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When I started this thread it was about teaching and the struggles that are inherent in that profession. It was not nor is any effort to say teachers are at the top of the challenged career profession. There are a number of professions that present challenges and there is and ought to be conversation on how to improve productivity in them. To try to compare while interesting does not help to bring about change or improvement. The challenge is to examine those different careers in such a way to improve the performance level of those employed. Teaching is teaching, nursing is nursing and safety is safety etc etc etc. The challenges in the varying job sectors at times are similar and at times very different. While teaching has isolation to deal with other professions have challenges educators don't. We do have solid benefits and still have pensions that out perform most other pensions. That should not be forgotten as our benefits are the result of others working and paying their taxes.
For the record, I know very few fellow teachers, especially those of us who are younger, don't have children, and are new enough in the field that we're not making top dollar for the field yet. Most of us teach summer school (I teach year-round at a private school that has an all-summer session), and many do secondary jobs, besides. Most of my coworkers not only teach year-round, they have part-time jobs they go to when they leave. None of us could justify a summer without pay, etc.
When I started this thread it was about teaching and the struggles that are inherent in that profession. It was not nor is any effort to say teachers are at the top of the challenged career profession. There are a number of professions that present challenges and there is and ought to be conversation on how to improve productivity in them. To try to compare while interesting does not help to bring about change or improvement. The challenge is to examine those different careers in such a way to improve the performance level of those employed. Teaching is teaching, nursing is nursing and safety is safety etc etc etc. The challenges in the varying job sectors at times are similar and at times very different. While teaching has isolation to deal with other professions have challenges educators don't. We do have solid benefits and still have pensions that out perform most other pensions. That should not be forgotten as our benefits are the result of others working and paying their taxes.
I made statements emphasizing that teaching was more difficult than other professions in response to a poster who referred to teachers as "whiners" and "complainers" whose profession was no more difficult than any other, and teachers who "burn out" simply couldn't "hack it." That was why I said that it was obviously more difficult than other professions (i.e. the high burnout rate). However, I never said that there weren't other professions with difficult working conditions.
I imagine that most of you who have gone into teaching had at least an a basis understanding of what you were getting yourself into. YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO BECOME A TEACHER ANYWAY. The only person responsibhle for your dis-satisfaction is yourself. It has nothing to do with how you spend your time, and how are treated by the public and the students, how much you are paid, etc. Your dis-satisfaction is a result of what you tell yourself about these things. You made the CHOICE to be a teacher. Now you owe it to yourself to make it a happy choice. If you are unhappy about that choice, change your thoughts about being a teacher, or change your profession. It's is very unlikely that teachers role in society will change for the better anytime in the near future. For better or worse, it is what it is. Now find a way to be happy about what it is. Good Luck!
I imagine that most of you who have gone into teaching had at least an a basis understanding of what you were getting yourself into. YOU MADE THE CHOICE TO BECOME A TEACHER ANYWAY. The only person responsibhle for your dis-satisfaction is yourself. It has nothing to do with how you spend your time, and how are treated by the public and the students, how much you are paid, etc. Your dis-satisfaction is a result of what you tell yourself about these things. You made the CHOICE to be a teacher. Now you owe it to yourself to make it a happy choice. If you are unhappy about that choice, change your thoughts about being a teacher, or change your profession. It's is very unlikely that teachers role in society will change for the better anytime in the near future. For better or worse, it is what it is. Now find a way to be happy about what it is. Good Luck!
I went in expecting to be marketable because they were crying shortage only to find a glut of teachers and the only jobs available are in low paying charters or private schools. Sometimes, things don't live up to the hype.
I went in expecting to be marketable because they were crying shortage only to find a glut of teachers and the only jobs available are in low paying charters or private schools. Sometimes, things don't live up to the hype.
I can relate to that. I went into programming under the same illusion. Now they send most of the programming work to India. Like you, I feel like I got sucker punched. They misled you too.
However I don't believe things just randomly happen to us. Something inside of me/you made us blind to the truth and made the lie seem real. But for me anyway, going into programming hasn't been a complete waste. Although I've not experienced the opportunities and high salary I envisioned 10 years ago, I'm still better off than I was before I got into the field. I hope you experience the same with teaching.
I went in expecting to be marketable because they were crying shortage only to find a glut of teachers and the only jobs available are in low paying charters or private schools. Sometimes, things don't live up to the hype.
I can relate to that. I went into programming under the same illusion. Now they send most of the programming work to India. Like you, I feel like I got sucker punched. They misled you too.
However I don't believe things just randomly happen to us. Something inside of me/you made us blind to the truth and made the lie seem real. But for me anyway, going into programming hasn't been a complete waste. Although I've not experienced the opportunities and high salary I envisioned 10 years ago, I'm still better off than I was before I got into the field. I hope you experience the same with teaching.
Unfortunately, I am not better off for having gone into teaching. Except, in this economy, I just might be unemployed if I'd stayed in engineering. It is better than unemployment. Not by much though.
My mistake is I did what the state said to do. I should have had the foresight to realize they would not follow through. Why they think schools will hire subject matter experts over general science cert holders who can teach anything is beyond me. They should do away with the single subject certs unless they're on top of a general science cert. At least then people going into teaching will know which cert gets you the interview.
Unfortunately, I am not better off for having gone into teaching. Except, in this economy, I just might be unemployed if I'd stayed in engineering. It is better than unemployment. Not by much though.
My mistake is I did what the state said to do. I should have had the foresight to realize they would not follow through. Why they think schools will hire subject matter experts over general science cert holders who can teach anything is beyond me. They should do away with the single subject certs unless they're on top of a general science cert. At least then people going into teaching will know which cert gets you the interview.
I sounds as though MI DofEd is going in one direction and the locals are dragging their feet.
Just out of curiosity, did you have to have a specialization endorsement? My BS is in Secondary Social Studies (which means I took a minimum of 2 courses in each SS category) with a concentration endorsement for what would have been called a major if it was a BA.
I sounds as though MI DofEd is going in one direction and the locals are dragging their feet.
Just out of curiosity, did you have to have a specialization endorsement? My BS is in Secondary Social Studies (which means I took a minimum of 2 courses in each SS category) with a concentration endorsement for what would have been called a major if it was a BA.
No, the DofEd is saying one thing but doing another. They say they want single subject certs but do nothing to even encourage schools to hire us. It's like they thought the schools would want us over general science certs. Why would they hire someone who is limited to the subjects they can teach over someone who can teach anything?
It's kind of like hybrid cars. Just making them doesn't make people buy them but the government forces auto makers to make them whether they can sell them or not. Except they didn't force me to get single subject certs. They just acted like it's what they want. Because I was a chemical engineer, that's what I'm automatically given.
Most people stop going to school at 18? Do you live in the sticks? Most people I know have at least a 4-year college degree, if not more. If you don't like learning or aren't a very good student, then yeah, being in school is unappealing, but I think teachers are burning out for other reasons.
I agree on this comment...
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