The Teacher Thread

[Jr Mouse]

WTF is with the douchbaggery that happened in this thread?

This is a good thread topic and relevant to Business, Careers & Education. Having a debate or discussion is one thing, but that stunk like thread ********.

 

[deveandepot1]

Originally Posted by pvrhye

I live in South Korea, who has excellent math and science scores, but the price they pay is crazy. Many kids get out of school only to go to a private cram-school til as late as 11pm. As a matter of fact, some sort of afterschool education is essentially expected. Getting into the right college means you have it made here (they all know the rankings.), but amusingly, once you get in college is a breeze compared to high school.

The problem here in the USA is that many high school kids just don't care or are too occupied with other activities. I can't compete with cell phones, drugs, video games, Appreciation,... Whenever I sub for a math class I have to wake up at least 3 or 4 students. Many students simply can't stay awake during a math lesson.

 

[CBrown85]

Originally Posted by deveandepot1

The problem here in the USA is that many high school kids just don't care or are too occupied with other activities. I can't compete with cell phones, drugs, video games, Appreciation,... Whenever I sub for a math class I have to wake up at least 3 or 4 students. Many students simply can't stay awake during a math lesson.

The system isn't adapting to society, it's still expecting society to accommodate for it- a failed business. The paradigm of education needs to change and students need to be engaged and take ownership of their education, not just be passive recipients.

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Originally Posted by CBrown85

The system isn't adapting to society, it's still expecting society to accommodate for it- a failed business. The paradigm of education needs to change and students need to be engaged and take ownership of their education, not just be passive recipients.

+1.

I think Kathy Black is a good example of how a business/corporate mind set won't work in education.

 

[O'Higgins]

Well, for those of you who think teaching is easy, the following has occurred to me in my career in the high school classroom.
-Had the superintendent, 3 board members arrested due to kick-backs.
- Had every administrator resign from vice-principal to superintendent during a 3 month period during the spring. My school had no administrators during a 2 month period because of the turmoil in the district.
- Had 3/4ths of my studentsexpelled due to a student walk-out. The board had threated to eliminate all sports, music, theater arts.
- Had a student die of AIDS and she turned to me as her counselor in the last weeks of her life.
- Was hit so hard by a student I was hospitalized for 2 days. ( The district didn't want to pay for my hospitalization.)
- Had a student arrested in my class after he had blown the brains out of woman the previous night while robbing her home. ( He still had the pistol in his bag. Metal detectors do not always pick-up Glocks.)
- Saw a student stabbed in the cafeteria. Talked the "stabber" out of the knife.( He lost a kidney.)
- Had two students killed on a mission trip during Winter Break. The US Embassy held the bodies for 6 weeks in Belize.
- Had a kid commit suicide after she was impregnated by her father.
- Had a father call my unlisted number at 1:30am and threaten to kill me. ( The police did nothing.)
- Was sued for failing a kid who literally turned NOTHING in for a semester. Never mind I called parents for MANY conferences, I should have passed them anyway, according to dad. ( I won.) The school's position was I "should have passed the kid."
- Had a student this weekend killed by a drunk driver. Went funeral today using my own personal sick time to hire a sub.
Yeah, this is an EASY job.....
BTW: I have taught in both inner city schools and nice white suburbs. The suburbs are the ones above with the most violence....

 

[JayJay]

^^^

 

[gettoasty]

what do teachers [professors] appreciate most? what about staff? and a more narrower scope, your employer/boss?

i will be graduating this spring from my 5 year service at a university department and have made a few connections with faculty over the years. i want to be able to leave something behind whether tangible e.g. a gift or intangible to show my appreciation of their support. i want it to convey to them that i am very grateful for contributing my part toward the continuing growth of the department, to allow me to be a part of the 'family', and that the past 5 years, they have always made me feel welcome [like a second home].

faculty: i am not sure whether i want to give everyone a little something as i interact with all pretty much daily, or just the particular few that have made a deeper impact and vise versa

my boss: she keeps saying "i don't know what i'm going to do without you next year?!?!". I want to really give her something special. i just feel a simple 'thank you' card and gift would be embarrassing.

i may be thinking too much about this. alternatively, they may just recognize all the years of my work and not expect anything more. basically, i don't want to make it too big of a deal but at the same time keep it classy, simple, neat, and meaningful.

 

[Chico2007]

Public school teachers, what traits do you think make up a GREAT Principle(or other administrator)?

 

[taxgenius]

Originally Posted by O'Higgins

Well, for those of you who think teaching is easy, the following has occurred to me in my career in the high school classroom.
-Had the superintendent, 3 board members arrested due to kick-backs.
- Had every administrator resign from vice-principal to superintendent during a 3 month period during the spring. My school had no administrators during a 2 month period because of the turmoil in the district.
- Had 3/4ths of my studentsexpelled due to a student walk-out. The board had threated to eliminate all sports, music, theater arts.
- Had a student die of AIDS and she turned to me as her counselor in the last weeks of her life.
- Was hit so hard by a student I was hospitalized for 2 days. ( The district didn't want to pay for my hospitalization.)
- Had a student arrested in my class after he had blown the brains out of woman the previous night while robbing her home. ( He still had the pistol in his bag. Metal detectors do not always pick-up Glocks.)
- Saw a student stabbed in the cafeteria. Talked the "stabber" out of the knife.( He lost a kidney.)
- Had two students killed on a mission trip during Winter Break. The US Embassy held the bodies for 6 weeks in Belize.
- Had a kid commit suicide after she was impregnated by her father.
- Had a father call my unlisted number at 1:30am and threaten to kill me. ( The police did nothing.)
- Was sued for failing a kid who literally turned NOTHING in for a semester. Never mind I called parents for MANY conferences, I should have passed them anyway, according to dad. ( I won.) The school's position was I "should have passed the kid."
- Had a student this weekend killed by a drunk driver. Went funeral today using my own personal sick time to hire a sub.
Yeah, this is an EASY job.....
BTW: I have taught in both inner city schools and nice white suburbs. The suburbs are the ones above with the most violence....

We need more money for education!

 

[Rambo]

Originally Posted by O'Higgins

Well, for those of you who think teaching is easy, the following has occurred to me in my career in the high school classroom. -Had the superintendent, 3 board members arrested due to kick-backs. - Had every administrator resign from vice-principal to superintendent during a 3 month period during the spring. My school had no administrators during a 2 month period because of the turmoil in the district. - Had 3/4ths of my studentsexpelled due to a student walk-out. The board had threated to eliminate all sports, music, theater arts. - Had a student die of AIDS and she turned to me as her counselor in the last weeks of her life. - Was hit so hard by a student I was hospitalized for 2 days. ( The district didn't want to pay for my hospitalization.) - Had a student arrested in my class after he had blown the brains out of woman the previous night while robbing her home. ( He still had the pistol in his bag. Metal detectors do not always pick-up Glocks.) - Saw a student stabbed in the cafeteria. Talked the "stabber" out of the knife.( He lost a kidney.) - Had two students killed on a mission trip during Winter Break. The US Embassy held the bodies for 6 weeks in Belize. - Had a kid commit suicide after she was impregnated by her father. - Had a father call my unlisted number at 1:30am and threaten to kill me. ( The police did nothing.) - Was sued for failing a kid who literally turned NOTHING in for a semester. Never mind I called parents for MANY conferences, I should have passed them anyway, according to dad. ( I won.) The school's position was I "should have passed the kid." - Had a student this weekend killed by a drunk driver. Went funeral today using my own personal sick time to hire a sub. Yeah, this is an EASY job..... BTW: I have taught in both inner city schools and nice white suburbs. The suburbs are the ones above with the most violence....
Yeah, that's about right.

 

[deveandepot1]

Originally Posted by Rambo

Yeah, that's about right.

+1.
A student just spit on the chalk board 2 hours ago. He had a picture of an AK47 on his chest. All I asked him was to go to the bathroom and turn it inside out.

FWIW- I am looking for something else besides teaching. It is just not worth it. I have a sick feeling I am not helping anyone. For subs pay is crap(Just more than minimum wage) and the there looks like their will be no job openings for at least another 2 years.

 

[O'Higgins]

Originally Posted by deveandepot1

+1.
A student just spit on the chalk board 2 hours ago. He had a picture of an AK47 on his chest. All I asked him was to go to the bathroom and turn it inside out.

FWIW- I am looking for something else besides teaching. It is just not worth it. I have a sick feeling I am not helping anyone. For subs pay is crap(Just more than minimum wage) and the there looks like their will be no job openings for at least another 2 years.

I spoke to teacher retirement today. I am starting the paperwork. 30 years is enough.
After I hung up my cell at lunch with TRS, I broke down and cried. I have cried 3 times in the last month......The last time I cried was at my father's funeral 9 years ago.
I am not going to be rich, but I am feeling relief like you wouldn't believe....

 

[CBrown85]

****. I love how much both the students and general society hates us.

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Originally Posted by O'Higgins

I spoke to teacher retirement today. I am starting the paperwork. 30 years is enough.
After I hung up my cell at lunch with TRS, I broke down and cried. I have cried 3 times in the last month......The last time I cried was at my father's funeral 9 years ago.
I am not going to be rich, but I am feeling relief like you wouldn't believe....

Where do you teach?

 

[NewYorkIslander]

Originally Posted by Chico2007

Public school teachers, what traits do you think make up a GREAT Principle(or other administrator)?

A good principal is someone who makes you feel as though you are part of a team. The system is set up in an "us and them" mentality (supervisors vs teachers) and teachers in turn take that mentality into the classroom, and ot makes for a crummy learning environment. In my mind the best administrator is the one whose school truly is a team, from top to bottom. Its not easy, but it can be done. That being said, administrators also need to be stern with teachers who can't hack it. They need to be teachers to the teachers...show them the ropes, help them learn from their mistakes. They also can't be too soft, so that they are taken for schmucks. In other word, a good teacher would make a good administrator. Delegation is also important, not everyone is great at every aspect of a job. I have kids set up al of my bulletin boards...I'm crap at that stuff...I also think I'm going to start having kids in at lunch more often to help file...I'm crap at that kind of stuff.