Does this sound whiny to anyone?

[marketsons1985]

Evening All -

I was given the honor of giving one of three keynote speeches for the college of education convocation at my school (fairly big ceremony, we graduate the most teachers in the state of michigan).

I wrote a speech, and today, two days before the speech, my "advisers" tell me to axe a huge part of my speech because, in their words, it sounded "whiny."

The intent of my speech is to draw the attention to the difference between teaching as a profession and education as a lifestyle. And say that our education at our college has prepared us for the latter.

Here is what they want me to cut out because it sounds whiny.

As teachers we wear many different hats. We begin the days earlier than many, so we wear the ?early-riser-and-desolate-roads-commuter? hat.

We get to work before school starts so we wear the working-quietly-while-still-drinking-coffee-and-waking-up? hat.

Then, we teach. For several hours. So we wear the ?presenting-subject-area-topics-to-students-while-hopefully-better-preparing-
them-for-real-life-and-not-over-hydrating-ourselves-so-we-don?t-have-to-go-to-the-
bathroom-every-hour? hat.

In between classes, we roam the halls, or stand in our doorways, and watch as our students take what we helped them learn out into the world with hundreds of other students and wonder, ?Did I make an impact on them today??

We traverse through the day, and then turn in, usually earlier than most, wearing the ?go-to-bed-before-Jay-Leno-is-on? hat.

But what is not visible is the hat we never remove ? the hat of an educator.

What do you think. valid point for them? or silliness?

 

[newb111]

Sounds whiny and way-to-many-words-strung-together

 

[marketsons1985]

Originally posted by: newb111
Sounds whiny and way-to-many-words-strung-together

But what part of it says "woe is me I is teacher feel sorry for me"?

Edit: and keep in mind the entire audience is either

1) Future Teachers
2) Family of Future Teachers
3) Retired Former Teachers

 

[BigToque]

I don't know if I think it's whiny, but it doesn't seem like it would fit into a speech.

 

[mugs]

I would say the whole part about the hats is ungood.

 

[ScottyB]

Sounds kind of silly to me. I am only a substitute teacher, but most of the day is spent trying to get three or four spoiled brats to stop screwing around and disrupting the other students. And from conversations in the teachers lounge at four different schools, it is the same for the teachers as well.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: mugs
I would say the whole part about the hats is ungood.

plus ungood.