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  Independent Cuss
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Location: Dearing, GA | I have to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I'm really leaning towards becoming a high school history teacher. My dad taught theatre at a high school level, and my mother teaches elementary school music. Neither of those subjects have a typical classroom setting, and they both require insane hours outside normal school. Anyway, with that being my example of a teacher, what is it like to teach a more normal subject? What type of hours do you put in beyond the normal school day? Do you have time to ride regularly? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1035
Location: TN | I teach first grade and it is still very time consuming. Even though school lets out at 3, I stay after school for anywhere from 15 min. to 3 hours (depending on what I need to get done) every day. Teaching is very rewarding, but it is also more challenging than many people realize. I'm sure you know from your parents' teaching background. However, in the summer it is wonderful because you are free to ride for a few weeks. I'm normally not very good about getting to ride after school because I'm usually so tired from teaching 22 6-year-olds all day - I'm going to try harder to ride after school this year though. |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | KatieMac88 - 2014-01-20 1:09 PM
I teach first grade and it is still very time consuming. Even though school lets out at 3, I stay after school for anywhere from 15 min. to 3 hours (depending on what I need to get done) every day. Teaching is very rewarding, but it is also more challenging than many people realize. I'm sure you know from your parents' teaching background. However, in the summer it is wonderful because you are free to ride for a few weeks. I'm normally not very good about getting to ride after school because I'm usually so tired from teaching 22 6-year-olds all day - I'm going to try harder to ride after school this year though.
My contracted hours are 8-4, but I usually arrive around 7:30 and definitely rarely leave before 4:30. I refuse to take work home - so I stay until everything is done. This way, when I am home, if can focus on my family 100%.
The hardest part is dealing with the parents/families - not everybody cares as much about their kid as you do.
It also helps if you are organized. There is a lot of paper work that goes into being a teacher. You have to have some system to manage it all, or you will drown.
Definitely make sure of WHAT you want to teach, because there are different degrees/routes to take depending on what grade level you want to teach.
Good luck! |
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Independent Cuss
Posts: 3978
Location: Dearing, GA | svincent - 2014-01-20 1:17 PM
KatieMac88 - 2014-01-20 1:09 PM
I teach first grade and it is still very time consuming. Even though school lets out at 3, I stay after school for anywhere from 15 min. to 3 hours (depending on what I need to get done) every day. Teaching is very rewarding, but it is also more challenging than many people realize. I'm sure you know from your parents' teaching background. However, in the summer it is wonderful because you are free to ride for a few weeks. I'm normally not very good about getting to ride after school because I'm usually so tired from teaching 22 6-year-olds all day - I'm going to try harder to ride after school this year though.
My contracted hours are 8-4, but I usually arrive around 7:30 and definitely rarely leave before 4:30. I refuse to take work home - so I stay until everything is done. This way, when I am home, if can focus on my family 100%.
The hardest part is dealing with the parents/families - not everybody cares as much about their kid as you do.
It also helps if you are organized. There is a lot of paper work that goes into being a teacher. You have to have some system to manage it all, or you will drown.
Definitely make sure of WHAT you want to teach, because there are different degrees/routes to take depending on what grade level you want to teach.
Good luck!
Thanks for the replies. I definitely want to teach history or geography, as those are two things I am very passionate about and I love to travel. I could not handle such young kids, and would prefer to teach kids older than 13. The biggest concern I have is definitely finding a job in a GOOD school after graduation. I'm located in Memphis now, where either no one is hiring or the schools that are require bullet proof vests to survive the school day. |
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Independent Cuss
Posts: 3978
Location: Dearing, GA | Just a little bump, looking for anyone with thoughts on the matter (: |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1119
| Where I went to school, all the high school history teachers were male and typically coached at least one sport. I have no idea if that's "the norm" for most school districts, but it definitely was for ours! I went to a fairly small school though.
Good luck in whatever you decide! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 464
| I am a teacher. The hours are insane, and getting worse. If I was looking at high school, it would be something not related to ccr. Perhaps PE. |
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 IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| MissouriJen - 2014-01-20 9:19 PM Where I went to school, all the high school history teachers were male and typically coached at least one sport. I have no idea if that's "the norm" for most school districts, but it definitely was for ours! I went to a fairly small school though.
Good luck in whatever you decide!
This is because "history" is not "tested," so they don't have to put the "hours" in that other teachers do...so more time can go into coaching vs. planning...
That is why most coaches aim for history positions......
NOW I am not saying they do or don't put more/less hours in...all teachers are different....but the demands are not as much as say reading and math.
I am an encore teacher, so I do my best to support the core teachers, but do not have the demands that a core teacher does. I taught writing my first year of teaching...and boy can I say I put in every bit of 60 hours a week! PHEW! |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| To the OP...I love, love, love my job!
Hate the paperwork, but I have a system that works. I ride no less than three days a week, and as much as six days a week.
I go in around 7:15 and stay until 3:30...sometimes later. I am contracted to work from 7:25 to 3:00. Sometimes I take work home, but not often. I am great at putting things off. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 696
Location: Sunny California | History is usually a harder subject to get into mainly because of what others have said about coaches being hired as history/geography teachers (of course this depends on where you teach, when I was in Texas those positions were "reserved" for coaches but out here in CA it isn't like that). But, History teachers seem to be a dime a dozen which is another reason it can be hard to land one of those positions. Good luck! |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I went to college to be a high school biology teacher. My first job after graduation was long term subbing mid year for IPC and science tutorials. I had already had the bug in my ear about vet school, but decided to graduate and get a job to make sure I was sure about my decision. I went ahead and turned down the job I was offered to teach in order to go to vet school. The next semesters while I was finishing my pre reqs, I took another long term sub job for chemistry (in February getting them ready for the STAAR test) and then I was hired to tutor students after the teacher returned from maternity leave.
There are a lot of things I learned from teaching.
-its very rewarding in the relationships you build with students
-my subject was hard to get students to love, especially when I taught the remedial classes or tutorial classes. by the time they had me they already had one science class and they were pretty burned out.
- I got to work at least 30 min early every day and on a good day would leave 30 min after the kids did.
- the income can make it very hard to support the horse habit on your own. you don't make a lot
If teaching is your passion, go for it! It can be a thankless job, a rewarding job, a heart breaking job, and a heart warming job… all in the same day. LOL. |
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 Winner winner chicken dinner
Posts: 2047
Location: California | I'm a history teacher and I love it! It is such a fun subject to teach and it is so awesome to see kids "get" it. I work a lot...too much probably, but I struggle with balance in general and have a hard time saying no. I think history is actually a pretty hard subject to teach well...many people think it's just about notes and memorizing dates and facts, but it is so much more than that. The sources that are out there these days make it so interesting, but there are always ways to make your lessons better. I am constantly improving and retooling my lessons. During the fall and spring I can usually ride a couple nights a week. During the winter months, I will get to school super early to do my copying and planning so I can leave right at 3:30. Unfortunately many afternoons are filled with meetings so I still don't ride as much as I'd like. I also take classes in the summer and complete a lot of professional development seminars so I am not "free" during the summer, but I can get away for races and such.
If you need advice I'm happy to help. I'm fortunate to work in a town right next to a university so I work with young teachers all of the time. Please feel free to PM me anytime! |
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 Chicken Chick
Posts: 3562
Location: Texas | MissouriJen - 2014-01-20 8:19 PM Where I went to school, all the high school history teachers were male and typically coached at least one sport. I have no idea if that's "the norm" for most school districts, but it definitely was for ours! I went to a fairly small school though.
Good luck in whatever you decide!
Pretty much the same at our school... The coaches for the most part were history teachers. One year we had a football coach as a science teacher... softball coach was the computer lab teacher.
Kudos for you, I could never be a teacher.
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Independent Cuss
Posts: 3978
Location: Dearing, GA | Thanks for the responses. I am not a coach by any means... guess I need to get more involved in sports because this is really what I want to do with my life. |
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I Really Love Jeans
Posts: 3173
Location: North Dakota | Get a Masters degree in History!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't just get a teaching certificate go all out and get your Masters!!!!! |
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | phillyincal - 2014-01-20 10:32 PM I'm a history teacher and I love it! It is such a fun subject to teach and it is so awesome to see kids "get" it. I work a lot...too much probably, but I struggle with balance in general and have a hard time saying no. I think history is actually a pretty hard subject to teach well...many people think it's just about notes and memorizing dates and facts, but it is so much more than that. The sources that are out there these days make it so interesting, but there are always ways to make your lessons better. I am constantly improving and retooling my lessons. During the fall and spring I can usually ride a couple nights a week. During the winter months, I will get to school super early to do my copying and planning so I can leave right at 3:30. Unfortunately many afternoons are filled with meetings so I still don't ride as much as I'd like. I also take classes in the summer and complete a lot of professional development seminars so I am not "free" during the summer, but I can get away for races and such.
If you need advice I'm happy to help. I'm fortunate to work in a town right next to a university so I work with young teachers all of the time. Please feel free to PM me anytime!
I was fortunate to have a couple of really good history teachers who made history fun and relevant. I still love it thanks to the foundation they gave me. I agree that it's a subject that's difficult to teach well, which probably has a lot to do with so many people disliking it and having no clue why it was taught to them in the first place. Btw, my teachers were female and not coaches. |
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 The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | I am a high school English and Science teacher at an alternative school. I have virtually NO after hours work. I love my job! |
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Independent Cuss
Posts: 3978
Location: Dearing, GA | horsegirl - 2014-01-21 10:46 AM
I am a high school English and Science teacher at an alternative school. I have virtually NO after hours work. I love my job!
So you get to ride regularly? Do you make enough to support your horse hobby? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1074
| I teach Middle School Math. It is very rewarding and can be heartbreaking. The worst part is dealing with the parents. You have the overbearing parents, the parents that just don't care and then the parents that are wonderful to deal with. For the most part, I am here during my contracted day. I do not take work home if at all possible. Some districts are worse than others about extra stuff you are required to do. When you get a system in place to handle the paperwork and grades, then you will have time to ride and do other things that you wish before and after school. |
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The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | Just Let Me Run - 2014-01-21 1:09 PM horsegirl - 2014-01-21 10:46 AM I am a high school English and Science teacher at an alternative school. I have virtually NO after hours work. I love my job! So you get to ride regularly? Do you make enough to support your horse hobby?
I currently do not have any horses. However, yes, I could ride daily if I so chose to.
Georgia pays on a state-wide pay scale. The scale increases based on degree and years experience. Yes, I could quite comfortably afford to ride if that is what I wanted to do. (I have taught 7 years now and I have my bachelor's degree.)
Some states pay better than others. Also, some counties offer a larger local supplement than others. |
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The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | Just Let Me Run - 2014-01-21 9:35 AM Thanks for the responses. I am not a coach by any means... guess I need to get more involved in sports because this is really what I want to do with my life.
Just because you want to be a history teacher, doesnt mean you have to be a coach. It is just coincidence. You can absolutely be a history teacher that DOES NOT coach. |
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Independent Cuss
Posts: 3978
Location: Dearing, GA | Thanks everybody! |
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 Over Informed
Posts: 5372
Location: West Tennessee | don't rule out middle school, you are pretty good with Mabes ,so that 7th /8th grade group my surprise you. 8th iis American history, prior to 8th its geography, socailbstudies. |
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 On the Countdown
Posts: 2934
Location: Texas | I love my job! It is not a core class, I teach ALL career and technology classes at a alternative campus, the kids that made a mistake or a bad choice. They are great kids actually love our campus. I don't have any lesson plans, grade as we go if I didn't I would be lost! Last grading period I had 37 classes, and that was just classes that required me to enter grades. I could ride everyday if my horses lived with me. When I leave at 330 I don't HaVe to worry about anything until in the mornig at 7. |
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Location: MT | I teach 4th grade. My contracted hours are 8:00-4:00, however, I work far more hours that that. I am normally at work by 7:45 and if I leave at 4:00 I have a back pack full of papers to correct at home. Once a week I stay until 6:00 to play "catch up." Most nights if I don't haul work home, it means it was left unfinished. I take continuing education classes outside of school hours and during the summer. Oh, if only teaching was the 8:00-3:30 job people say it is!!!!! |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me.
Edited by komet. 2014-01-21 10:22 PM
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10D Crack Champion
| komet. - 2014-01-21 10:03 PM
I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me.
Do you spend a lot of time with teachers today? |
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Winner winner chicken dinner
Posts: 2047
Location: California | komet. - 2014-01-22 8:03 PM I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me.
I'm trying to understand why you felt the need to post this tactless comment... |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | sodapop - 2014-01-21 10:48 PM
komet. - 2014-01-21 10:03 PM
I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me.
Do you spend a lot of time with teachers today?
I know a few.. and they don't have the authority they used to.. nor the education.. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | phillyincal - 2014-01-21 11:00 PM
komet. - 2014-01-22 8:03 PM I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me.
I'm trying to understand why you felt the need to post this tactless comment...
Just telling it how it is compared to how it used to be. Speaking of tactless.. look in a mirror.. |
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The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | scamper - 2014-01-21 10:28 PM I love my job! It is not a core class, I teach ALL career and technology classes at a alternative campus, the kids that made a mistake or a bad choice. They are great kids actually love our campus. I don't have any lesson plans, grade as we go if I didn't I would be lost! Last grading period I had 37 classes, and that was just classes that required me to enter grades. I could ride everyday if my horses lived with me. When I leave at 330 I don't HaVe to worry about anything until in the mornig at 7.
I think we must teach in the same alternative school. LOL |
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The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | komet. - 2014-01-21 11:03 PM I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me.
Well then. Thanks for that stab. Until you know the teachers you are grouping into that big generalization, it is not fair to make that comment. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | horsegirl - 2014-01-22 7:59 AM
komet. - 2014-01-21 11:03 PM I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me.
Well then. Thanks for that stab. Until you know the teachers you are grouping into that big generalization, it is not fair to make that comment.
Fair has nothing to do with it... I look around and see what is graduating from high school... Kids that can't read their way out of a wet paper bag.... Can't make change out a cash register without it telling them how much to give back... Private schools are still getting the job done but public schools are not. |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Komet, I welcome you to come sub in my classroom for a week.
Then we will have a conversation about education, and "what it takes" along with "getting the job done."
Edited by magic gunsmoke 2014-01-22 8:35 AM
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 Queen Boobie 2
Posts: 7521
| komet. - 2014-01-22 8:27 AM horsegirl - 2014-01-22 7:59 AM komet. - 2014-01-21 11:03 PM I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me. Well then. Thanks for that stab. Until you know the teachers you are grouping into that big generalization, it is not fair to make that comment. Fair has nothing to do with it... I look around and see what is graduating from high school... Kids that can't read their way out of a wet paper bag.... Can't make change out a cash register without it telling them how much to give back... Private schools are still getting the job done but public schools are not.
I'm going to make a generalization here...but education needs to be valued in the family for children to be successful. I.e. the parents need to be involved and engaged.
In general, if you are sending your children to private school, you value education and are engaged with your child's learning process.
Plenty of parents who's children go to public school value education and are involved and those children are successful.
Unfortunately, many children have parents who are not involved or even interested in their children's success at school. They don't care if their child behaves, or does their homework, or disrespects the teachers, or even goes to school, much less gets an education while they are there.
You will have children that have good parents that fail, and you will have children with no support that succeed, but they aren't the general rule. |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | magic gunsmoke - 2014-01-22 8:33 AM
Komet, I welcome you to come sub in my classroom for a week.
Then we will have a conversation about education, and "what it takes."
I'm not a teacher... I know I'm not... But I got a good education a long time ago in a public school and I don't have to go sit in a classroom to see what is coming out of schools today with a diploma. You can squawk all you want but the facts are the facts. Kids today are coming out of school unable to read or work numbers and don't know Madagascar from Tierra del Fuego... |
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Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | bennie1 - 2014-01-22 8:37 AM komet. - 2014-01-22 8:27 AM horsegirl - 2014-01-22 7:59 AM komet. - 2014-01-21 11:03 PM I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me. Well then. Thanks for that stab. Until you know the teachers you are grouping into that big generalization, it is not fair to make that comment. Fair has nothing to do with it... I look around and see what is graduating from high school... Kids that can't read their way out of a wet paper bag.... Can't make change out a cash register without it telling them how much to give back... Private schools are still getting the job done but public schools are not.
In general, if you are sending your children to private school, you value education and are engaged with your child's learning process.
Plenty of parents who's children go to public school value education and are involved and those children are successful.
Unfortunately, many children have parents who are not involved or even interested in their children's success at school. They don't care if their child behaves, or does their homework, or disrespects the teachers, or even goes to school, much less gets an education while they are there.
You will have children that have good parents that fail, and you will have children with no support that succeed, but they aren't the general rule.
Very very true. There are good and bad teachers, just like there have always been. A big difference now is their hands are tied by politics more and more every year. Teach this, not that. You can't fail that kid. It doesn't matter how much they learn if they don't do good on the assessment testing.
I have absolutely had it with Common Core, btw. This is our first year to start implementation (you would think private schools would be immune, but apparently there is some money involved). Some of the teachers are trying to mitigate the damage as much as possible, but it's making a lot more work for them than the ones teaching strictly the scripted curriculum based on the CC standards. Which is making a fortune for the companies writing materials for this crap. |
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Over Informed
Posts: 5372
Location: West Tennessee | komet. - 2014-01-22 8:40 AM magic gunsmoke - 2014-01-22 8:33 AM Komet, I welcome you to come sub in my classroom for a week.
Then we will have a conversation about education, and "what it takes."
I'm not a teacher... I know I'm not... But I got a good education a long time ago in a public school and I don't have to go sit in a classroom to see what is coming out of schools today with a diploma. You can squawk all you want but the facts are the facts. Kids today are coming out of school unable to read or work numbers and don't know Madagascar from Tierra del Fuego...
So if you really believe it's the teacher's at fault -- all the more reason to encournage an exceptional young woman to pursue the profession because we need more teachers that are passionate about the subjects they're teaching instead of bashing an entire profession because some kids are coming out of school uneducated. |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| komet. - 2014-01-22 9:40 AM magic gunsmoke - 2014-01-22 8:33 AM Komet, I welcome you to come sub in my classroom for a week.
Then we will have a conversation about education, and "what it takes."
I'm not a teacher... I know I'm not... But I got a good education a long time ago in a public school and I don't have to go sit in a classroom to see what is coming out of schools today with a diploma. You can squawk all you want but the facts are the facts. Kids today are coming out of school unable to read or work numbers and don't know Madagascar from Tierra del Fuego...
I am a TEACHER. I was born the first moment that a question leaped from the mouth of a child. I am Socrates, exciting the youth of Athens to discover new ideas through the use of questions. I am Annie Sullivan, tapping out the secrets of the universe into the outstretched hand of Helen Keller. I am Marva Collins, fighting for every child's right to an education. I am Mary McCloud Bethune, building a great college for my people using orange crates for desks. I am Bel Kaufman, struggling to go "Up the Down Staircase."
The names of those who have practiced my profession ring like a hall of fame for humanity...Booker T. Washington, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Leo Buscaglia, and Moses.
I am also those whose names and faces have long been forgotten but whose lessons and character will always be remembered in the accomplishments of their students.
I have wept for joy at the weddings of former students, laughed with glee at the birth of their children, and stood with head bowed in grief and confusion by graves dug too soon for bodies far too young.
Throughout the course of a day I have been called upon to be an actor, friend, nurse and doctor, coach, finder of lost articles, money lender, taxi driver, psychologist, substitute parent, salesman, politician, and a keeper of faith.
A doctor is allowed to usher life into the world in one magic moment. I am allowed to see that life is reborn each day with new questions, ideas, and friendships. An architect knows that if he builds with care, his structure may stand for centuries. A teacher knows that if he builds with love and truth, what he builds lasts forever.
I am a warrior, daily doing battle against peer pressure, negativity, fear, conformity, prejudice, ignorance, and apathy. But I have great allies: Intelligence, curiosity, individuality, creativity, faith, love, and laughter all rush to my banner with indomitable support.
The kids that can’t do math or know the difference between Madagascar and Tierra del Fuego….those are the kids that are taking care of their parents or siblings, those are the kids that are getting abused/abducted, those are the kids that don’t have dinner and only eat at school. Those are the kids that have parents who are NOT supportive. Those are the kids that we as teachers do our very best to support and nurture and prepare for the world. We get to fight against people saying we all “suck,” politics, and people who tell us how to do our jobs. It is a THANKLESS JOB, but it is a job we do out of love.
We don’t have an educational issue in the public schools; we have political issues and parenting issues in our schools that get in the way of us helping our kids be all that they can be. |
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IMA No Hair Style Gal
Posts: 2594
| Sorry OP-I wil let things rest now. I say go for it!
If you want a history position at the high school level and are truly passionate about it, it will happen.
If you need any help please feel free to PM me. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1100
Location: Southeastern Idaho | I had to chime in here....saw this on Yahoo News this morning. Secondary teachers made the list of the Top 5 Jobs people most regret having. As a secondary teacher my self much of this is true.
Secondary School Teacher
With an average yearly salary of $43,800, the highest in the the top 5, secondary school teachers rank third in regret with 43%. They problem is that would-be teachers often don’t fully understand what the job involves until after they have started, McLeod says. “I had a friend who was a secondary school teacher and realized on day two she had made an enormous mistake. She was awash in the paperwork required of an educator, as well as the unending parent interventions and the reluctance of students to do the work. She didn’t realize the politics of working in a secondary school system.”
Parker says the challenges that face teachers are daunting. “Although teachers are responsible for preparing the next generation to lead our nation, the education profession is often marred by a lack of resources, dwindling support, and modest salaries,” she says. “Instead of simply teaching children, teachers must simultaneously parent and counsel all while navigating the stressful terrain often found in the bureaucracy of school districts. It takes a remarkable human being to become a teacher but it takes a golden human being to stay one.” |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1100
Location: Southeastern Idaho | bennie1 - 2014-01-22 7:37 AM
komet. - 2014-01-22 8:27 AM horsegirl - 2014-01-22 7:59 AM komet. - 2014-01-21 11:03 PM I'm not a teacher... But I was blessed by spending 7th and 8 grades in a 3 room school-house with a teacher that taught those two grades plus 6th grade in all subjects... Greatest and most intelligent person I ever met in my life. Alexander O'Day... And he was supporting 9 of 11 children and a wife at the time.. Teachers today do not impress me. Well then. Thanks for that stab. Until you know the teachers you are grouping into that big generalization, it is not fair to make that comment. Fair has nothing to do with it... I look around and see what is graduating from high school... Kids that can't read their way out of a wet paper bag.... Can't make change out a cash register without it telling them how much to give back... Private schools are still getting the job done but public schools are not.
In general, if you are sending your children to private school, you value education and are engaged with your child's learning process.
Plenty of parents who's children go to public school value education and are involved and those children are successful.
Unfortunately, many children have parents who are not involved or even interested in their children's success at school. They don't care if their child behaves, or does their homework, or disrespects the teachers, or even goes to school, much less gets an education while they are there.
You will have children that have good parents that fail, and you will have children with no support that succeed, but they aren't the general rule.
BINGO! Education MUST be valued in the home to be valued by the student at school and sadly that isn't the norm anymore. |
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Duct Tape Bikini Girl
Posts: 2554
| This is my 29th year in the classroom. Chose the profession because it was one of those "safe" jobs. Thirty years ago, a certified teacher could get a job. Period! Now, we are a dime a dozen. The only way you are guaranteed a job is if you are fluent in both English and Spanish. Medical insurance for educators was UNBEATABLE 30 years ago. It was fully pd by the districts (inTX). The middle plan for an individual now runs $500 plus a month, and if you have a district that pays half you are lucky.
I taught high school and jr high for 20 of those years. There's one reason I would refuse to now. Cell phones! |
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10D Crack Champion
| komet. - 2014-01-22 8:40 AM
magic gunsmoke - 2014-01-22 8:33 AM
Komet, I welcome you to come sub in my classroom for a week.
Then we will have a conversation about education, and "what it takes."
I'm not a teacher... I know I'm not... But I got a good education a long time ago in a public school and I don't have to go sit in a classroom to see what is coming out of schools today with a diploma. You can squawk all you want but the facts are the facts. Kids today are coming out of school unable to read or work numbers and don't know Madagascar from Tierra del Fuego...
I'm glad you got a good education. I assume you value that education and have put it to good use since high school graduation. I also assume you are out there sharing your education and knowledge with others and trying to make the world a better place while doing it. |
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Teachers- couple of questions