Frazz by Jef Mallett for May 29, 2015

OK — I have to speak up here — I’m generally a fairly tolerant person (which comes in very handy teaching middle school) but there have been comments here about teachers that have really … well, I’m going to scale back down a little. I realize these are generalizations and and not directed at me.However, before anyone criticizes an entire profession, I suggest that you learn a few details. IN FACT — WHY NOT WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES. I have nearly 20 years in teaching middle school students and the vast majority of my colleagues are dedicated and knowledgeable. Of course there are bad teachers — teachers that have no business in the classroom. There are bad police officers, bad circus clowns, bad lawyers and even bad comic strip commentators.Any (OK, most) parents of 13-year-olds know the trials and tribulations of that age. Two decades of that can make one a wee bit snippy.Finally, before anyone thinks teaching is simple, remember that we get a lot of kids with baggage — unspeakable home life, neighborhoods, peer pressure, and the basic teen angst do not make communicating the concept of A2 + B2 = C2 a simple process. I have had many successes: standardized test scores increased an average of 30 points over the last five years. I have also had many frustrations — some with students, some with parents, and some with administrators.It’s all part of the game. Four days of instruction left rant finished