Young Teacher Dreams: The Conversation

So yesterday as I'm sitting in a computer lab frantically typing up my org theory paper, two undergrads sit at the computers directly behind me.

As these two girls completely distract me from my work, I realize they're both education majors. They're both pretty young because I heard they haven't completed their student teaching yet.

Objective: To teach in a pretty, exemplary school :)

Over the next 45 minutes, I reluctantly listened to these girls' thoughts, suggestions and expectations for when they get a teaching position. One girl even mentioned her preference for Southlake or Northwest, because she WILL NOT teach in a "scary district with hard kids". Yeeeah...you do that. 

I'm sure most ed majors have this mentality when they're exhausted and trudging through the education courses, hoping to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but it took everything I had not to turn around and yell "TAKE WHATEVER YOU CAN GET OR YOU'LL WORK AT A DAYCARE FOREVER". 

I listened to them talk about expectations, hopes, and their understanding of education. Yes, they're probably 19 and 20, but it was crazy to listen to them. It took my entire being not to turn around and talk to these girls, hug them, something. I can't remember exactly how the conversation went down, so I'll just list all the comments I remember. Brace yourself if you're a teacher:

I hope I get a school where I don't have any duties. My friend is a speech path at --- ISD and she doesn't have bus or lunch duty. Eww I don't wanna touch dirty kid fingers! 

I want a conference period first thing in the morning. That's definitely a question I would ask a principal.

OMG I can't wait to use this cute BEE management system. I found it online and it's so cute. I'm going to do my entire room in a bee theme, and I saved all these pics of cute bee bulletin boards I'm going to do!

Yeah I can't wait to make cute bulletin boards and change them for like every holiday and season!

I really don't want to do the ESL certification. I don't want to teach kids how to speak English! Ugh...so not fair. I know it helps with jobs, but seriously, I'm not teaching ESL kids. I don't speak Spanish.

Yeah I was talking to my friend who wants to take a special education test too. Why would she do that? If you get certified in special ed then they'll put inclusion kids in your class! Stress!

What are you taking this summer? I can't wait until we work and we have summers off. Ugh I've been in summer school every year! I'm SO ready for summers off.

If we go to trainings in the summer though, you get them out of the way and you don't have to do any trainings during the year.
For sure.

Seriously, we work 24/7! At least when we get jobs the bell rings at 3:00 and the day is over. I mean, we'll have to stay sometimes for staff meetings and preparing, but not like business jobs!

I'm going to try and teach 3rd grade math. I hate literacy, it's way too hard with all the documentation, rotations and small groups. Math is so much easier.

Yeah I don't know how these teachers do those rotating learning stations in reading. I guess they spend like the entire first week of school showing them how to do it. 

I want to teach at ---- elementary in Westlake, where the crazy rich people live. I'm hoping to student teach there, because then I'll pretty much get a job there and like, all the kids are smart so it shouldn't be too stressful.

I think you get stipends for being on committees! 

I'm NOT working on weekends...those teachers are nuts.

I hope I get a principal that doesn't like, come into your classroom all of the time. My cousin's principal does these walk-through things lately where they come in with no notice and watch her.

At least we'll be off all the time for like, every holiday, while everyone else is working! 

I think I want to teach kindergarten. I don't wanna mess with grades and report cards. Plus, they're SO cute! I think that would be a good grade to start in, because ya know, they're kindergarten so it's easier curriculum and everything. 

RTI sucks, I hope we don't ever have to deal with that stuff. 

Probably not, especially if we get into Northwest or Southlake. Those kids are smart!

Dear baby Jesus, thank you for my restraint throughout this conversation. :)