No — I do not want to Teach in Hawaii
There have been a number of articles floating around about how Hawaii is reaching out to the Mainland in search for teachers. Teacher turnover rates are high, and the state is attempting to relieve a growing teacher shortage on the islands.
Here’s why I have a problem with seeing so many teachers saying “Hey, let’s move to Paradise and teach!”
- When I think of Hawaii, I do not think of paradise.
I think of colonialism. I think of missionaries and capitalism. I think of military bases and tourist spots. I think of languages being lost. I think of homes being lost. I think of cultural appropriation and, frankly, cultural prostitution.
Hawaii is paradise for whom exactly? Maybe for people that come to Hawaii in search of a place of enchantment. Filled with hula dancers, fire eaters, and exotic beaches. A paradise created for destructive and exploitive tourists. A paradise ran by the very people that are the victims of cultural hijacking.
I have a problem with the rhetoric surrounding Hawaii’s teacher shortage, and other teachers should too.
As a teacher, I try to stay aware of the history of the community I service. I refuse to go into a community ignorant of the particular hardships that community might be facing.
Saying you are going to teach in paradise is saying you are going to a place unaware of the needs, wants, and desires of that community.
Because of the teacher shortage in Hawaii, bonuses are being given to teachers that decide to teach in rural areas. Before you go to Hawaii, do you know what “rural” means in the context of the islands? What are the wants and needs of rural families in Hawaii? Do they believe they live in paradise?
Seeing teachers say they want to go teach in paradise is comparable to how some teachers that have little to no knowledge of the community saying they are going to teach in the hood.
Home is more than a hood to Black and Latino Students. Hawaii is more than paradise to those that live there. Teachers need to be culturally aware. We are not saviors swooping into a community to save them with no knowledge of how or why they would need saving. Our “vacation” cannot be our “vocation,” because our vocation is so much more than simply teaching a class.
2. I will not teach in a community if I do not plan to stay in that community.
If you are going to move to Hawaii, ask yourself this question: “How long will I be here?”
This question is important because one of the reasons Hawaii is having such a huge teacher shortage is because of the teacher turnover rate. Teachers go to Hawaii, teach for a few years, then leave.
If you do not plan on staying a while you are adding to Hawaii’s teacher problem. I understand teachers move around from school to school throughout their careers. Although that is true, how many teachers move to another state to teach?
If you are planning to teach in Hawaii, make it home. Don’t teach for 3 years then move back to the Mainland. Stay. Be present in the paradise you were so enthused about moving to. If you are not willing to stay for a while don’t go. Enough teachers are coming and going as it is.
I will not teach in Hawaii. I even have qualms about visiting the state because I do not want to add to what I understand as parasitic tourism. I am not saying that teachers should not move to Hawaii to teach, I am saying teachers should really think about the implications of that move.
You are not simply moving to paradise. You are moving to an archipelago with a rich cultural history and a serious need. You cannot go there and just “pass by” like many others do. You are a teacher, not a tourist.
