Life after work?

I've just read one of my NIE friend's blog. She locked it and I have to ask her to invite me in. Once I saw her latest entry, I knew why she locked her blog. It is to safeguard her blog from prying eyes. It is not because she wrote controversial stuffs in her blog but rather, it is because she is a teacher. And teachers have no personal life.

What I say is true. Putting aside the dreadfully long hours teachers work, teachers have to conduct themselves properly in public areas. We may never know when or where we will bump into colleagues, principals, parents or students. What happens if we are in shorts, tube tops, bikinis or are drunk, laughing madly, crying hysterically, picking our noses when we bump into those group of people mentioned?? There goes the "professional image". The ironic thing is that we are not working at that moment.

Sometimes, I just feel that we are in the same predicament as celebrities. Our personal lives are also put in the limelight and the students and parents are the paparazzi. Ever gossip about bumping into teachers in public areas? I have. I recalled a funny incident. One of my friends, a guy teacher, went swimming at a public swimming pool. He was about to enter the water when suddenly, a child shouted his name across the swimming pool. Turned out that the child was his student. Needless to say, all eyes were on him in his swimming trunks. Poor guy couldn't decide to cover his face or his.........

That is why I always tell people who are choosing teaching as a career that they need to think carefully and don't make hasty decisions. Do not say things like "no university wants me so I'm left with only this choice", "teachers have long holidays", "the pay is good" (dunno where they got that from), etc. The only thing that sustain you through teaching is not money but the passion. It is the only thing that drives us to be better teachers and to sacrifice many things. And passion will start to ebb away after years and years of teaching ungrateful children and nasty parents. When my passion is used up, I will go.

If you do not have the passion, don't even think about going down this road.

Pardon my whining.