you want to do what now?

I remember the day that I told my mom that I was switching my major. I knew she would be upset, but I would have never dreamed she would be that upset! She told me I was settling and taking the easy way out. I was being lazy and I didn't have the gumption about me to stay in the pre-dental or communication disorders. She didn't understand my lack of drive and why I would ever want to stoop to that level when I had it in me to become a doctor. It was, and still is, a constant fight between my mom and I about what I have chosen to do with my life.
It's not just my mom who sticks their nose up at the teaching profession. When I tell people what I am doing its not "good job, you will love that, you would be a good teacher" but rather, "why would you do that, besides summers off."
People don't realize that we have 2 majors that we have to cram in, a semester before everyone else. People don't realize that outside of the classroom we dedicate our lives to PD's, community service, and thinking about future lesson plans. People don't realize that getting up and teaching in front of a room of high schoolers is hard, without thinking about the 3 other test you have in the upcoming week.  People don't realize that us teachers do the same undergrad work as a doctor,and we continue going to school for the rest of our lives.
I am proud of what I have chosen to do, and I wouldn't change the decision I have made, even those weeks where I am so burnt out ad frazzled that I don't know which way is up! I don't want to sound like I have a chip on  my shoulder, I just want it to be known that teachers are not slackers, we don't get the summers and weekednds off, and at the end of the day our degrees should have the same respect and meaning as everyone elses.