Many Christmases ago, while hosting a dinner party in my Franconian home town, our five-year-old was asked by a relative what future job he was dreaming of. He had to take a few moments to think about his new ambition as he had just buried the one about becoming a surgeon.
Of course, the adults were eager to supply him with ideas, such as Möchtest du mal Rennfahrer werden?, and Möchtest Du mal Astronaut werden?. Our little one just shook his head, but when he was asked Möchtest Du mal Lehrer werden?, he replied: Nein, ich möchte mal einen richtigen Job! (No, I want to get a real job!) which left our German family hollering with laughter.
For our son, going to primary school was a lot of fun. His teachers at the private school were motivated, outgoing and cheerful. To him schooling must have seemed more like entertainment. There were days, when he was misbehaving at home, I could stop him with I won’t let you go to school tomorrow! Of course, going to a private school, while learning in small classes, was a lot of fun. In his young mind, teaching could not be a job where one has to work hard.
Anyway, there we had it – the old and negative cliché of teachers in the German school system. Even today among adults, some teachers are seen as holding an easy job, with long vacations, and good pay.
The teaching job looks easy when the neighbor spots the nice elementary school teacher walking her dog around noon. Additionally, some would assume all the work was done for the day, with government pay. Very little is known about the continuing work outside the classroom. Based on my observations in Germany, teachers are not much respected.
Among my own relatives, I got to hear this statement once from a teenager “Ach, die Lehrer sind doch alle zu faul!” (Teachers are too lazy!). I used wisdom and politeness to ignore it.
I have been told that students in the German system cannot contact the teacher at home. There is neither e-mail nor telephone connection. When a student misses a school day, no assignments are sent out. There seems to be a strong division between work and free time.
Das Schicksal einer Gesellschaft wird dadurch bestimmt, wie sie ihre Lehrer achtet.
The fate of a society is determined by how it respects its teachers.
– Karl Jaspers –
