Teachers lost my support over coffee

Local teachers conversation,

Sitting in a local coffee shop last week before work I couldn't help but overhear the very loud conversations being held between a group of women who obviously were teachers by profession.

There was much merriment and laughter between about eight ladies complimenting each other on their t-shirts and clothes...and discussing loudly their plans for a trip away that day together for a few days involving driving and ferry ride.

What is wrong with this? Nothing at all..except that a few comments kind of troubled me and those went something like this..

"Have you been doing your two hours of paperwork your supposed to?" "No..I can't be bothered..anyway we can add that twenty hours when we go back and supposedly do it all at once if we want"

"Anyway it will be chaos when we go back and we can just fake it for a few days no one will know hahahaha" "Everyone will be ready and organized except for us teachers hahaha"

Now I may have misunderstood the gist of what was being said but it would be easy to do...and the whole conversation was about how much they were enjoying the summer and the extra time off...no holds barred or trying to say it quietly incase anyone else there maybe got the wrong impression.It seemed very kind of high and mighty.

They talked about the extra trips they did and what they did with their kids and how this trip would be great for them all...and how they don't expect to be back until October and anyway" the government is saving millions so it's a win win lol"

The thing that troubled me a little was never hearing one note of concern for how it is affecting all the parents who have to find day care or the kids missing school or exams or proms that were affected etc etc...

As long as they were enjoying the extra days off and the hot weather plus the exciting girls away trip they were leaving for...hey that's the important thing surely.

So many people work for such little money barely above minimum wage and work hard..they are forced to accept this in this area and yet people who are making very decent salaries with many benefits and much time off maybe, just maybe, should be grateful and if not grateful more humble when they are striking.

I am sure there would be many teachers embarrassed by those ladies if they heard them.

Lost my support that morning sitting there..

~Brian Johnson
Kelowna