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Is It Recess Yet? - The Teachers Thread

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Mannequin

Mannequin

Brilliant_Rock
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Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - W.B. Yeats

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This thread is dedicated to all the educators on PS. Whether you are a seasoned vet in the classroom, a rookie educator just starting out, or a teacher in training, you are an important and inspirational part of the world''s most essential profession. Share here about issues in education, challenges, lesson ideas, classroom management, etc.
 
Introducing myself:
I am a second year middle school teacher in MI. I teach 7th and 8th grade Language Arts and Communications/Public Speaking classes. I also mentor my school''s Future City Team. I have an elementary school background and thought I would never ever want to teach middle school , but I like it a lot.
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I am certified in Elementary Ed, Language Arts, and Science and I subbed at all levels for a year and a half prior to landing my current classroom teaching job.

My school provides web space to all teachers, and I am always looking for more good clipart for my classroom website and papers. I found a great link today and I thought it would be excellent for my first thing to share here. This site has all graphics divided by categories and also offers printable papers for creative writing among other things. Click the link to see! http://www.teacherfiles.com/clip_art.htm
 
I am a teacher in training. I am enrolled in a dual program to earn my master's in education as well as a multiple subject credential. I have submitted my application to substitute and as soon as I recieve my emergency credential I will begin my time in the classroom, what fun! Oh, and it's a bit frightening as well.











ETA: I came to the conclusion that I wanted to teach after spending several years working for corporations including a public affairs firm and the HR dept. of a mid-sized real estate/investment company. I spent many years toying with the idea, including while in college earning my undergrad degree, but it took me a while, and much encouragement from my husband, to come back to wanting to teach. I am so excited about it as I feel like I have found my true calling.
 
oh kimberly you will enjoy it.

i too am a real world transplant and we are a different breed of teacher. For us it truly is a calling. i wake up every day eager to go to work and still am exhausted when i leave.

it is frightening, i still get knots the first week, it''s a big change from the working world.

don''''t expect to have a personal life the first two years. get take out and use paper plates.

what subject/grade are you aiming for?
 
Can I join? I''m in grad school, working on my PhD in biological sciences, and since teaching intro bio labs for my second semester now (TAing this class again next semester too), I''ve decided I want to teach at the college level, perhaps upper level high school classes if the opportunity arose.
 
Date: 12/3/2006 6:08:35 PM
Author: ladykemma
oh kimberly you will enjoy it.

i too am a real world transplant and we are a different breed of teacher. For us it truly is a calling. i wake up every day eager to go to work and still am exhausted when i leave.

it is frightening, i still get knots the first week, it''s a big change from the working world.

don''t expect to have a personal life the first two years. get take out and use paper plates.

what subject/grade are you aiming for?
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I feel at home in the classroom in a way I never did in corporations. I never wanted to climb the ladder, make the most money, etc. I have always wanted to help people and give back.

I was leaning towards 2nd or 3rd until I started observing in a 5th grade class. These kids are just so bright and funny and in tune that I may have changed my mind.

I''m so lucky to have a husband who:

1) worked as an administrator for a private school for several years which including teaching math and science (he earned a B.S. and M.S. in biochemistry as well as a B.S. in mathematics), PE and running the after school care (it was a small school)

2) is totally supportive of my choice (he sort of strong armed me into making the switch because I came home from work miserable every day). He has always said he believes this is where I belong. That it takes a certain type of person to do every job and I am the sort of person who is meant to teach. No take out necessary, the man loves to cook!

What grade do you teach? I recall you mentioning you''re a chemist.

JCJD, of course you can join! No exclusivity here. I''d love it if parents shared their input about teaching as well as other PS members sharing their learning/educational experiences. Part of teaching is realizing you NEVER stop learning...and parents and peers can teach us too!
 
Hats off to all of you--I admire what you do so much! I once taught a graduate class in financial markets regulation and it about killed me. The prep time, the actual delivery of interesting and meaningful lessons, making up and grading the tests--holy cow! And that was only one class for one semester. To be a teacher all day long every day, WOW!

Where do you get your inspiration and your motivation? Do you ever think, "If I have to do XXX one more time I''m just going to throw myself out the window?"
 
I found this thread while browsing with one browser while I use another one to print. I am printing pages from a color-in-the-pictures-and-copy-the-words book I am using to teach Christmas in France to my French class of sixth through eighth graders. I also teach English. I am not certified to teach and am teaching at an independent (read: private) school. I think perhaps I should be certified insane to have accepted this job. I haven''t taught since I was in my twenties and then I taught high school students and at least then it was in a field in which I hold an advanced degree! I do not hold an advanced (or an undergraduate) degree in either French or English!

I have spent a huge amount of money-probably as much as I have earned-on teaching supplies! This week I spent $50.00 on a French video called, "Noel a Paris" or something similar. I hope it''s decent. It''s only 20 minutes long!

Nonetheless, you may call me Madame!

Déborah
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Date: 12/3/2006 6:47:48 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
Hats off to all of you--I admire what you do so much! I once taught a graduate class in financial markets regulation and it about killed me. The prep time, the actual delivery of interesting and meaningful lessons, making up and grading the tests--holy cow! And that was only one class for one semester. To be a teacher all day long every day, WOW!

Where do you get your inspiration and your motivation? Do you ever think, ''If I have to do XXX one more time I''m just going to throw myself out the window?''
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fortunately in our school, we work in teams and new teachers are "carried", given lessons, and we sit down, do common planning, and make tests together. we set up, tear down, and plan labs together. No one is left to drift. the prep time is what kills you, add to that chemistry labs - set up and take down. I have a student staff aide 12th grader, he helps a lot - grading quizzes and lab prep.
i was notified friday that I will have a student teacher in the spring semester. now i have to learn something new! how to teach a student teacher to teach! oy!

my friends ask me why don''t i answer the phone in the middle of the week. honestly when get home i just want to be left alone.
 
Ladykemma and KimberlyH - I have always felt that having people with real world experience delivering lessons in a classroom is truly a blessing for students and staff. You guys can bring much more to the table in "street smarts" and saavy than many wet-behind-the-ears rookie teachers like me.
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Hee hee...

KimberlyH, I did a long term sub in 5th grade the year before I was hired at my current job. It truly is a fun grade to teach, isn''t it?
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They are very independent and capable of great things. I had 32 fifth graders in my class (wowsers!) and I also taught science to the entire fifth grade every day when they switched classrooms in the afternoons. It was excellent preparation for this middle school job I have now.

I wish our school did more teaming and common prep times for departments. I rarely get to work with the people I should be planning lessons with and I sometimes get stuck for lack of know-how or resources. We''re able to meet after school sometimes or during set staff meetings, but it gets to be a pain when other commitments conflict. That being said, my second year has been SO MUCH EASIER than my first year. Much of what I do is already in place and ready to go, and I''ve learned from last year''s flubs. I have more tools at my disposal, including a new SMARTBoard system (wall mounted touch screen computer that I wish I had more time to work with!), and I am getting better and better with my management skills.

Dee*Jay - I only throw kids out the window, not myself.
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Date: 12/3/2006 11:32:51 PM
Author: equestrienne

Dee*Jay - I only throw kids out the window, not myself.
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Now THERE''S a teaching philosophy I can relate to!
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Equestrienne,

Thanks so much for creating this thread! Now I know where to go when I''m pulling my hair out, or if I just need to share a story.
Thanks too for the link to the clip art. My poor little school is so underfunded we don''t even really have computers. Most of what we have is donated. I bring my laptop to school everyday, and try to get my kids on it as much as possible. I really worry about the "digital divide-- my kids mostly come from lower income households that don''t have any technology at home, AND they''re not getting it at school. Yikes!

Introducing myself:

I''ve been teaching since 1996.
I never planned on being a teacher. I grew up in the "greedy" 80''s and never even took an education class during my undergrad career. I was an art history and film theory major in college. Then I graduated and did what many art history majors do... I waited tables. I HATED it, but had to pay the bills, right? I had to supliment my income (because I was a terrible waitress) and found myself teaching an afterschool program at the local Y. It was my refuge... I actually found sanity with those crazy kids. From there I moved on to working in a day care center.

That led me to my position in a private school in Atlanta that was a TEACHER''s DREAM. There was so much creative freedom and CREATIVITY period. I taught there as an assistant for 7 years. I hated to leave, but knew that I had to in order to find out if teaching was really my chosen profession. I left that school to run my own classroom at my present school.

I''ve been here for 5 years. My kids are come from all over the world, Somalia, Bosnia, Vietnam, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Liberia, Mauritania, just to name a few countries off the top of my head. Oh, and the other half of the kids come from right here in Atlanta.
They''re a challenge in so many ways, but also so very inspirational! Their challenges are great, but their successes are even greater.

During my second year here I took an MAT program at a local university, now I have my masters, but am still doing some undergrad work to finish up my certification.

Sadly, I think I might be considering a new school for next year. My campus has moved, so it''s a 30-40 minute commute for me everyday, but the biggest reason is that many of my coworkers don''t share my constructivist teaching philosophies. I feel like I am working against the grain here in trying to create a society of open minded thinkers while my coworkers are trying to show their students how they are in control of them... yuck. It makes me sad and is very hard to deal with. While it breaks my heart to leave such a community in need, I also feel like I''m banging my head against a wall daily.

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I love teaching, though. So glad that I''ve immersed myself into it and into these student''s lives. I also teach fifth grade. It''s my favorite grade to teach so far! I love that they get my sacrasm. I also love that they''re ready willing and able to change the world!
 
Date: 12/3/2006 4:20:22 PM
Author:equestrienne
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - W.B. Yeats
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I love this quote. This is the kind of thinking that led my husband and I to decide to homeschool our three kids this fall. So I guess I am their teacher, but we are really just kindling their fire.
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They are doing all of the real work in that department. Last week instead of being in school, we were on the beach, inspecting seagull skeletons, fossils, and each other!

We were really inspired by the writings of John Taylor Gatto. I think his writings help everyone -- teachers, homeschoolers, progressive educators -- ask important questions about why and how we teach and learn, and how we can change areas that are lacking.

Kudos to all of you for doing what you do!
 
Date: 12/4/2006 12:59:15 PM
Author: Tybee
I''ve been here for 5 years. My kids are come from all over the world, Somalia, Bosnia, Vietnam, Kurdistan, Afghanistan, Liberia, Mauritania, just to name a few countries off the top of my head. Oh, and the other half of the kids come from right here in Atlanta.
They''re a challenge in so many ways, but also so very inspirational! Their challenges are great, but their successes are even greater.

Sadly, I think I might be considering a new school for next year. My campus has moved, so it''s a 30-40 minute commute for me everyday, but the biggest reason is that many of my coworkers don''t share my constructivist teaching philosophies. I feel like I am working against the grain here in trying to create a society of open minded thinkers while my coworkers are trying to show their students how they are in control of them... yuck. It makes me sad and is very hard to deal with. While it breaks my heart to leave such a community in need, I also feel like I''m banging my head against a wall daily.
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Tybee - You have such a diverse student population in your room, wow! Our student body is mostly Caucasian, though we are gaining students from other places all the time. I have students who come from immigrant families too, some recent and some who have been here a while already. We are fortunate enough to have an ESL/ELL program in place that allows for regular and supplemental classes to help these kids succeed and learn.

I understand your frustrations in a way. Currently, my biggest concern is helping my students who are recent transplants from places like the Detroit school district work up to grade level. They are way behind due to the capabilities of their previous districts and their own personal backgrounds. They have been "soured" by years of indifference and underachievement and they come in with emotional baggage and bad attitudes. The academic gap is HUGE for some of these kids, and I am starting to wonder what my district will be like a few years down the road if it continues to accept this type of student under Schools of Choice. I may end up jumping ship here in the next few years if the trend continues. It''s not worth the frustration over poor or violent behavior, missing supplies, and absent parents. For now, I will continue to make my classroom as welcoming and friendly as possible as I challenge my students and provide them with the tools they need to become confident, capable kids.

Regarding your difficulties with trying to teach in your environment, I would imagine that your students view your classroom as a safe haven. You may be the only person who has taken the time to make them feel appreciated all day, considering what some of your other staff sounds like and where you teach. The compliment circles and team building you do with the students you teach DOES affect change in them, even if others choose heavy handed methods. Thank you for your compassion.
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Date: 12/4/2006 5:57:00 PM
Author: wallermama

Date: 12/3/2006 4:20:22 PM
Author:equestrienne
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - W.B. Yeats
Click to expand...
I love this quote. This is the kind of thinking that led my husband and I to decide to homeschool our three kids this fall. So I guess I am their teacher, but we are really just kindling their fire.
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They are doing all of the real work in that department. Last week instead of being in school, we were on the beach, inspecting seagull skeletons, fossils, and each other!
Click to expand...

Trade classrooms with me?
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Date: 12/4/2006 7:42:19 PM
Author: equestrienne
Date: 12/4/2006 5:57:00 PM

Author: wallermama


Date: 12/3/2006 4:20:22 PM

Author:equestrienne

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - W.B. Yeats
Click to expand...
I love this quote. This is the kind of thinking that led my husband and I to decide to homeschool our three kids this fall. So I guess I am their teacher, but we are really just kindling their fire.
2.gif
They are doing all of the real work in that department. Last week instead of being in school, we were on the beach, inspecting seagull skeletons, fossils, and each other!
Click to expand...


Trade classrooms with me?
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Click to expand...

Seriously!!!!
Counting down to the winter break!!!!!
 
Date: 12/5/2006 6:17:36 PM
Author: Tybee

Date: 12/4/2006 7:42:19 PM
Author: equestrienne

Date: 12/4/2006 5:57:00 PM

Author: wallermama



Date: 12/3/2006 4:20:22 PM

Author:equestrienne

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. - W.B. Yeats
Click to expand...
I love this quote. This is the kind of thinking that led my husband and I to decide to homeschool our three kids this fall. So I guess I am their teacher, but we are really just kindling their fire.
2.gif
They are doing all of the real work in that department. Last week instead of being in school, we were on the beach, inspecting seagull skeletons, fossils, and each other!
Click to expand...


Trade classrooms with me?
2.gif
Click to expand...

Seriously!!!!
Counting down to the winter break!!!!!
Click to expand...
ME TOO. We have progress reports this week, plus kids are getting pulled out of my classes for all kinds of other activities (choir singing at the mall, door decorating, etc.). Many of my students are doing well academically right now - and they''d better be, because nothing I am doing is all that difficult
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- but they are so unbelievably squirrely. The bustle of kids coming and going doesn''t help. My Future City Team is behind with their project because they cannot stay focused on one task or work together without trading insults. *siiiiiiiiiiiigh*

At this point, I am hoping Santa brings me a stocking full of Prozac, or a taser.
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I am spending tomorrow and the next day observing...really looking forward to it. Friday''s are short (8:00-12:40) and the kids are a bit out of whack that day, in my experience.

I am struggling with school right now, admistratively. I am waiting for my provisional status to be switched to permanent (I entered my master''s program with a GPA of less than 3.0 from undergrad, which means I had to earn a 3.0 or above to be officially enrolled in the program); I then decided I wanted to go online as opposed to attending the ground campus (I was spending WAY too much time away from home and my new wonderful husband and determined I could have the best of both worlds, school and him, if I switched over). Both of these changes are taking place at once which has caused some confusion and a crappy mess. I have had the last two weeks off and am desperate to get back to class. I should be starting Tuesday, I had to wait to filter into the appropriate program, but they denied my request due to my status so it''s just a big cluster....you get the point. I''ve spent the last three days on the phone trying to get someone to do something to fix the problem. If I don''t get it resolved and haven''t attended class in 30 days I lose my financial aid.

In the mean time I am still waiting for my emergency credential; they recieved my application on October 6. So I''ve spent the past two weeks doing a lot of nothing but futzing around.

Wow, I don''t usually vent, but I am extremely frustrated with bureaucracy today as I feel like I''m at a standstill on all career fronts.
 
Thanks for this thread Equ!

Current special ed IA and future teacher early childhood special ed teacher here...I''m working on my master''s now but won''t finish until May of 2008!
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I can''t really complain because I just started this summer and everything is going phenomenally, but I''m ready to be done now. =)

I love the little ones though...on the good days and the bad...well maybe not so much on the bad days! Hehe!
 
I observed today and yesterday. The teacher I''ve paired up with lets me be active in class so I participated in the compliment circle and gave the spelling test. FUN!!

School issues are almost resolved. But still a bit irritating as I''ve spent 12 hours over the last 3 days dealing with this stuff. GRR!!
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Not sure how I missed this! But I have taught for a long time. I have a master''s in special ed. and mostly teach children with reading disorders (dyselxia) at this time. I didn''t always know how to do that, but a few years ago I became interested because one of my own children had some issues, so I went and got specialized training that has made a huge difference in the success of my students. I absolutely love what I do. I also have a schedule that is less than full time, which is wonderful, too!
 
Yahoo!! I finished all of my grading for my 44 students yesterday afternoon!! Now if I can get past my stats final next week, I''m "free" until January!
 
Wow. Great thread!

I''ve been teaching for 9 years at a middle school in an affluent suburb...originally my dream job...I was told if I spent a year or two sort of filling in the gaps (ya know, that extra section of a class) I''d get to teach English/Lit.

Well, nine years and TWELVE different preps later, I''m teaching English all right -- 4 different classes. Two classes are for low readers at 2 grade levels (which I am not trained to do, but they said it was a "scripted" program so what is the problem?) and a Language Arts/Literature block at 2 grade levels.

Needless to say, it''s a little insane.

The district has changed a lot since I''ve started...we now bow down at the altar of testing -- my classes take no fewer than 4 sets of standardized tests a year...3 of them are predictors for the 4th test. They are also used for placement and "special programs." And all of the testing takes time out of my class, so I lose about 3 weeks of teaching time for this.

There is no guise of *not* teaching to the test these days. I have weekly meetings from the district office telling me how to prepare the kids...I was told to have them "practice" doing an assignment for 55 minutes where they cannot talk nor ask me questions...and to do this 2-3 times a month until the big test in March.

I have desperately tried to sneak in all of those good teaching practices I was taught and I believe in...it gets harder to do as I get overwhelmed with so many preps.

But I sneak ''em in when I can!!!

I know I sound bitter, but really love teaching. I just don''t get to do it much these days...

And has anyone ever had a year when you wondered what on earth was in the water (and/or what the parents were/are smoking?) I''m a-having one of those. I have a lot of helicopter parents -- ya know, the ones who hover?
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So these two issues collided when a parent called me to say that her kid LOVES my class, is reading for pleasure for the first time in her life, is a better writer, BUT that she needs to transfer her kid to another teacher in the school because that teacher''s kids "do better" on the test (this is based on kids "comparing" notes after the test...very valid, no?)

Ok, let me start this over...

I love my job. I just want to do it!

So, for balance -- what''s the funniest thing a kid/parent said to you this school year?

J.
 
Diamondseeker, that's a great link! Thanks!

I hate teaching to the tests, too, jas. Necessary evil it may be, but I still don't like giving up my entire fall to prep and reteach for one test. I didn't start teaching my actual curriculum this year until the week of Halloween.
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Lighter note...
I really like my sixth hour this semester. These kids approach every Communications assignment with pep, and with a little group of 21 we can spend a lot more time on fun stuff and one-on-one coaching. I have only one student who throws the makeup of the class off. He's this little sourpuss of a kid, always seems to have a chip on his shoulder. Well, he was in class today working on an ad campaign with his partner and announced that he was soooooo bored, he could fall asleep at his desk right then. Hmmmm...
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I had a Christmas CD playing, so I cued the next song up. I stood up and told my kids that we needed to help our classmate wake up a bit, so they could sing along if they knew the tune. They all grinned as the strains of "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" filled the room, and they joined in loudly and off key. Some even danced. Our "victim" was a little suprised, but quickly did the "faked mortification" bit with head on the desk moaning and groaning. But he stayed awake. And he smiled.
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i had some funny high school stories but far too raunchy. don''t want to get in trouble with admin.
 
jas - funniest thing a student said? how about the oddest?

"Wait, plants have genes?"

Ummm, yeah.
 
Bumping the teachers thread for some much needed support. I am currently taking an action research class and I think I''d rather poke my eye out than do one more thing in relation to this class. I hated statistics when I took it in college, I managed to earn a B and then quickly flush my mind of mean, mode, z-score, correlation, etc. and now I''m back in statistical h***. On top of this one of my learning team members is so far behind the eight ball it''s not even funny. At first he was making no contributions to our group projects, I expressed my disappointment/frustration (very politely) in his lack of participation. Now everytime he makes edits/changes/additions to our projects I end up spending twice as much time fixing them as he can''t write a sentence that is grammatically correct to save his life and he isn''t grasping the concepts of the class and/or assignments. I''ve spoken to my teacher and her response is to continue indicating the inequities in our weekly team evaluations but she''ll do nothing to help us fix the problem.

On a happier note, I finally recieved my emergency credential from the state and have turned in my application to substitute in my local school district. I go to orientation at the end of the month and then I''m off and running. I am really looking forward to this.
 
Congratulations KimberlyH! And thanks for bumping this thread! Teaching is great, although it''s not something I thought I would do. I thought I''d stay in publishing, but it was too business-oriented for me. I knew at the time that I wanted to work with kids but I didn''t know how. I ended up observing a ton of elementary teachers in my area and decided to go back to grad. school full-time. Almost 7 years later, I''m now teaching second grade and I''ve taught first as well. Yes, there are days when I''m fed up with tying shoes and reminding kids to WALK down the hall instead of skipping, hopping, or running, but it''s fun. I think you have a different perspective on life when you work with children all day.
 
So happy to see this thread bumped up!!!
I''m an idiot, and don''t know how to post a link, but some of my students are on the cover of the New York Times online!!!
If you care to check it out it''s called: Refugees Find Hostility and Hope on Soccer Field

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/21/us/21fugees.html?ex=1169960400&en=f9f7bab1f63ab99b&ei=5070&emc=eta1

The article is kind of long, but I''m so thrilled about it. My students'' lives are so amazingly difficult!

Kimberly,
School is tough! I feel your frustrations! Congrats on your emergency certfication, though! Hope you find yourself working in the classroom soon.

Tybee
 
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