Guarding Territory

I've always been territorial. I'm not going to lie or make excuses. I am the way I am and that's just how it is. Maybe it's because I'm an only child. Who knows; who cares?

If I'm hurting your feelings, I'm not sure what to say about that. Please read the next paragraph to see whether or not I mean you. I probably don't, if you are reading this.

Have you ever deliberately called yourself a teacher, misguiding your audience into believing that you are solely responsible for children's education in a specific classroom? I'll use my class as an example. Have you ever told one of my student's parents that you were their child's English teacher, knowing full well that you did not teach ELA at our school... knowing full well that you don't actually teach any subject at our school (or any other school)? Have you been asked by a stranger about your profession and you answer, "Oh, yeah, I teach at that school." and left it at that, allowing your audience to think that you go to school everyday and expound, like an expert, at length about Shakespeare / Math / Science / whatever to the teens of today?

If not, then I'm not talking about you. Settle down. 

If so, I am talking about you, and yes, I would say this to your face. Right to your nose.

Stop the lies. And you better hope that I never hear you say that in public because I will ask you (in front of your little audience) in detail every single thing about the B.Ed program/teaching college that you attended, child psychology, your subject matter (even if I don't know anything about it, I will ask questions until you can't answer anymore), your pedagogy, your future plans, specific details about our marking system, specific details about parent teacher interview techniques, literacy, the application of Catholicism in various subject matter, specific staff members and the various staff changes we have had over the past few years, staff meeting details...

... and I will make up sh!t that I can't even think of right now.

I will rip your story apart. You better start studying now. Because, you see, I don't mind being the b!tch. In fact, I will do it with glee.

I have worked hard to get where I am, as have many teachers and other professionals. And while some would say that teaching is not that big a deal, to me it is, because I *worked* to get here. Before I worked to get my Bachelor of Education degree, I didn't (have to) work at much else academically.

Because school came easy to me.

I read a lot, wrote a lot and enjoyed school work. I didn't learn study skills until I hit university. They were tough to learn, especially when I hadn't needed them for my entire school career up to that point.

There are a lot of things you are responsible for as a teacher. Standing at the front of a classroom and interacting with the kids is the fun part. But we also take on the legal responsibilities of having those children in the room with us, in addition to interacting with parents, colleagues and administration, not to mention the task of creatively educating said children while enhancing their self-esteem, among other things.

So when I hear someone who works in a school but doesn't teach a class / someone who doesn't know what they are talking about / someone who wants the respectability but have nothing to do with the real work / someone who wants the professional title but not have to do the university work to get there / someone who thinks it's fun times to be in a school but hates kids say, "I am a teacher," knowing they aren't one, without clarifying their position, thereby deliberately leading his/her audience to believe that he/she has done the work and holds a Bachelor of Education degree/teaching certificate, that *kind of* makes my blood boil.

Because the general public does not know the difference and they think you deserve the right to call yourself a teacher.

And you don't.

Show some respect.

While on contracts but not with the degree/certificate, I have heard people say, "I'm teaching xxxxx"... whatever, that's cool, because you are clarifying what you are doing. Teachers who hold a B.Ed./Certificate are often asked what they teach. 

Thank you for being understanding that our profession is respectable.

I realize this is a non-issue for some people. I realize we are all teachers in some way. 

My problem here is the *deliberate* lying of holding the degree/certificate. It is a complete lack of respect for those of us who entered the profession after working hard to earn it.

If you want to say you have the degree, go earn it.

If you can't earn it, because the work is hard or because money is tight, I hear you.

Some of the classes were hard, and it is expensive. Work harder. Save. If it is important to you, you will find a way. The rest of us did.

If you don't want to work harder, then it is not that important to you. And don't give the crap that it's 'too hard'... B.S.

Earn it. But shut up with the lying.

* I volunteered in a vet's office for a year. I don't run around, saying I'm a vet.

* If you need a lawyer, do you want the guy who is hanging around outside to defend you because, "Oh, well, I was inside the building a few times." ?

* If you worked hard to earn a degree, do you want people running around saying "I'm a xxxx" when people around you, your friends / family / acquaintances then say, "Well, it can't be that difficult to be a xxxx, since xxxx is doing the same thing, and she/he didn't even go to school for it!" ?

* I don't say I'm Administration. (Hmmm.... why aren't you saying that you're Admin? That's a totally different kettle of fish, now isn't it? Maybe give it a couple of years and you'll bump yourself up to that title).

No wonder people say, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach."

We don't defend ourselves or our profession.

I've had the privilege of working with some wonderful EA's in my classes, some of whom taught things to both me and our students that were more valuable than anything ever written in a book. Never did I ever feel like I had to 'guard my territory' with them. I hope they didn't have to guard their territory with me. We co-existed, each teaching in our own realms, as teacher and EA: separate titles, similar jobs.

I've also had the privilege of working with some wonderful teachers, both as a student-teacher and as a team-teacher: separate titles, similar jobs. The same goes for this situation: if the boundaries are clear, then the situation works. I've also worked with some wonderful student-teachers: separate titles, similar jobs.

But this, "I'm an adult in a school, and I get paid, so I'm a teacher."

No, you're not.

Grow up.

Fort McToxic

So we are in the news again, for more environmental issues. Surprise, surprise.

There is nothing new being said: Fort McMurray has toxic oil sands.

K... got it.

We want to sell crude and people want to buy it. That's the nature of the business. Oil sands production is hard on the environment, to say the least. There is a huge demand for oil.

And we have the oil  sands. 

So do we sit on them? Do we sit by, idly, and wait for time to pass, while the nation's economy plummets? Money should not dictate how we treat our surroundings, i.e., the environment, but let's face it, we have to live. We have to provide for our families and pay bills. There is a shortage of work across the country, but there is work in Fort McMurray.

There are also social and environmental issues, just like any other city.

But we get targeted. And we get targeted hard.

So, why is that?

Yes, production of the oil sands has done damage to the environment but companies are working on ways to make that better. There is no way to gloss that over.

There are proposals for project extensions, like the Keystone XL pipeline, that will affect so much more than just oil sands production. When people hear the phrase "Keystone XL" tossed around, they don't think about the repercussions of the project on the environment or about the feelings of the people affected by the situation.

Apparently, we Canadians do not consider the repercussions of that pipeline, of the oil sands production, or any of the people affected by any of it.

Well, that goes both ways.

The same can be said about the oil sands, themselves, really. The term, 'oil sands' is spit out of people's mouths as if it were a deadly poison. I think that many people don't think at all about how some of us are affected when we hear negativity and untruths about our city.

So, every time we in Fort McMurray hear our city referred to as 'that bad place' (insert your negative comment of choice here), we have to wonder whether those referring to it as Fort McMoney or Fort McToxic ever think about those of us living here and how we feel about that.

Some of us live here because we like it here. We have chosen to make it our home. We make our careers here, we raise families here, we volunteer in our community and we ensure that our lives are full and stable.

We are not the dissatisfied, transient, crackhead zombies that seemingly pervade Fort McToxic, as some would have others believe.

Someone visiting and purposefully searching out places for fantastic, sensational stories, and finding them, portrays only one side of the coin. Why aren't more writers coming here to interview people who visit the pool with their children, or read books in the library, or go with friends to the movie on the weekend, or various other non-sensational activities? Oh, right, those stories would not sell whatever media that author is trying to hock. No one wants to read boring stories.

People usually want to read about the downfall of others. Rarely does anyone want to read about how well someone else is doing. But then again, not everyone fits into that category, of course.

But if people want to read about downfalls, that is exactly why writers search out those stories and tell them. Is it also why that particular person searches out those stories in the first place - do they have a need to see for themselves the fantastic, unbelievable aspect of what really goes on in this crazy world up here in the bitter cold north?

When I read (mostly exaggerated) stories about this city, the one thing I can guarantee will arise within the first three paragraphs, if not the first three sentences, is the wages of workers in this town. I'm a teacher, and I do not make anywhere near the top wage in this town, so I am not being defensive in any way about this. This is just observation.

Why does the issue of wage arise in every article, and arise so quickly?

People move north, to a secluded, rural area to work. Sometimes they do hazardous work, just like many other people with hazardous jobs. I know people who work other jobs in other areas who get paid more money to do so. But by coming to Fort McMurray, you are somehow supposed to feel guilty for earning this pay rate. Why the negativity about pay grades here?

Is it because it is assocociated with the oil sands? And if so, why? There is plenty of work here, usually. One only has to move here and apply. So jealousy should not be a factor. Fear, maybe? 

There is a huge service industry here. Not everyone earns the wages that Fort McMoney is supposedly known for. Fort McMurray has steep housing prices, but so does Calgary, as well as other cities. We have crime, as do other cities. We are really no different.

Except for the work we do... (disclaimer: except in other parts of the world where they do the same work)...

... and the 'toys' we have. If you call vehicles 'toys'.

Do you really care what someone is earning or driving? And if so, is it from an environmental standpoint or jealousy? Environmentally, I can understand, but make your point and be done with it. Stop attacking the city in an immature way. And if it's jealousy, stop being immature, pull on your big girl panties and get a job like the rest of us adults. Maybe you might be able to find a job here in Fort McMoney and you can get some big girl toys, too.

The condition of our highway? That's a governmental issue - discuss that with the government, but please do not use it as a way to sensationalize visits to our city.

And so, again, nothing new has been said.

"Make the oil sands more environmentally friendly and make this place better for people to live in." I believe scientists are working on that. We can do our part by recycling, reusing, etc., but the people who know what they are doing (i.e., scientists, engineers) are the ones who have to come up with those plans. We can suggest ideas and put into place the actions, but to make something viable, we need to have science and long-term goals. We even have celebrities trying to help.

Lower wages. Would you want to come to a secluded, rural, northern city to work without monetary benefits? Oh, wait... even with that offer, you're not here.

We work. We work in the oil sands. That is what we do. You don't have to like it, or agree with it. But if you're going to dislike it or disagree with it, try to do so on a logical basis. Help be part of the solution.

I'm not being fatalistic when I say, 'the oil companies are bigger than us.' I'm being realistic. Oil drives our economy.

We rely on oil and petroleum products every day. Go ahead, stop using petroleum products, and I mean everything (research everything you use), and see how far you get. Good luck to you.

That being said, since we will use this product and people need jobs, then as an entire group, an entire country, an entire continent, we should probably just figure out a way to work together to make it a cleaner fuel source, rather than fight each other about using it.

But nothing new has been said. And I won't hold my breath.

Imagine all the people 

Living life in peace 

You may say that I'm a dreamer 

But I'm not the only one 

I hope someday you'll join us 

And the world will be as one

(John Lennon)

http://www.oilsands.alberta.ca/