This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I recently began a post-retirement career as a substitute teacher. I did this partly because I have been married to a schoolteacher for 32 years and felt I needed to see what a typical day in a public school was like.
I filled in for a fourth-grade teacher with a class of 28 kids. After only one day on the job, I was the one in the classroom who was educated the most.
During my career with a local arson and bomb squad unit, I found myself in some pretty stressful situations, but nothing compares to the stress teachers must face each day. There are a lot of pretty good kids out there who want to learn, but they get held back by a few bad apples.
I am now absolutely convinced that teachers are underpaid, underappreciated and overworked! My hat goes off to all of you. And, yes, I will take more time to listen to my wife when she comes home after a day in the classroom.
Many of our underappreciated legislators would benefit greatly by spending one day in the shoes of a Utah educator.
Bob Halloran
West Jordan