I never mind doing extra work if will help the students and make for a better teaching/learning environment. However when that extra work treats me like a peon, I'm not game.
Some like to simply direct teachers, tell them what to do, and treat them like robots. They don't value teachers' experience, research, voices, or ideas. These people see teachers as cogs on a railway--conduits for their expertise, ideas, and management.
To teach well comes from deep inside you. It takes that daily reflection, investment, questioning, research, and relationships. It's not a simple follow-the-recipe effort, but instead both an art and a science that considers multiple factors as we lead students to master skills, concepts, and knowledge while we coach them ahead to be happy, fulfilled, confident, and capable people.
To merely follow one tight direction after another, directions that don't factor in who your students are, who you are, what your time is like, and the challenges and opportunities available to teach well is a dull, monotonous job. On the other hand when educators are treated like the professionals they are, their zest, enthusiasm, and energy grows for all things good in the classroom.
Recently there's been positive changes in my teaching/learning community--there's been a bit more voice and choice and less angst and control. Yet recently the mighty hand of control was laid down again and I felt that noose-like tightness that too-much control and not enough genuine creativity and open minded support bring to my body and my work. It reminded me once again that I have to stay clear of that which is not directed towards reaching in ways I like to reach and ways I value. That's the way it is.
