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I wish you were wrong but you're not. Sadly, I went into teaching to impart knowledge and teach critical thinking and problem solving skills. Things I saw seriously lacking in the new grads I saw hired into the company in my last few years working there.
Even when I first entered the classroom in 1995, I found this true. I was prepared to do some great teaching--but the system refuses to let a teacher teach.
All my profs at EMU talked about how exciting it was to be in a classroom and effect REAL change. Obviously they had not been on a classroom for MANY years.
The only time I ever really taught was as a SUBSTITUTE and even then the teacher of record reported back to the admin how I had "deviated" from the lesson [plan--ie EXPANDED]
I had so many students that would come to me during class (as a sub) and tell me how they were able to understand the content based on discussion and examples--particualrlly the SpEd students in the general ed classes.
My best was as a sub in Trenton, MI where I had an AP English class and they were to write a 3-5 page essay on a John Updike short story. We read the 15 page story quickly and within 15 minutes I had filled three 15 foot chalkboards with questions, comparisons and analysts for possible essay topics.
Eventually the students were able to develop their own ideas from our discussion.
The next week I saw some of the students during my next tour and they all said what a great grade they had on their essays. Mind you I just wrote out the prompts.
I heard from other teachers that the AP English teacher asked I never be assigned his room again???
Even when I first entered the classroom in 1995, I found this true. I was prepared to do some great teaching--but the system refuses to let a teacher teach.
All my profs at EMU talked about how exciting it was to be in a classroom and effect REAL change. Obviously they had not been on a classroom for MANY years.
The only time I ever really taught was as a SUBSTITUTE and even then the teacher of record reported back to the admin how I had "deviated" from the lesson [plan--ie EXPANDED]
I had so many students that would come to me during class (as a sub) and tell me how they were able to understand the content based on discussion and examples--particualrlly the SpEd students in the general ed classes.
My best was as a sub in Trenton, MI where I had an AP English class and they were to write a 3-5 page essay on a John Updike short story. We read the 15 page story quickly and within 15 minutes I had filled three 15 foot chalkboards with questions, comparisons and analysts for possible essay topics.
Eventually the students were able to develop their own ideas from our discussion.
The next week I saw some of the students during my next tour and they all said what a great grade they had on their essays. Mind you I just wrote out the prompts. I heard from other teachers that the AP English teacher asked I never be assigned his room again???
Thanks for making me laugh out loud.
I have found that when I have no difficultly teaching & handling "the absolutely unruly, disrespectful, totally out-of-control students" (their words certainly not mine) in certain teacher's classes that these teachers ask that I not sub again in their classroom.
Even when I first entered the classroom in 1995, I found this true. I was prepared to do some great teaching--but the system refuses to let a teacher teach.
All my profs at EMU talked about how exciting it was to be in a classroom and effect REAL change. Obviously they had not been on a classroom for MANY years.
The only time I ever really taught was as a SUBSTITUTE and even then the teacher of record reported back to the admin how I had "deviated" from the lesson [plan--ie EXPANDED]
I had so many students that would come to me during class (as a sub) and tell me how they were able to understand the content based on discussion and examples--particualrlly the SpEd students in the general ed classes.
My best was as a sub in Trenton, MI where I had an AP English class and they were to write a 3-5 page essay on a John Updike short story. We read the 15 page story quickly and within 15 minutes I had filled three 15 foot chalkboards with questions, comparisons and analysts for possible essay topics.
Eventually the students were able to develop their own ideas from our discussion.
The next week I saw some of the students during my next tour and they all said what a great grade they had on their essays. Mind you I just wrote out the prompts.
I heard from other teachers that the AP English teacher asked I never be assigned his room again???
I had subs who deviated from lesson plans and, while it wasn't what I wanted, it was fine or no big deal, but some..... I had one decide my class could have a debate about evolution and creationism. I didn't have to request that sub not return, my principal did it after the third parent phone call. I've had a couple of subs tell my students they always hated the subject I taught or that they did so bad in it that they couldn't help them. My personal favorite was the one who told my students I babied them too much so I must be a bad teacher and their parents should complain about it. God love them, the only parents who called that time were ones who called me to let me know that was what had been told to their kids. I was truly touched by how many of my students were indignant that he insulted me.
Student: I cannot remember anything someone reads to me.
Teacher: So if some one says something, you do not understand?
Student: That is not what I said. I said if you read it to me I do not understand it.
Teacher: But if I am just speaking to you, you understand what I am saying?
Student: YES! Because you aren't reading it.
Teacher: (writes a simple direction on paper and reads it to student) Do you understand that?
Student: (realizing a point has been made) SCREAMS--That is NOT READING SOMETHING.
Teacher: (starts to recite from written text) Does this make since to you, as I speak it from memory?
Student: YES!! THAT AIN'T READING IT!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ME!! I HAVE AN IEP AND CANNOT HEAR SOMETHING THAT IS READ TO ME!!
Teacher: You are not a failure. An IEP doesn't make you dumb.
Student: I am already DUMB...
Student: I cannot remember anything someone reads to me.
Teacher: So if some one says something, you do not understand?
Student: That is not what I said. I said if you read it to me I do not understand it.
Teacher: But if I am just speaking to you, you understand what I am saying?
Student: YES! Because you aren't reading it.
Teacher: (writes a simple direction on paper and reads it to student) Do you understand that?
Student: (realizing a point has been made) SCREAMS--That is NOT READING SOMETHING.
Teacher: (starts to recite from written text) Does this make since to you, as I speak it from memory?
Student: YES!! THAT AIN'T READING IT!! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ME!! I HAVE AN IEP AND CANNOT HEAR SOMETHING THAT IS READ TO ME!!
Teacher: You are not a failure. An IEP doesn't make you dumb.
Student: I am already DUMB...
I hate when it is oblivious that the IEP has become a crutch.
Long Vent about lack of sub plans & class information & schedules.
I'm a retired teacher who has been subbing the past few years. Normally I love it and have very, very few problems however I had an experience this week that was really annoying.
Warning this is just a vent or rant. Double warning, it is long. I really don't need any advice but I have to get this off my chest.
A few days ago I was called at 9 PM to sub in 2nd grade classroom the next day. As a retired teacher I know that emergencies come up or you can get suddenly sick and aren't truly prepared but I was called at 9 PM so probably there would have been time to send a quick email with plans to the office or a fellow teacher or at least have an emergency sub. folder prepared in advance with general classroom information. Or maybe I have just been spoiled because most teachers leave great, or at least adequate, sub. plans.
I arrived and received a class list for attendance and lunch count from the office. As I was unlocking the classroom door the teacher next door said something like "Becky contacted me to tell you that everything is all ready for you on her desk." I thanked her, went inside and found five things on the desk. Teacher's editions for literacy, spelling, math & social studies open to what I assumed were the correct pages and a standard lesson plan book. The lesson plan book was clearly written just for the teacher (ie. no extra notes or details for a sub. even the times allotted for each subject) and said literacy, spelling, writing, math, social studies/science and specials in the first column. Her entire plans for that day were as follows, "5A, Presidents Packet, 54, 7-3, 33, Art". Actually, the plans weren't the big problem (originally) because it was pretty easy to figure out lesson 5A was literacy, etc. And I assumed that there was morning routine, such as calendar time because I could see a calendar. As it turned out the skimpy plans turned out to be a problem because with several of the subjects I needed to track down the books or materials needed for that lesson. And the math teachers edition was opened to the wrong page so I missed the first half of the lesson AND 1/3 of the children had already completed the math assignment because, according to the students, they were allowed to "work ahead in their math workbook".
And throughout the day children would be asking questions like "Aren't we doing partner reading now?" and "What about our daily writing in our journals?" and "What is our weekend homework assignment?" . I would say, "Today we following a different schedule." while I was thinking "Well, kiddos, if your teacher had left a daily schedule we probably would be doing something different."
Without a sub folder or any times listed I needed to check with the neighboring teacher to find out what time recess and lunch started, dismissal time, etc. etc. Still not a big problem.
What started to concern me was the constant flow of children in and out of the classroom. I'd look up from leading a lesson and see a couple of children disappearing out the door. One of their peers would tell me "Johnny, Joe and Mary go to special reading now." And someone else would pipe up "Larry went to speech a few minutes ago". I told the children to check in with me before they left the room and when the returned but many, many forgot. Without a list of who went where & when I just prayed that we didn't have a fire drill as I didn't always know who was gone at any one time (as many of the lessons took place on the rug and they were not in their desks). Over the course of the day, there were probably 8 or 9 children who left for varying amounts of time to various places and some of the children left two or three different times. Oh how I wished that the teacher had left a list with those details. It really seemed to give a lot of responsibility to 7 year old children (who were special education or at least had some type of special needs to remember their own schedules and handle all of the movement in the hallways by themselves).
No one was hurt or lost or had any medical problems and I made it though all of the things in her planning book (more or less). But, the bottom line was the day would have gone much, much smoother for everyone if the teacher had left a list of daily routines, schedules and times. And a list of students with special needs, allergies or health problems would have been helpful. I didn't even have a class list as the list given to me by the office was returned to them with the attendance and lunch count. All of the teachers are supposed to have a sub. folder containing that information plus a set of emergency plans but she did not.
I'm not subbing for her again.
Last edited by germaine2626; 02-22-2014 at 07:16 PM..
OH crap. I was going for flying below the radar hoping my principal had bigger fish to fry but I had my mid year review today. The review itself was fine but he then started talking about the issues he sees in the past couple of years and told me that he's trying to get the superintendent to be fair and pull ahead the decision to not tenure me to April to be "fair to me". WTF? I actually get a decent review from him and it's capped with he's still planning to deny tenure. What a nice guy. He's pushing to pink slip me in April instead of June. I'm sure this is so HE can post this position during the prime recruiting season not for my benefit.
The union rep was just baffled. She described the meeting as "Roses, roses, roses and then we're not keeping you???" If my review is to be believed, I've done what my principal asked but it's not enough. I'm just dumbfounded but he's being a nice guy and letting me know in April that I'm not coming back. That has nothing to do with being a nice guy. It has to do with wanting to hire my replacement in the spring. It is really going to suck when they are interviewing my replacement while I'm still working. Talk about having the wind knocked out of your sails. I'd rather find out in June than have to deal with them interviewing my replacement while I'm still there.
I usually don't complain about my students at the cc, but today they pissed me off and I just want to rant a bit.
Where do students get this idea that everything in school needs to be 1-entertaining and 2-easy? They actually think that. Minus the Asian students, anyway.
They complain bitterly when required to actually spend time reading something not interesting - like, say, the textbook. Is there such a thing as a fascinating and gripping tale of the effects of atmospheric pressure on gas measurement? They sign up for the course and then complain it's boring! How exciting did they think it was going to be to actually learn something like that?
And oh my god, what if it's hard? Like maybe they have to actually crack open a book after class or look at their notes (or take notes)! They are totally outraged by the idea of actually having to work. If it isn't enough to just show up for class and sit their on their asses, then it's too hard for them. They think they are going to learn by osmosis. Yes, they actually think that.
Were students always so lazy? I was never that lazy, but I'm not dealing with the best students here, so maybe mediocre students have always been this bad. Still, I can't believe I have to argue with them to get them to do the most basic and expected school work, as if there is some other purpose to them going to school!
I am a teacher's aid in a small school and I work with less than 20 kids grades 3-6. I can say the same thing about the kids that I have. Some days are better, some are worse. Some of these kids are climbing the walls unless you are working one on one with them. 2or 3 are constantly not doing any work because they know their parents don't care. These same students are also talking back, wanting to argue, ect, because there isn't any punishment. If I did send the kids to the principal, the parent is saying that we have a problem because we are not educating the child or controlling him. The kids play all day long, steal each others' pencils, destroy the pencils, ect and we are expected to provide them with another one. I also have administrators that will not pay me to discuss with the teacher after classes anything. The teacher already works many hours after class preparing, probably 15 + hours a week or more I hate taking any more of her time. I put in over an hour of my time that I do not get paid because I care and want to help the kids that need it. Definitely a rant day.
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Long Vent about lack of sub plans & class information & schedules.
