Now this is a secret that I can get behind.  Extracurriculars are very important.  Every student should choose at least one or two things to do through the school.

That was my mom’s rule when I started high school.  She wanted me to join the marching band, but that was just not me.  Instead I joined the drama department.  I built sets, organized props, helped with costuming all four years and every summer.  I loved it!  I was also a part of Key Club (through Kiwanis) and VIP Club; both of which were service clubs.  I was always busy.  Plus I worked at the local grocery store and went out to have fun with my friends.  I had enough extracurriculars to round out my college applications.  I didn’t over extend myself nor did I do nothing.  I had a healthy level of commitments.

Students should show their interests through the extracurriculars.  And if they don’t find something in the club catalog, ask if you can start one.  Usually all a club needs is a written proposal (something short, but with the relevant information) and a sponsor.  Pick an interest, ask students if they would be interested, and then find a teacher willing.  The student then gets a club they can really latch onto.  As an added bonus, starting a club shows initiative.  Colleges love self starters.

I like this secret.  It’s simple but to the point.

Some days it seems like all those extra responsibilities are beating me down.  Other days everything works together.  Of course, like many other schools, I do not get paid extra for any of these responsibilities.  Yet I do them.  Why do teachers do so much extra without compensation?  I think it’s a flaw of our personalities.

For many of us, teaching is not just a job.  It’s a career, a life calling, a ministry.  We give and give and give without getting many tangible rewards.  For many of us, a smile from a student or a excellent completed project fills us allowing us to continue on the next day. 

I have been known to spend 12 hours a day at school, especially during fall play and spring musical time.  It’s become a joke among  the students that the teachers live in the classrooms.  Being in a modular unit, I joke that I have a trap door under my desk that leads to a compartment with my bed and personal belongings.  Some days it might actually be easier to sleep in my classroom and traverse back home.

What is the acceptable level of commitment for teachers?  Many would argue that the ones who give their all are the best, but I disagree.  We each have our optimum level of performance and commitment.  For example, our chemistry teacher does nothing beyond teach.  He does commitment himself to after school tutoring if the students ask.  He even went to a student’s house while they were recovering from surgery so they could work on the assignment.  That is dedication.  On the other hand, I do almost everything and teach.  I am not saying I am a more amazing teacher than the chemistry teacher, but I am involved on a large scale, and somedays I wonder why.

Some days I really wonder why I give so much.  Some days I want to just go home at 3pm and not do anything or think about anything school related.  And then other days I would gladly stay an extra 4 hours working with students on a project.  I don’t know the optimum level of commitment and extracurriculars.  I will continue will all the crazy things I do around here; some days loving it and other days feeling like I have been beat over the head.  All in a week’s work as a teacher.