What People Forget When They Leave the Classroom

It doesn't take long for educators that leave the classroom to forget classroom realities such as the following:

• There are few to no restroom breaks--you have to find coverage if you need to use the restroom.
• There's little time without children--most teachers have at best an hour a day to do work that's not directly with students.
• It's difficult to get to a phone, make a copy, or visit your mailbox at any time but before and after school or during your break--you can't leave young children alone.
• There's little time to lesson plan, correct, read instructions, or follow up on classroom efforts--most of that work is done before and after school.

Sometimes the expectations for classroom educators, the people who spend most of the school day with children, are unrealistic and that's often due to the fact that those creating the expectations have forgotten the reality of classroom teaching.