I've been to a doctor's office; but I'm not telling Miss. Pre-Med over there how to do her job.

I love getting advice about teaching from people who have never taken a course in education, have never stepped into a classroom outside of being a student, and have no experience in administration or education whatsoever. That's always really nice. Especially when they say things like, "I have friends who are teachers. They say it's really hard." And, "Well, the hardest thing about being an art teacher is dealing with kids who only take art classes to get easy grades."

As if I've never thought about these things before. As if I'm not almost done taking my education courses. As if I haven't been observing, volunteering, writing lesson plans, and reading book upon book upon book on child psychology and school politics for the past two years.

And then when I tell them all the solutions I've already discussed in my classes to the small problems that they're so hung up on, they nod somberly and, with doubt in their eyes, say, "I guess that could work."

That's right. You're guessing it could work. Just like you're guessing that you know more about education than I do. Just like you're guessing about what it is like to be an art teacher. Just like you're guessing, guessing, guessing about everything in this conversation.

I'm glad you have friends who are teachers. I'm glad you went to elementary school and middle school and high school and even college. But that does not make you qualified to talk to me in a condescending manner about education.

So stop it.