A Virginian in New York

One of the more ridiculous ideas you hear at cocktail parties is that teachers have it easy. Sure they get the summers off, but they are so underpaid they usually have to take another job during the timeframe. They have to bring piles of work home, they have customers (children's parents) all over them making crazy demands and they have to manage far more people than any management theory tells you is possible. Oh and the people who say that teachers have it easy generally make at least 2X the average teacher, and have assistants to do all their crap work.

NBK pointed me to this blog which details the first year of a new teacher (from the Old Dominion) in the South Bronx. It's well written and gives you some insights into the challenges facing the teacher. Based on her profile image, it looks like she is planning the old Miss Nelson is Missing Trick in case the kids get too unruly.