[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by caligali

What a coterie of rude, unpleasant people. Sorry I asked.

Ooooo...coterie! My guess would be a professor of English?

[dynimagelv]

Untenured.

[photobuff42]

Vegas is a tough town to teach in, no matter what level. I talk to my teacher friends and most want to get out....

[MomMom]

Originally Posted by photobuff42

Vegas is a tough town to teach in, no matter what level. I talk to my teacher friends and most want to get out....

And they should if they are able to do it, so CCSD could make room for and hire some new ones...

[cecnj]

Teacher bashing does little to encourage anyone to consider entering the field. Why not follow the examples of Japan and Finland, among other successful nations, and honor teachers as professionals?

I began a second career as a teacher, and happily took the double-digit pay cut that went with that choice. Why do so many who have never taught feel they possess the authority to judge teachers? Where does your self-righteousness come from?

Go ahead----bash away.....it's expected now.

[cecnj]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Ooooo...coterie! My guess would be a professor of English?

Brilliant comeback...not

[Robustus]

Originally Posted by cecnj

...Why do so many who have never taught feel they possess the authority to judge teachers? Where does your self-righteousness come from?

It comes from June, July, and August.

Also from the fact that teachers complain A LOT about their jobs, and their low annual income. Well, I don't understand why teachers who hate the job or don't think they get paid enough for the work don't do something else! Quit complaining and take action.

I make the summer comment because when you include the amount of time off and recalculate a teacher's hourly rate across the full year, it's fairly in-line with other fields.

The self-righteous attitude also comes from what the teachers' union has done, and the fact that the people with the attitude are tax payers who obviously pay teacher salaries.


BTW - my parents are both teachers (but they don't complain too much).

[cecnj]

Originally Posted by Robustus

It comes from June, July, and August.

Also from the fact that teachers complain A LOT about their jobs, and their low annual income. Well, I don't understand why teachers who hate the job or don't think they get paid enough for the work don't do something else! Quit complaining and take action.

I make the summer comment because when you include the amount of time off and recalculate a teacher's hourly rate across the full year, it's fairly in-line with other fields.

The self-righteous attitude also comes from what the teachers' union has done, and the fact that the people with the attitude are tax payers who obviously pay teacher salaries.


BTW - my parents are both teachers (but they don't complain too much).

Yours is exactly the type of self-righteous and ill-informed banter to which I refer. (1) I am a teacher and have never had a summer off. (2) I have never been a part of a teachers' union nor have I worked a tenured position. (2) You say "quit complaining and take action", yet I have not complained about my job as a teacher; quite the contrary. If you read my original post you see that I happily made teaching my second career--by choice and have never been happier with that choice.

What I resent are sweeping judgments based on whim rather than fact passed by those possessing neither the experience or knowledge to make them.

[MaryleeII]

Hey, really, don't bash the new teachers in town. I realize I started it, but I simply wanted to make a point.

these new teachers are obviously aware of the tight state of the economy. yet, many teachers fail to realize where many of their students come from. They realize the economy's tight, then turn around and assign all sorts of expensive busy work.

Ok, I realize, these teachers are university level, so probably my gripes don't apply to them. Its just that if teachers are capable of realizing, on the one hand, how tight the economy is, why can't they realize it applies to many of their students? those projects have to be made out of something, even the most basic materials cost something. Many times I've "helped" other neighbor children, and just gave them the materials. Its all so competetive nowdays, many mothers won't help other children for fear of competeting with their kids. Its simply sick when you think of it!

A question for the university folks---do they require crayons, markers, glue sticks for university level I thought my kids were through with the Mickey Mouse stuff when they started middle school, I was amazed the school supply list included more of that crap! When does it ever stop? We graduate kids who can't write a paragraph, can't fill out a job application, incapable of critical thinking, yet are tops with making posters----like this---

WILL WORK FOR FOOD

[MaryleeII]

Originally Posted by quixotic59

The people you need to address this to are the administrators and district personnel. THEY decide what types of work must be accomplished. By pushing "project oriented" work it is easier to justify passing unqualified students, muddies the concept of assessment, and diminishes the role of direct instruction.
These geniuses are known as REFORMERS and their goal is to make teachers obsolete and easily replaceable. Most teachers are as frustrated as you are by the focus on "projects" and bulletin boards as opposed to basic learning. Which, by the way, only requires pen, pencil and paper, not major investments in supplies and technology.
Of course, hard work is not as pretty.

Yes, you're quite right. The individual teacher doesn't decide the projects, etc, its the administration that establishes what's required per grade.

However, do the indivudual teachers have to be so petty in their grading? Surely they have some autonomy in their grading procedures. When my kids have sweated buckets over projects, only to have them handed back slashed to death with comments, criticisms, etc. well..........once my son was told to redo a project 4x's, he was an emotional basket case with it. It was acceptable, if not perfect. He was actually being held back from the rest of the class, while they went on with their work, he was told to go in the back of the room and redo it again! Ok, so, I got fed up with it. I came to school one day, spoke with the principal, and told her I considered this abuse. Then I happened to wander into the class when the teacher told my ds to redo his project again. I just walked right up to her and said 'give him a D minus, or whatever your lowest grade is, check it off as done, and let him continue with the class. I'll wait until the project is graded. " Oh the look on her face, she turned purple! Oh, might that have something to do with we didn't send in a dozen cupcakes for the last party, and I didn't send in an expensive teacher's birthday gift? Hmmmm..........