Teacher applicants,,,, your duties lol!

[kees]

I've always been a strict, but fair teacher. My students have always been rewarded whenever they worked diligently, alone, or with someone else.

When I worked in a large school district, parents seemed so far removed from what their children were actually doing that I really wanted to teach in a smaller, more intense, competitive school district.

Well, I got it. Now I work in a very competitive county where everyone wants a bell curve as long as their kid is on the right.

A former administrator once told me about a family who was thinking of moving into the community. The woman wanted to know if the district had a gifted program. My principal informed her that all of the classes were heterogeneously grouped and asked the woman about her child. The woman replied, "Oh, I don't have a child YET, but when I do, I know that it'll be gifted." OMG!!!

There are many groups of children who know that if they band together, they can get an untenured teacher fired. I've heard them talking, and these were "nice" kids. Their parents would freak if they knew, but blame the "other kids".

The school board is mostly comprised of parents whose children attend the school system. They have a lot of clout over the Superintendent, who then squeezes the principals, who then intimidates the teachers.

The big day is when the test scores are published in the papers. If the school district is doing well, the administrators say that they encourage creativity and don't teach to the test. But woe, if the scores are lower than the previous year. Parents call the Superintendent and yell about the amount of money that they pay for their taxes, and how the school just lowered the value of their houses. Not kidding, either. Then the teachers are cowered into "teaching to the test" and are encouraged to ensure that "every child who completes a grade knows the same curriculum". Principals where I work frown on a teacher's creativity because the other teachers might get upset or parents might wonder how come Teacher A taught Johnny one way and Teacher B didn't.

It's discouraging. I used to love teaching as much as I loved being at home. Seriously. When I was paid, it was a necessary, but pleasant surprise.

I thought that it was just my district, but I have friends all over the county and throughout NYS. With increasing "standards", welcome back to the cookie-cutter style of teaching that I had 35+ years ago.

See Spot run...run Spot run.

Suzy

 

[WriterofWords]

This my school's 6th year in operation, and we've made AYP every single year since we qualified to count our tests, that was the second full year of operation. None of us teach alike, we all have different styles and even though we have to teach the same thing we are lucky enough to have a fantastic administration that allows us the freedom to teach in our best capacity. As long as we do our job, teach what we need to, and don't cause trouble, we have the freedom to teach how we see fit and with me it usually means I upset someone lol. I take my class to the basketball court, divide them into teams, have them shoot a certain number of times then they do the mean, median, mode, etc. They can also use it for ration, girls to boys, etc. If you are having fun you are learning, if you are miserable you aren't.

 

[Whispering Winds]

I worked in a school cafeteria for over 16 years, and saw some great teachers treated badly, and other not so good teachers treated very good because of their connection to the principal. I have seen good teachers given every bad egg in the classes before her grade, because the principals wife was the OTHER teacher of the same grade, and good gracious, we couldn't go home with her and have those bad boys causing her to have a bad day. . . I have seen teachers spend a fortune out of their own pockets for certain kids who didn't have a parent who gave a care if they had their class project materials, or even a winter coat. I have seen bus drivers come in and report a kid flipping off a bus in line ready to leave the school grounds, and the principal denying that this kid would ever do such a thing, because of what his last name was. I have seen kids with not such a good name, take the fall for something they didn't do, only because they did have a "certain" name. I have seen teachers rip a kid to shreds in the teacher's lounge because of a bad year with them, which automatically sets the tone for the kid the rest of his school life. I have seen good teachers eat in the cafeteria because they couldn't stand the atmosphere in the lounge because of the ones who ripped the kids to shreds. . .I saw and heard more things good and bad in the years I was in the kitchen, I could write a book. . I think the door swings both ways on this, bad parents and bad teachers can ruin a child for life. An old retired supt. told me one time that the first three years of a child's life in school molded him for the kind of student he would for the rest of his school years, and I think he was right. We had a terrible Kindergarten teacher; one little boy, five years old had allergies terrible. He was a darling, sweet , gently, kind little guy and he blew his nose his first day of school and when he left the kleenex on the table, she whipped him. FIRST day of school. His mom told me, after the dad went to school and use STRONG suggestions about what he would do with that paddle if it was ever used on his little boy again, for such an assinine reason, that this little guy was never the same. He struggled through school the rest of his life. He is now married and has three little kids and is still that sweet, kind, gentle boy, but the actions of one teacher ruined his school years for him. . .she is now retired, and Kindergarten is the pleasureable experience it should be for all the little 5 year olds that pass through. . .don't think I am saying there are more bad teachers than there are good, because my sister was a business teacher for over 30 years, and in her 80's she still gets cards and letters from former students, she was one of a kind . . .and I think 99% of all teachers have their hearts in the right place, but I think when they don't get the proper support and guidance from their superior officiers, it is hard to keep a good attitude and work ethics at times. I saw this where I worked. If the grade school prin. didn't like one of his teachers, he would call them by their last name to us in the kitchen, and his attitude toward them was reflected by this utter lack of respect. Luckily, most of them thought he was a pain in the butt and just did what they thought was the best thing for the kids and stayed out of his way, but it was very disturbing to me to see this kind of behaviour out of an educated adult. . .I feel sorry for teachers, because it truly is the most underpaid, unappreciated job out there. . .and no where will you find a bigger group of people who put their hearts and souls into something for such a small return. . .in terms of respect and honor. Sorry, its just something that use to really upset me; I would come home some days with such a heavy heart over some of the things I would see and hear. For some reason, the certified people thought that the non-certified didn't see, hear, or think beyond the kitchen. . . or bus, or janitorial jobs and would say anything in our presense.

 

[WriterofWords]

I hear you, it drives me insane when I see some of what you describe, it's everywhere too.

 

[Teach97]

I teach in a very small school...less than 100 kids preK-12. I AM THE science teacher for 7-12. I would so love to get rid of the junior high. Those kids aren't human!

I am in my 4th year of teaching...second career

thought I knew what was best for me...decided to trust a higher power. I can't imagine doing anything else. My afternoon is fairly fun...nothing but juniors and seniors in classes they want to be in...for the most part

I hate state testing...the state tests mean nothing they aren't standardized (meaning have a long enough history to show revelance) We do have the ACT and SAT that are! Why not use those...I get irritated...I teach to those tests...I don't expect all my kids to go to college just to know they have options. We have a really great superintendant...he also coaches for us...he is loud and obnoxious and the kids love him for it...lots of other teams complain about him...they don't realize that he gave his coaching stipend to form the basis of a fund so that every single junior can take the ACT without paying for it. he also gives every child a Christmas present...and every teacher...because he wants to.

By the way...our cook is the best in the world! I tell her how much i appreciate it on a regular basis. At first she didn't know what to think about me...she now knows I mean it...I never say anything on spagehti day NASTY!!!

 

[WriterofWords]

I love our dear Cafeteria ladies, I'd starve to death without them! They also save me boxes to pack our classroom in when we need them, aluminum foil for experiments, snacks you name it.