Time to Reconsider

The recent uproar over teacher-blogger, Natalie Munroe, has me questioning whether or not to continue writing a blog under my real name.
I started blogging early in 2005 as my teaching career was just emerging, and when the wild west of teacher blogging was uncharted. I had my own bump in the road, a lesson I hope I learned from. At the top of my blog, I write that there is nothing that has brought me more happiness than teaching--at least as of now. And, I still believe that, despite the many depressing days over the past few years. But when I am in a classroom, I feel at home. When my students behave and succeed, I feel useful.
My blog has helped me work through my own daily grind--everything from the annoyances to the debatable to the inspirational. Perhaps it is naive to believe in the goodness of people to view the body of work as opposed to the moments they find unpalatable. But honest discourse about public education, and private education, has to be unfiltered, raw, and truthful.
Over the past few years, teachers have increasingly become a punching bag for society's ills. Failing students are now the result of poor teachers, without even a thought concerning the student's or parent's responsibility. Though President Obama is quick to admonish the parents, he is quicker to admonish the teacher.
I've read the articles and the comments about Ms. Munroe. I've read about teachers protesting budgets in certain states by calling in sick. Maybe its time that teachers bring to light the realities of many classrooms, and how we feel after a day of abuse trying to build a new generation of leaders.
People are quick to say that Ms. Munroe, or any teacher who complains about unruly or lazy students, should not be in the profession. Sometimes that is true, but my guess is that most teachers who vent, do so out of a great need to impact a generation that is often unwilling to hear them, and quick to villify them.
There is nothing more that I want to see come from my days in the classroom than studetns finding success. That is why when a child chooses to act out or refuses to buy in, my heart breaks.
I'd like to keep writing about my daily grind, keep exploring my profession through writing. Maybe that is naive as well.