| How many of us adults fuss because we put in | | | | are not responsible for only your one, two, or |
| eight hours a day at a job that isn't really all that | | | | three children. Imagine being responsible for |
| mentally challenging and that is broken up by the | | | | hundreds of children. Imagine that their success or |
| ability to go to the bathroom whenever we want | | | | failure can be placed squarely at your feet. No |
| or get something to drink when we need it? The | | | | matter whether their ability or lack there of plays |
| answer would be most of us. Now try to | | | | a part you will still carry the burden if they cannot |
| remember being in middle school. You have six or | | | | make it through. If the children are spending fifty |
| more intensive classes to go through each day. | | | | to sixty hours per week on school your are |
| You cannot always leave class to get a drink or | | | | spending almost double that in preparing for each |
| take a break. Each class also gives you a load of | | | | class. You have to get each lesson prepared, |
| work which you must take home and finish | | | | including homework assignment and tests, as well |
| before the next day. Most students realistically | | | | as grading assignments from the previous day. |
| speaking put in seven or eight classroom hours a | | | | There is no time to do it when you are at school |
| day followed by three or more hours of | | | | because your hours are consumed by the actual |
| homework. When you figure this over a five day | | | | teaching process. When do you do it? At home, |
| period the numbers begin to add up. One school | | | | of course. Every day teachers shoulder the |
| week becomes fifty or more hours, plus most | | | | burden that they have been called to as the |
| teachers give homework to do over the | | | | teachers of future generations. Class sizes have |
| weekend that can add anywhere from two to six | | | | grown larger and larger yet the budgets have not |
| more hours. The fifty hour week can quickly | | | | so teachers have dealt with low pay and little |
| become a sixty hour week. If your child | | | | appreciation. Middle school teachers also have the |
| participates in extracurricular activities you must | | | | added stress of possibly having to teach their |
| also add those hours to their already crammed | | | | students how to behave as young adults since |
| schedule. | | | | many families no longer have, or take, the time |
| You also must take some other factors into | | | | to do so. Not only is a teacher responsible for |
| account. If your child is one that is getting picked | | | | each of their students, the principal carries the |
| on they deal with the sort of treatment that | | | | responsibility of each of their numerous students |
| adults sue each other for. Being children they | | | | and teachers. If a teacher falls flat then it is the |
| have no such recourse. If other kids liable them | | | | principal that has to shoulder most of the blame. |
| then parents usually just say that they are being | | | | Take A Moment To Say Thank You |
| kids and have to learn how to handle such things. | | | | Next time you drive to the school for a parent |
| On top of all these stressors this age range is | | | | teacher conference think about this: Wouldn't it be |
| when children starting learning to behave as young | | | | much nicer to carry a basket of treats to the |
| adults and begin feeling the pressures that go with | | | | teachers that work so hard for your children than |
| it. Have you ever thought about having this sort | | | | to carry a load of arguments as to why you |
| of burden on your shoulders? | | | | don't think they do enough to teach your child? |
| Those Who Mold The Leaders Of Tomorrow | | | | Educators face a good deal of stress every day |
| Now that you have some insight into the stress | | | | which makes us very lucky that there are those |
| levels faced by middle schoolers it is time to look | | | | people out there that are not afraid to take on |
| through another set of eyes. Imagine that you | | | | this heavy of a responsibility. |