The Teacher Thread

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by KenRose

No, I don't. But I also don't see you or other professional attacked constantly with comments about how little teachers work.
It's pretty self explanatory. Teachers commonly use three tactics to justify their job performance and compensation, all of which have appeared in the last few posts. 1. "It's such a stressful job. You have no idea." 2. "I spend so much time out of the classroom working. That counts." 3. "I inspire kids and that is so much more important than just grades. It's just too important for you to neglect." Great. All of these have an important thing in common. They can't be quantitatively measured and are thus prone to absurd hyperbole. I can't figure out how many lives a teacher has changed. I can't figure out if the number of hours they say they work outside the classroom is even remotely accurate and I can't figure out how much stress teachers are really under. Subsequently, why would a teacher ever pass up an opportunity to use exaggerations that I can't disprove? So I'm never going to really put much stock in those claims. On the other hand, I can go to google and within two minutes find out about NYC's 20th Public School District, which is where Ranger lives. So unless he teaches in another district.... -48% of students do not graduate high school. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/...tes/index.html -15% of students attend a four year college. http://www.newyorkschools.com/distri...strict-20.html -The average SAT score of those 15 out of 100 students that actually go to college is 1295 (23rd percentile). http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountabilit...ts/default.htm -48.6% of Grade 3-8 students are rated unsatisfactory in English by NY DoE standards. -53.2% of Grade 8 students are rated unsatisfactory in English by NY DoE standards. http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountabilit...athTestResults -31.5% of Grade 3-8 students are rated unsatisfactory in Math by NY DoE standards. -36.1% of Grade 8 students are rated unsatisfactory in Math by NY DoE standards. http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountabilit...athTestResults That's embarrassing. Why do I have to listen about how valuable he and his colleagues are?

 

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by CBrown85

Pack up your ego and walk away. You think teaching is easy? ******* great! Woooo! This is a thread for teachers to help other teaches and you're sabotaging that effort.

The 13th post in this thread is a picture of a lasagna.

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

I teach several times a year - salesmen, mostly. I probably spend 4-6 hours prep time for every hour standing and lecturing. on top of that, I have taught kids a few times in my sons cub scout troop, it was exhausting to do an hour and a half in front of kids. I don't know how you guys do it.

now, I have to say that I think that there are advantages and disadvantages both ways, but I don't see teaching as an easy path.



so, question - what do you do with a kid like the one that threatened the teacher? I mean, they aren't going to throw him out of the system for it, they probably can't force him into therapy, do they just set him free on the system?

Yes to the bolded. To the last part, a paper trail is key. When it comes down to it, the parent has to sign on for an IEP, and despite financial incentives, many parents refuse to admit something is wrong. I have him sitting at a table with mostly quiet boys, and the one girl is on the opposite end. I just make sure I keep an eye on him and I constantly ask if he wants to talk. He hasn't turned any work in since the Christmas break, and calls to his parents haven't been useful at all, even when I do get through.

Originally Posted by FtRoyalty

Is anyone involved in sports or extracurricular activites?

KenRose, you stated above that you are in track. I think I saw that NYR heads a running intramural. I coach wrestling and helped out with soccer and a weightlifting intramural.

I feel like Jack Black in School of Rock in my running program. It's two hours afterschool every thursday and I work with 3rd and 4th graders..yikes.

Originally Posted by StephenHero

That's embarrassing. Why do I have to listen about how valuable he and his colleagues are?

While those stats may be embarrassing:

1. They are a BIG improvement over the past 20 years.
2. They are a lot better than the "stats" in your home state
3. Statistics can be twisted and used by anything to support any argument. People who can only think in concrete terms love to use them to prove an argument. Those of us fortunate enough to be able to see beyond that, realize that especially when dealing with human beings, some things are just not measurable. Teaching and education just happen to be one of those areas.

 

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

While those stats may be embarrassing: 1. They are a BIG improvement over the past 20 years. 2. They are a lot better than the "stats" in your home state 3. Statistics can be twisted and used by anything to support any argument. People who can only think in concrete terms love to use them to prove an argument. Those of us fortunate enough to be able to see beyond that, realize that especially when dealing with human beings, some things are just not measurable. Teaching and education just happen to be one of those areas.

The average SAT score in my home school district is 1843, which is in the 84th percentile. The average ACT score is 24.1, which is in the 75th percentile. Thanks for demonstrating how you have no idea what you're talking about. http://www.smsd.org/publicinfo/testscores.htm http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_dow...siteCR_M_W.pdf And a 52% graduation rate can't be twisted. It's pathetic.

 

[Rambo]

So are you condemning all the teachers because the kids are morons?

 

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by Rambo

So are you condemning all the teachers because the kids are morons?

They're not morons! They're inspired! NewYorkRanger just told me that statistics don't really matter because they can be twisted. So instead, he says we should use completely arbitrary and subjective assessments (given by the teachers!) to indicate how well they are educated. Apparently, this method of student assessment is somehow NOT vulnerable to manipulation. Then what did he do? Told me my education sucked because of those very same statistical measures. Oops.

Originally Posted by NewYorkRanger

Statistics can be twisted and used by anything to support any argument. People who can only think in concrete terms love to use them to prove an argument. Those of us fortunate enough to be able to see beyond that, realize that especially when dealing with human beings, some things are just not measurable. Teaching and education just happen to be one of those areas.

 

[CBrown85]

Make your ******* point and leave.

Edit: NM. Blocked.

 

[KenRose]

So you have respect for teachers in your state based on this? Or so you go on about how little they work and how useless and overpaid they are?

Originally Posted by StephenHero

The average SAT score in my home school district is 1843, which is in the 84th percentile. The average ACT score is 24.1, which is in the 75th percentile. Thanks for demonstrating how you have no idea what you're talking about.

http://www.smsd.org/publicinfo/testscores.htm

http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_dow...siteCR_M_W.pdf

And a 52% graduation rate can't be twisted. It's pathetic.

 

[StephenHero]

Originally Posted by KenRose

So you have respect for teachers in your state based on this?

No man, of course not. Why would I base my approval of teachers on something as absurd as student performance?

 

[ramuman]

Originally Posted by StephenHero

No man, of course not. Why would I base my approval of teachers on something as absurd as student performance?

Come on Stephen, I think this thread should be reserved for what the OP was about. I'm all for opinions and you seem like a smart guy, but why derail this thread?

 

[bringusingoodale]

What happened here? I occasionally came into this thread to read insightful comments by teachers that few people who are not in this profession could ever glean. I think I would also enjoy a teacher bashing thread, but just don't do it here please.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by ramuman

Come on Stephen, I think this thread should be reserved for what the OP was about. I'm all for opinions and you seem like a smart guy, but why derail this thread?
Because sometimes one can only read so much horseshit without mentioning that it stinks.

 

[Hartmann]

...

 

[mordecai]

Originally Posted by Hartmann

Like StephenHero talking about his job? Boy, I sure am glad he works so hard (to enrich his capitalist paymasters).

what

 

[mm84321]

Originally Posted by StephenHero

No man, of course not. Why would I base my approval of teachers on something as absurd as student performance?

I have a feeling that being raised in Kansas, as opposed to Brooklyn, might have something to do with it.