Teaching is More Stressful Than Serving in a War Zone?

I am currently in my tenth year teaching Latin at a public high school.

Prior to that, for four years after 9/11, I served as an Arabic linguist at the Top Secret National Security Agency. 

In 2004, I went on a deployment to Iraq, for which service I received the Global War on Terrorism Civilian Service Medal. During that time, on two occasions, I raced in terror for my life to reach cover as mortars exploded around our targeted base.

Yes, that's a Glock 9mm at my side.

And so, when I have nightmares, what do you imagine I might be dreaming about? You might reasonably assume I dream from time to time about being on that base in Iraq and experiencing a life threatening danger.  

But I don't. Strangely even to me, I never dreamt about being in Iraq while I was there, but I dreamt about it the first night I was safely out of that country. And I've never dreamt about it since.

No, when I have a nightmare, I'm in a classroom full of unresponsive or uncooperative students, and suddenly I see an administrator walk through the door (all you teachers reading this understand). And I also have dreams in which I simply teach whole periods of my subject. Yet I never dreamt about translating Arabic while I was at the NSA!

I'm sharing all this after reading an article which described teaching as among the top three most stressful occupations, along with "healthcare and the uniformed services, such as police, ambulance and the fire services."

Now, I'm certain teaching has always been inherently more stressful than other occupations. What is alarming to me is just how much more stressful it is now than when I first started.

I want to be clear that I am not at all complaining about the school district where I work. The trends that have resulted in plummeting morale in the teaching profession and deepening stress are nation-wide. Nor am I writing on this topic from the claim that I am America's greatest teacher. There are things I know I do very well. I believe that my enthusiasm and passion for my subject inspires my students toward a love of learning languages. There are other areas in which I strive to perform ever more effectively. 

I'm just one public school teacher like thousands of others, continually trying to do the best job I can in the interests of the students I teach.

Now, you may wonder, why would someone leave Top Secret Government work to become a public school teacher?  I married my wife, a public school teacher herself, shortly after I got back from Iraq. And for two more years I stayed at the NSA, working in the Counter-Terrorism Mission.

But I came to a point where I felt I had fulfilled my duty to my country following 9/11. And I was ready for another important mission--educating young people with my love of the Latin language. It did involve a pay cut, by the way.

When I first began teaching back in the fall of 2006, I was surprised at the esteem expressed when I told people I taught in a public school. Common would have been words to the effect of "God bless you for doing such a difficult job! I could never do what you teachers do!"

Nowadays, there are settings in which I avoid admitting to being a teacher, because I'm exhausted from then hearing words to the effect of "You teachers do nothing, you're overpaid, and you work just nine months out of the year!"

Alongside other public workers, the vilification of teachers gained traction within the economic collapse of the Great Recession, starting in December of 2007. We were convenient scapegoats and our hard-earned tenure and job benefits went under attack.

Again, I do not fault the administration of my district. They are just doing the job they are mandated to do by those above them. But that job went from primarily focusing on the discipline of the students within the building to an increased focus on observing the teachers. 

Tenured teachers in New Jersey used to receive one formal observation a year. That changed to three formal observations and multiple "walk-throughs," in which the administrator enters with a tablet computer to grade a number of points. And it was immediately apparent to the students that the administrator was not there to monitor their behavior; the administrator was there to monitor the teacher.

At the NSA, I did my job the best I could. I assume my boss was monitoring my output. But there was never a time when I worried that today might be the day when my boss would come and sit next to me for an hour and take notes on what I was doing. And yet that's what every public school teacher is daily dealing with.

Tenure "reform" has now made it mean much less than it was before. Because of effective pay freezes and now paying significantly more for our health care, my wife and I made three thousand dollars less last year than the previous year.

When I was a Top Secret Agent, my accomplishments got me promoted to Grade 13. But even those who don't earn a promotion always make more money the next year than they did the year before.

And so, that's why this former Intelligence Officer turned public school teacher can honestly say that our daily stresses and concerns in the teaching profession are beyond anything I ever experienced in the world of espionage. And isn't that simply sad?

Saint Andrew's Day and my Annus Mirabilis!

November 30 was my name day. I was baptized and chrismated Orthodox under the name Andrew. In fact, in Romania (where we summer every year), I am known as Andrei (Andrew) because Romanian does not have a 'th' sound. People kept calling me Keet or Kees, so I just decided to become Andrei full time there.

On November 30, I received greetings from a number of Romanians who know that, for Orthodox, a name day is more important even than a birthday. And my wife introduced me to a Romanian Saint Andrew's Day tradition I had not previously experienced.

Romanians take wheat seeds, place them on cotton, and water them. And the idea is that, to the extent that the wheat germinates and grows, so will be the extent of your success in the coming year. You keep watering them through December and you have these wheat plants on your table on New Year's Eve, when you also place money and other tokens on your party table to portend prosperity for the future.

And so, I sprinkled my wheat seeds on cotton. I decided to use holy water for the watering. I mean, I'll take all the help I can get.

And my wheat plants are growing fantastically!

Here is the current progress:

Initial Watering

Four Days

One Week

So, I know what you're thinking. 

"Keith--Andrew--whatever you want to be called, how can I help you have the successful year you pray for?" 

Dear reader, thank you so much for asking! It's simple, really.

I will have the tremendously successful year that my Saint Andrew's Day Wheat Sproutings portend just so long as visitors to this blog and my other webpages will purchase one of my books or other products while they're here!

And there's so much to choose from. Let's start with the t-shirt idea that should have already earned me a million dollars:

Why have only a handful of people bought this brilliant and hilarious design? It's available on shirts, coffee cups, etc., just click to explore.

Or maybe you want to buy espionage-adventure novels from a novelist who actually practiced espionage and went on adventures? Guess what?! I have all that for you!

I was a spy at the NSA for four years after 9/11, during which time I had a number of adventures, chief of which was time spent in Iraq in 2004. The government awarded me the Civilian Service War on Terrorism Medal for my efforts. 

The novels I wrote all had to be submitted to the NSA for pre-publication approval. And they made me delete several passages before the books could go to print. But I'm equally surprised at some of the things they either didn't think were classified or just missed in their review.

Here they are, in the order you should purchase and read them. Click on the image to learn more about these espionage thrillers. Thanks for your support! 

Fighting the Blues: A Blue Monday Antidote...

Click to purchase a print of Annie Lee's beautiful "Blue Monday"

Apparently it began as a marketing ploy, the assertion that the Monday of the last full week in January is the most depressing day of the year and, for that reason, you really ought to book a flight to some vacation getaway.

Well, January here in the Northeast has been cold, snowy, and generally depressing.

So, even if it's not scientifically and certifiably the most depressing day of the year, my novels include uplifting and thoughtful works sure to feed your soul. I'll take this opportunity to make a few shameless plugs!

Strange as it might seem, one of the best antidotes to the winter blahs is a good cry. Readers tell me that In Saecula Saeculorum leaves them reaching for the tissues constantly, though it's also full of just as many laughs, smiles, and cheers. It's a Young Adult, Time Travel, Adventure, Romance,  all rolled up in one.

If you're in the mood for a good old fashioned espionage thriller, Amor Vincit Omnia: an Andrew Valquist Adventure  tells the story of how Dr. Andrew Valquist starts work at the National Security Agency, only to be sent on a dangerous assignment on his second day with the Agency! 





 
A Place of Brightness recounts Dr. Andrew Valquist's history as the son of a Romanian Freedom Fighter. Andrew and his twin brother, Father Stefan, face intrigue, danger, and adventure as they journey back to their mother's homeland to solve the mystery of her past.

Enjoy, dear reader. Be well and God Bless on Blue Monday and every day.

In Saecula Saeculorum

By Keith Massey, PhD.  Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing.
 

In Saecula Saeculorum is Latin for "Forever and Ever." It is also translated, in various liturgical traditions as "Unto Ages of Ages" and also "Worlds without End."

I chose it as the title of my young adult time travel action-adventure, espionage-thriller back to Ancient Rome for obvious reasons. It's Latin and it conveys the concept of eternal time.

In Saecula Saeculorum tells the story of four high school Latin students who don't know it, but their last four years have been a lie. While they thought they were studying at the Fairfax Classical Academy in Virginia, they were actually being trained in a joint NSA/MI-6 operation for a mission to go back in time to save the world.

The four seniors at the Fairfax Classical Academy in Virginia are just a few short weeks away from graduation. They've got all the typical worries of teenagers. Grades and romance top the list of their dramas. But what they don't know is that their last four years have been a lie. They thought they were in high school, but they were actually being trained in a joint NSA/MI-6 mission to go back in time to save the world.

As they embark on the greatest adventure in the history of humankind, they will struggle with attractions, addictions, and emotional turmoil. But that only makes them normal teenagers.

They're on a mission to save the world. But can they also save each other?

This is a unique novel in which the Latin language is used at times in the dialogue. The Latin appears in contexts where any reader will understand what is being said. But if you've studied some Latin, In Saecula Saeculorum will be an engaging way to deepen your knowledge of that language.

If you'd like to explore how the Latin is introduced, here's an excerpt from the novel.

But whether you've studied Latin or not, In Saecula Saeculorum is an action-adventure for all.