More random thoughts

I am a teacher. I love teaching kids. I don't exactly love my job anymore as it is so political. I really depends on who is your friends on how you get treated. Today one of our teachers retired after 27 1/2 years of teaching in our school system. She was given 3 minutes at our talent show in the elementary building and two gifts in gift bags. Another teacher retired also. I don't know how long he had taught in our system but he has taught many, many years. He has been with us, I would guess, about 10 years. He was one that came in the consolidation so I really don't know when he came but we have been consolidated about 7 years. He didn't even get that much. He got a hurry up card and gift certificate. What is wrong with this picture? The gal from the elementary spent her life in that building. She would be there until 8 o'clock at night and did so much for the kids. She is on the city library board so she can make sure the village has the correct books and she was on the school's foundation until this year. She has given all to the school district and to the children. Doesn't she deserve more than a gift bag? The school board or the superintendent weren't even there to give her that. I really think the school board needs a policy on retirement and that teachers that retire from teaching, not change schools, should be recognized at either the spring program or graduation. When I first started teaching it was at graduation. That would be an appropriate time as there are many parents and alumni present We had a teacher retire a few years ago and the parent organized this huge party with balloons and gifts and invited former students. That teacher had also been with our school a long time but she was very well-to-do and so was seen in many public places with the other well-to-do people, thusly, they gave her a party. I just don't understand why it is that in education, the older you are the less valuable you are. I know I am a better teacher now than I was when I was 25. Maybe not as excited and I maybe don't do as many "fun" things but I know my students are learning more in the subject area. It just seems like when we get 55 years old, we are being asked to retire and then when we do it is like "Don't let the door hit you on the way out." I feel bad for these teachers. They have given all they had to their students and to the school district. They were very successful teachers. Then on another note, some of the teachers in our school got "Smart boards" at the beginning of the year. Some of us got them within the last 3 weeks. My class had heard the class next door watching movies on their smartboard all year. It is just like watching on a big screen. So I told them we would watch one yesterday or today. yesterday I tried and our board wasn't set up for that yet. I asked our media person if she could take care of that and she said she would try to get to it. She did come in, and she is very busy this time of the year. She thought she had it ready. So today we tried and it wasn't ready. I asked her and she just said, I apologize, sorry. I am not her best friend so my kids didn't get to watch on the big screen. It didn't hurt anyone, in fact we read some fun books and they really liked it but it is just the "politicalness" of it.