Teachers/Educators Thread • Page 4

Sounds like you & I are doing (or planning, at least) the exact same thing

 

I've always known we were kindred spirits. So are you still in high school? Or have you already graduated?

 

Nah I'm in my first year of community college as well haha

 

Right on, now that you mention it I definitely remember seeing you post about it graduating in The Hotelier thread (at least I'm pretty sure that was it... I'm tired. Lol)

The community college -> four-year university route is certainly the way to go. Literally every single person I talk to about it says they think I'm making a good call, which is reassuring.

 

Ah yeah. You're right. We talked our favorite Hotelier songs, haha.

Yep, I agree. I was pretty bummed at first, but then I think of the money I'm saving and I feel a lil better, ha.

 

Bummed because you're not going straight to a four-year? Because there is a small part of me that kind of envies some of my friends that took a more direct path.

Yeah, the money is probably the biggest factor in my decision. My tuition for the past semester is seriously 1/3 of what it would have been at WMU (the university I'll be transferring to) and that feels pretty great.

 

I never set out to be a teacher. I kinda fell into it. I enjoy working with the kids but a teaching setting isn't for me. I hate lesson planning and goal setting and goal tracking. Plus being blamed for things that aren't my fault but since I'm the "face" I get it all. I love all the kids tho and even the more challenging ones make it worth it but it's just not a passion of mine.

 

Yeah, I definitely feel like I'm missing out a bit. But on the other hand, I am working a lot, which is probably good.

Yep, that's awesome.

 

I feel you! Just keep reminding yourself of all the money you're saving, that alone makes it worth the wait.

It'll be nice to have someone in here to check in with as we progress through the journey. Obviously the both of us are a ways from being in the thick of it, since we're both still working on gen eds and whatnot, but if you ever want to talk about something related to teaching (or not related to teaching!) my inbox is always open!

 

That's what I've been doing haha.

I appreciate it, and same to you!

 

Trying to transfer to San Diego State next fall to get my degree in English and eventually teach it as a second language in Japan. I could also see myself teaching English back here in the states some day. Growing up I was always the class clown and was always like, "what kind of nerd wants to be a teacher?!"........it me. There's honestly nothing else I can imagine myself doing.

 

I'm in the five-year grad program at Rutgers for a dual certification for K-6 Elementary Ed and K-12, but it's very elementary and literacy focused. I want to teach special ed, in resource rooms or in schools specialized for students with disabilities, and our classes haven't gone into very much detail on that front, and it doesn't seem like it will next semester either. I love all my classmates and professors, but it's a little annoying that me, and a few other classmates with the same concerns, aren't getting what they need out of the program.

 

The school district used up all its snow days so they won't announce one for tomorrow even tho it was snowing and then freezing rain all day so it's slick af and my TA got into a car accident due to the bad weather and can't come in and we prob can't get subs due to the weather so idekkkkkk. Die snow die. Crossing my fingers they announce a 2 hour delay since I teach mornings.

 

Every time I start to get my workload somewhat manageable, I get more ambitious and try to improve everything and add more stuff to cover so it ends up with me 4 years into a constant sate of panic.

 

Massive respect for everyone in this thread. I'm not a teacher but I've been thinking about becoming one for the last 8 years or so. I think I might go back to school and get a master's soon, and ultimately become an educator. Having a child a few years ago has only made me want to do it more.

For a while I had thought that I would enjoy teaching in a high school setting, but now I think I might be better suited for elementary. Not sure!

 

Oh man. My summer vacay is going by so fast. I'm really hoping this school year goes better than the last. My TA was gone an absurd amount so I had a revolving door of subs and thin coverage so I couldn't be as consistent in the classroom and things got too chaotic. I love my job but I can't do another year like that.

 

I have read that many teachers actually start prepping for the upcoming school year about half-way through the summer. Is that accurate? How much time would you say you spend during the summer prepping for the upcoming year?

 

I don't. As a Special Education teacher I lay an outline of content, some tiered activities but what hits and doesn't in each classroom is entirely different.

Have your methods, routines and basics set but you really have to be ready to adapt and if you put too much prep into stuff that doesn't pan out working, that's pretty crappy. Sometimes they switch your class/grade on September 1st. So, in the textbook they'll tell you to do that as an actual teacher in a hectic climate, it'll often come back and spit in your face.

Know your teaching style that's effective for you, research, get resources, do professional development, but don't be too specific because you'll have to adapt. Depends on kids/subject matter obviously.

 

My deal is pretty stable but I don't do much work in the summer honestly. I just dont get paid enough to do that and I can't for self care. I've been teaching a few years now so I pretty much keep my lesson plans vaguely similar. I teach early childhood so we do themes so I have tried and true activities that go with those themes and then try new stuff too, but it gives me a good enough base that I don't have to spend too much time creating lesson plans. The format we have to do it in takes 5ever tho

 

I'm not a teacher or an educator, but rather an administrator for a school district (communications director, to be specific). Most teachers hate administrators (at least in our district) but I'm the fun one (or at least I like to think I am) because I get to promote & highlight all the great work the teachers and their students do on a daily basis.

 

Administrators that value policy over children are the one's that are hated.

It's rare I'm ambivalent about an administrator, I either hate or love them and it's always very obvious where their values are.

 

Yeah, it's very rare that I'm just so-so about an administrator. I'm usually very polar, one way or the other. It usually comes down to whether they value numbers or people. I have no issue with accountability, but when students (and teachers for that matter) are nothing but numbers to them I take issue.

 

Depends on the situation. I generally spend very little time prepping over the summer because I don't have access to know what students I will have until I go back, and we have a fairly rigid curriculum that I've been teaching for quite a few years. I do some trainings over the summer which usually cause some planning, but that's pretty much the extent of it for me.

I may be switching schools this year which will require me to pick up an additional grade level. If that happens, then I will definitely start doing some planning for that asap.

 

I can only speak to my district, but when you start talking policies, that comes more at the Board level, and not necessarily an administrative level. The Board is the boss of an administration and thus admins must act/lead on their policies. I see it first-hand how controlling our Board of Education is over our superintendent/administrative office. He fights for our admins/teachers daily but sometimes has to make tough decisions that he may not even agree with but must answer to his bosses (The board).

Thankfully, due to my position, I don't have to deal too much with the harsh business side of things between board/admin/teacher, but I do sit in on a lot of administrative meetings daily and a lot of people don't realize how much of a business education is. Especially with funding, and how difficult it is to get/maintain funding. Different states vary, but in Ohio, we depend mostly on local taxpayers. If we don't pass levies, difficult decisions are going to have to be made. I don't think a lot of people understand that. A District also doesn't really have much control on whether or not a levy even passes (in Ohio, it's illegal for a school district to even promote a levy).

I'd say most of the administrators in my district are great, honest, hard-working people who sometimes have to make difficult decisions that are completely out of their control.

 

I am sorry ncarrab but your rationalizations are disturbing.

"They're only taking orders and Education is a business" are not acceptable excuses for damaging children's prospects at being successful.