Some time ago, I saw an advertisement from a regional school district here in North Idaho that was looking for teachers. For context, this position was located in a small and remote – and I mean Alaskan-bush-style remote – town. The town was willing to consider anyone with a bachelor's degree. An actual teaching certificate was not required immediately – the new teacher could work on obtaining it over the next couple of years of teaching (at the cost of the district). In short, they were desperate for teachers. I went through a mental exercise of, "Could I teach there?" and concluded the answer was "No." Not because of the school's location, but because … well, it's a school. I came to that conclusion because a teacher is much more than someone who imparts knowledge to students. A teacher is also a social worker, a counselor, a parole officer, a diplomat, a nanny and a drill sergeant. I am not any of those things, nor do I have any desire to be. Additionally, teachers are required to implement fads in the classroom with which they may or may not agree. I recently saw an article entitled "The end of 'restorative discipline'? Parents, teachers are fed up," which discussed one of those fads.
