CBC presents: The Real Lives of Canadian Teachers

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the PBS of our northern neighbors, has a special series of profiles The Real Lives of Canadian Teachers this week as part of its nightly news program The National. If you live in an American city near the Canadian border (Buffalo, N.Y.; Bellingham, Wash.; Detroit, Mich.) or get CBC on cable TV (usually in Canadian border states) you can catch this on television, check your local listings, The National airs at 10PM Eastern/Pacific and an hour earlier elsewhere usually. And online otherwise.

of those who did, feel he's painting the teacher's union and elementary school teachers wrongly.

"The administrator's comments regarding half of his elementary teachers only work 9-3 are appalling. I expected more coming from an educational professional. Perhaps he's been out of the classroom a little too long? Or perhaps he's never been in a real elementary class?
Many people in the general public hold this very misconception of teachers only working a 6 hour day, and his comments have further perpetuated this myth and have ultimately stuck a knife in the backs of the teachers under his direction. Show me a teacher, elementary or otherwise, who works 9-3. If an elementary teacher is leaving shortly after his/her students, chances are they are toting a Rubbermaid container full of marking, cutting, pasting, reading and planning for the evening. If they are not, they are most likely coming back late at night, after their own children are tucked in bed.
Mr. Aikens seemed quite enthusiastic and passionate about the performing arts. How wonderful for his students. But how sad that the teaching profession as a whole had to be slandered.
I would love to see CBC branch out into the "real" world of elementary teachers across the country. And perhaps they should bring Mr. Administrator along for the ride." - elem teacher

I have several teachers in my family and not a single one of them works 9 - 3 only. I'll have to make a point of watching the next episode, so far, this doesn't seem so 'real' at all.

Well, except if you don't count the other 65+ hours of research, faculty meetings, office hours, grading, preparing for lectures, administrative work, professional society obligations, article reviewing, and so on...

The all night grading and donut binges at Tim Hortons...
The designing of word problems dealing with a moose leaving a tree heading due east traveling at 17 kilometers/hr
Poutaine served in the cafeteria... again!!!

Just kidding. I know how hard teachers work - having several of them among my friends and family. The initial posting just got me thinking of VH-1 Behind the Music type shows...

TlalocW