of the field of education and let them make their own decision.  I would tell them that many people believe that teachers work half a day for only half the year and get paid well for doing so. That those who can’t do, teach.

The reality, is if you are prepared to work 10 to 12 hours a day (but only get paid for seven), that 20 minutes is considered lunch (and most of the time you will be helping students while trying to scarf down a sandwich), that you will be expected to work every weekend from home grading papers and preparing lessons (for free, there is no such thing as weekend pay and overtime in the field of education), that seven days a week, 10 to 12 hours a day, for nine months a year your life does not belong to you, it belongs to your students.

Students will break your heart, be disrespectful, and revile you, the very person trying to make their lives better (you are “the bones upon which students sharpen their teeth” and find their independence), that you will be asked to do all of this while being scorned by the public and openly attacked by the “establishment” (being called lazy, ineffective, and uncaring), if you are prepared for all of this, then yes, the field of education is for you.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not trying to be negative. It is just the reality in which educators live.  Knowing the above and still bravely going into the field of education disregarding the shortfalls and dangers, just further demonstrates the nature of the profession, the purity of heart of those who enter the profession, and the overwhelming desire to serve our community that forces us out of bed in the morning and into the classroom. 

Simply, those who work in the field of education are the modern equivalence of Paladins who are dedicated, almost fanatically, to the children of our community.

As such, we are not the enemy.  We want the very same things for your children as you want for your children.  We gain no benefit from being deceitful, and wish for nothing more than a school day filled with young minds eager to learn.  Drama is not our friend, and when we call, email, or send a letter it is to inform and solicit your support, it is not to criticize, only to enlighten. 

Essentially, we are on your side, the side of the parents, and desire to form a team, a bond between the home and the classroom that creates a support network for your child.

Together, as the proverbial “village”, your child can be raised in an environment that makes dreams come true.

What starts here, changes the world. Making Kennedy the school of choice. Excellence by design.