He original version of this essay was published on Medium.
I hate when people talk about their dreams. It's similar to listening to a 4-year-old tell you about their day.
It takes more time than you have and it never makes sense.
Most of the time I don't even remember my dreams. Except the rare ones that connect with real life. These dreams persist; there is a logical glue to them that provides information.
For this reason, I am forced to tell you about a dream I had last week. As you may have gathered from the title, I was slowly being crushed to death by an anaconda. I could feel her grip around my legs and waist as she moved up my body. My arms were still free, but it was only a matter of time before the snake completely engulfed me.
Why an anaconda? I thought later. Was it the instagram video I saw of a group of people releasing a dog from one?
Maybe, but I was struck by the familiarity of being physically and mentally overwhelmed. Unfortunately, this feeling has become my new normal as I navigate post-pandemic teaching. A recent conversation with a friend about my struggles with teaching ended with him saying, “Don't let it consume you.” But I'm afraid it's too late for that advice.
My work, like the anaconda in my dream, is consuming me.
What it means to teach in Texas in 2024
I teach in Texas, where it seems like every day brings a new nightmare. The challenges teachers face come from a variety of forces, from campus expectations to mandates from school districts and the state legislature, and come from all parties, including parents, students, administrators, politicians, and society at large. .
All of these facets are converging against us, slowly pressing against our will.
When I try to talk to people about the state of education, my thoughts get jumbled as I try to briefly summarize complex funding models and complicated policy strategies in a short elevator speech.
I imagine it's similar to telling a story with an anaconda wrapped around your body. Since I don't have snakes, I'll do my best to describe them. To be a teacher in Texas in 2024 is to discover that your friends lost their jobs and left school districts. no librarians when reading scores are declining.
is to be afraid that you counselor friends are the following – at a time when Student mental health problems are increasing.
He has a hard time keeping his students' attention because he can't compete with TikTok.
It is being called “hairdresser” for creating a learning environment where all students are welcome.
It's finding out that some of the local school board members, who are supposed to support public education, are backed by political groups who want to destroy it.
It is said that teaching is a “vocation” and that one should be willing to give up lunchtimes, planning periods and weekends for it.
It's learning that you won't get a raise. despite a surplus of 32 billion dollars in the state budget.
Is earning less than ten years agodue to inflation, but you still have to buy tissues for your classroom.
It's watching kids fight in the hallways and do drugs in the bathroom while adults focus on what books to ban from the library.
It is telling your students to always speak because their voice matters. and at the same time you are afraid to use yours.
It's hearing people say, “Public schools are failing!” when you know the The accountability system is rigged.and worrying that the purpose is to promote your governor's school bonus plan in an effort to defund public education.
The worst thing of all is knowing that teachers continue leaving the profession en masse unless people in our state prioritize education as a key issue and vote accordingly.
Educators need support to create a better system
Luckily, I'm not being crushed to death by an anaconda, even though some days it feels like it. It seems there are people who want me to stop using my voice. It seems like they want me to stop voting and stop encouraging others to vote. It seems they want me to feel afraid at work and in board meetings. It feels like they want me to give up.
I will not.
When I remember my dream about anaconda, I remember that I could feel other hands on my arms pulling me out of their control. When my dream ended, I felt frustrated, not defeated. Admittedly, I am impatiently waiting to be compensated and respected at the level that all educators deserve. I am overwhelmed and sometimes exhausted by the fight.
But that doesn't mean he's willing to quit.
It means that, like my dream, I need help to create a better system; all public school employees need it. We need society to realize that public education faces a very real threat. Our predator is a well-funded political machine trying to drive us to extinction.
We need society to care enough to listen; be informed with facts, not misinformation; and vote in the best interest of public schools and students.
Otherwise, I fear the system will swallow us whole.
