Can't winter break be here already? This time of the year is really hard to be a teacher. It's only been a few months but you are already sick of certain students. They make life really hard. One of the things that the school does is have an "Intervention" time. Pretty much the failing students have a chance to go and get their grade up and the passing students can choose to get work done or get a break. In concept it is a good thing, but how it is carried out is another.
For 1, certain teachers are "assigned" to be either Intervention teachers or Flex teachers. You can guess what student can go to what. I happen to be assigned as an Intervention person, which is alright because at times it is more like babysitting. However, I have the added distraction of having computers in the room and that is all my classroom is set up for. I don't have tables on the side. All I have are computers. So when a student comes in during Intervention and hands me the white slip of paper, I expect them to be working on whatever class it is that they are failing. 9 times out of 10 though the student isn't interested in working on what they're missing and they'd rather play. I may have to start shutting down my computers and then having them reboot during the next class (which is a hassle for me!). The district is very very slow in getting the control software installed on my computer so I don't have the ability to shut down or log off a specific student yet. I did for a while and then they decided to reinstall something on the student computers and now they don't work. Stinks for me!
But to have such a short winter break is hard on both teachers and students. My winter break doesn't happen until next Wednesday. Yep, the 22nd. I then go back to work January 2nd. Many parents complained that their students were at home for too long, so they put more days in the school calender in December. Now scheduling is getting even worse. Many students are complaining that lunch is too long. They get about 25 minutes, meaning I get 15-20. That isn't long enough for me. But the students want a shorter lunch. Some of the complaints are that "there isn't anything to do", "it's too long away from my friends" (yeah, I laughed at that one too), and so on. And the administration is actually believing them!! It is driving me nuts! At least the faculty is taking a stand and trying to stop them from changing the schedules. If lunch is "too long" for the students then perhaps they should have something organized for the students to do after they finish lunch. Either that or keep all the students in the lunch room. They can chat or just sit for a moment. You're kidding me that they want soo badly to get back into the classroom.
Okay, rant over.
I really do enjoy having a classroom job back, but there are times that I wish major changes could be done.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
"Can I have extra time?"
That is a question that I am asked almost daily because it seems like students just don't want to work on it in class or actually work on it at home.
In one of the classes they are doing a marketing project that is a Cereal Box project. They design the front and back of their cereal box and then write a quick paragraph (4 sentences) about it. They then glue the paragraph on the inside of the paper and turn it in. I gave the students 1 full week in class to work on their project then another week and a half to take it home and finish it if they haven't. Yet today, during my second period I had 1 student come up and ask if they could have more time because they've been "sick". Yes, the student may have been out for 4 days during the week that they worked on it during class, but the mother came and got the instruction handout and the paper and even took an example to help, but this student still wants more time? What are they doing on the weekends? This isn't a hard project and I'm even giving all the students 2 extra days to get it in (it was going to be due this Friday, but I decided to push it back until next Tuesday). So no, this student can't have extra time. If the student would actually work on it, there would be all the time needed and then some. I remind all the students on a daily basis that they are welcome to turn stuff in late, but they reap the consequences; basically they lose points and since they turn it in late, I can grade it late. I don't have to rush to grade it.
What bugs me as well is the fact that I've had 2 students today come up and ask when they were going to work on the cereal box stuff in class again and when I told them that we were, because it was homework after that first week, they looked at me like I had just swore at them. "What?" one of them said, "How am I supposed to finish it?" First off, stop playing games when you're not supposed to and perhaps you'll be able to get your work done. Secondly, when I asked all the students to take home their projects and you leave them sitting on the counter, that may be an indication. And the fact that it is written in big bold letters on their instruction handout plus on the board plus on their grade, you'd think they'd get the picture.
Right now they are working on an "Internet Safety" powerpoint project and they've had almost 3 days to work on it. It is simple: go to a specific website (which it says on the instructions), watch a few videos then give 2 powerpoint slides with 3 bullets on each slide about what you watched and what you learned. Unfortunately these kids gravitate straight towards the games on the website and completely miss the fact that you are supposed to do the powerpoint. I went up to a few students and asked if the fact they were playing games was because they had gotten the project done and they looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. It really isn't that hard to read through the instruction is it? Especially when they are numbered and there are pictures that go along with it? When watching a few of these students it seems like they are doing something so difficult that they can't get it done.
Personally, I don't remember Middle School being this difficult. I was never what you would call an "academic student", but I did what was asked and I learned a few things along the way, but I always got the projects done on time (with the exception of 2 projects) and I didn't waste time doing things I wasn't supposed to do. That is all these students seem to do. Instead of watching a few videos (and they get to choose the videos mind you) and writing down what they thought, they try everything to get out of it. Yeesh, wouldn't it be easier to put all that effort into getting the project actually finished?
In one of the classes they are doing a marketing project that is a Cereal Box project. They design the front and back of their cereal box and then write a quick paragraph (4 sentences) about it. They then glue the paragraph on the inside of the paper and turn it in. I gave the students 1 full week in class to work on their project then another week and a half to take it home and finish it if they haven't. Yet today, during my second period I had 1 student come up and ask if they could have more time because they've been "sick". Yes, the student may have been out for 4 days during the week that they worked on it during class, but the mother came and got the instruction handout and the paper and even took an example to help, but this student still wants more time? What are they doing on the weekends? This isn't a hard project and I'm even giving all the students 2 extra days to get it in (it was going to be due this Friday, but I decided to push it back until next Tuesday). So no, this student can't have extra time. If the student would actually work on it, there would be all the time needed and then some. I remind all the students on a daily basis that they are welcome to turn stuff in late, but they reap the consequences; basically they lose points and since they turn it in late, I can grade it late. I don't have to rush to grade it.
What bugs me as well is the fact that I've had 2 students today come up and ask when they were going to work on the cereal box stuff in class again and when I told them that we were, because it was homework after that first week, they looked at me like I had just swore at them. "What?" one of them said, "How am I supposed to finish it?" First off, stop playing games when you're not supposed to and perhaps you'll be able to get your work done. Secondly, when I asked all the students to take home their projects and you leave them sitting on the counter, that may be an indication. And the fact that it is written in big bold letters on their instruction handout plus on the board plus on their grade, you'd think they'd get the picture.
Right now they are working on an "Internet Safety" powerpoint project and they've had almost 3 days to work on it. It is simple: go to a specific website (which it says on the instructions), watch a few videos then give 2 powerpoint slides with 3 bullets on each slide about what you watched and what you learned. Unfortunately these kids gravitate straight towards the games on the website and completely miss the fact that you are supposed to do the powerpoint. I went up to a few students and asked if the fact they were playing games was because they had gotten the project done and they looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. It really isn't that hard to read through the instruction is it? Especially when they are numbered and there are pictures that go along with it? When watching a few of these students it seems like they are doing something so difficult that they can't get it done.
Personally, I don't remember Middle School being this difficult. I was never what you would call an "academic student", but I did what was asked and I learned a few things along the way, but I always got the projects done on time (with the exception of 2 projects) and I didn't waste time doing things I wasn't supposed to do. That is all these students seem to do. Instead of watching a few videos (and they get to choose the videos mind you) and writing down what they thought, they try everything to get out of it. Yeesh, wouldn't it be easier to put all that effort into getting the project actually finished?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Grades
This time of the semester is a nightmare for some teachers. You can tell the students to check their grades constantly to make sure that everything that they turned in is there but just like the saying "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink it" that happens with grades. You can tell the students all you want. You can have it in writing on the board and on the walls but that doesn't mean that they'll do it.
When I was in school I didn't like surprises so I would keep track of my grades. I didn't want it to come to the end of the term and get my term grades and see that something I know I had turned in was missing or that something new was there and didn't get put in on time or I wasn't informed about it. That is the way that I go about teaching and grading. While I may make some things due the last day of the term, I make sure to give the students plenty of time during the week to finish it up and homework time if needed. But some students just don't get it.
Yesterday, I believe, is when the students received their grades because I had 4 angry sets of parents come in and try to chew me out because of their students grades, saying that I failed them on purpose. 1 parent is the parent of a special ed student and believe me, I gave that girl a LOT of leeway with her assignments. If she turned in partial assignments I tried to see if she had shown all the necessary skills for that assignment and gave her to points if she did. But most of the time, even with constant prompting, she wouldn't turn in her assignments. Made my life difficult because she would mess around in class. I kept a log on her grade thinking that her parents or at least her special ed teacher would be able to see what was going on and help her figure out what she needed to do. I even sent emails to the special ed teacher and while I would receive a reply, it wasn't always the most encouraging thing. And then the mother comes in and starts complaining and saying that I "have to allow" her daughter to make up the assignments "in her own time" and then change the grade. I told her that her daughter was welcome to turn in the assignments, but I wasn't going to change the grade. If she had a problem with that, the principals office is right down the hall. Apparently she did and the assistant principal asked to speak with me and said that if I could allow her to at least turn in the work, not to change the grade. The mother got upset at that. Since this is a required course, she would have to repeat the 1st term again or take it during summer school. I left and let the assistant principal work on that.
Another set of parents came in during my prep period and asked why I had deliberately held back 1% from their son so he would fail. Yeah, that is a new one for me. He didn't turn in one of the assignments and that is why he failed. I even asked him the last day of term to turn it in and he said no. I have it written on his grades. if the students don't care, I really have no other option but to leave it be and just put a 0. Apparently a few teachers at this school don't put 0s in missing assignments until the last couple weeks of term so the students don't really know what their grades would be. I don't work like that. If it isn't in on time, it is late and I don't accept late work past 2 weeks. What good is it for a student to turn in an assignment that was due the first week of term during the last week of term.
Ugg, it was a rough day yesterday and I'm thinking that the rest of the week is going to be similar to it.
Don't always jump to the conclusion that the teacher is the reason behind the failing grade. And if you are going to come in to talk with a teacher, have a rational conversation with the teacher, we're not all idiots.
When I was in school I didn't like surprises so I would keep track of my grades. I didn't want it to come to the end of the term and get my term grades and see that something I know I had turned in was missing or that something new was there and didn't get put in on time or I wasn't informed about it. That is the way that I go about teaching and grading. While I may make some things due the last day of the term, I make sure to give the students plenty of time during the week to finish it up and homework time if needed. But some students just don't get it.
Yesterday, I believe, is when the students received their grades because I had 4 angry sets of parents come in and try to chew me out because of their students grades, saying that I failed them on purpose. 1 parent is the parent of a special ed student and believe me, I gave that girl a LOT of leeway with her assignments. If she turned in partial assignments I tried to see if she had shown all the necessary skills for that assignment and gave her to points if she did. But most of the time, even with constant prompting, she wouldn't turn in her assignments. Made my life difficult because she would mess around in class. I kept a log on her grade thinking that her parents or at least her special ed teacher would be able to see what was going on and help her figure out what she needed to do. I even sent emails to the special ed teacher and while I would receive a reply, it wasn't always the most encouraging thing. And then the mother comes in and starts complaining and saying that I "have to allow" her daughter to make up the assignments "in her own time" and then change the grade. I told her that her daughter was welcome to turn in the assignments, but I wasn't going to change the grade. If she had a problem with that, the principals office is right down the hall. Apparently she did and the assistant principal asked to speak with me and said that if I could allow her to at least turn in the work, not to change the grade. The mother got upset at that. Since this is a required course, she would have to repeat the 1st term again or take it during summer school. I left and let the assistant principal work on that.
Another set of parents came in during my prep period and asked why I had deliberately held back 1% from their son so he would fail. Yeah, that is a new one for me. He didn't turn in one of the assignments and that is why he failed. I even asked him the last day of term to turn it in and he said no. I have it written on his grades. if the students don't care, I really have no other option but to leave it be and just put a 0. Apparently a few teachers at this school don't put 0s in missing assignments until the last couple weeks of term so the students don't really know what their grades would be. I don't work like that. If it isn't in on time, it is late and I don't accept late work past 2 weeks. What good is it for a student to turn in an assignment that was due the first week of term during the last week of term.
Ugg, it was a rough day yesterday and I'm thinking that the rest of the week is going to be similar to it.
Don't always jump to the conclusion that the teacher is the reason behind the failing grade. And if you are going to come in to talk with a teacher, have a rational conversation with the teacher, we're not all idiots.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Payment
In the news lately there has been a bunch of debate over whether or not teachers are overpaid/underpaid. Personally I think we are underpaid for everything that we do, but I'll get into that in a bit.
Here is something that will make you think. I was emailed this:
That is probably the reason why I'm having such a hard time putting up and believing all this NBA and NFL lockout stuff over money. What about all those people who got them where they were? If we were to "walk-out" or stage a lock-out like what they're doing we would be fired in a heartbeat. No teacher who hasn't gotten tenure would do that (yes, we think about it all the time because we do need better conditions) but we wouldn't actually do it. In my opinion that is career suicide considering it goes on your teaching record that you were fired from a school due to "behavior" problems.
Think about it though; what would happen if each parent actually had to pay that amount to school their child. Very few would be able to do it. That is why public education is the way it is at the moment. Many parents don't realize the deal that they are getting and just assume that the teachers are there for the "taking". I've been told that by many parents. I even had one say that what I do is no different that the fast-food workers. They are paid more than they are worth. I'm sorry that he felt that way, but what if we made those parents pay for their child's schooling like what is "proposed" above. Perhaps they would change their tune.
Here is something that will make you think. I was emailed this:
Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or 10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do--babysit! We can get that for minimum wage. That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked--not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min off for lunch and planning--that equals 6.5 hours). Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to babysit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day--maybe 30? So that's $19.50 X 30 = $585.00 a day. However, remember they only work 180 days a year--I am not going to pay them for any vacations. Let's see....that's $585 X 180= $105,300 per year. (Hold on!). What about those special education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an hour. That would be $8 X 6.5 X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year. Wait a minute--there's something wrong here....There sure is! The average teacher's salary (nationwide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days = $277.77/30 = $9.25/6.5 = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive babysitter and they even EDUCATE your kids! WHAT A DEAL!"Now all joking aside, I don't make nearly what they are quoting for the average teacher's salary (way way under) but what they are saying is true. There are times that I'm in the classroom and all I feel like I'm doing is babysitting, but the poster of that statement got one thing right: while we may be "babysitters" we educate your students and all for under national minimum wage.
That is probably the reason why I'm having such a hard time putting up and believing all this NBA and NFL lockout stuff over money. What about all those people who got them where they were? If we were to "walk-out" or stage a lock-out like what they're doing we would be fired in a heartbeat. No teacher who hasn't gotten tenure would do that (yes, we think about it all the time because we do need better conditions) but we wouldn't actually do it. In my opinion that is career suicide considering it goes on your teaching record that you were fired from a school due to "behavior" problems.
Think about it though; what would happen if each parent actually had to pay that amount to school their child. Very few would be able to do it. That is why public education is the way it is at the moment. Many parents don't realize the deal that they are getting and just assume that the teachers are there for the "taking". I've been told that by many parents. I even had one say that what I do is no different that the fast-food workers. They are paid more than they are worth. I'm sorry that he felt that way, but what if we made those parents pay for their child's schooling like what is "proposed" above. Perhaps they would change their tune.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Back in the Classroom
So after about a year out of the classroom, I'm back. Not in my dream position (like I had before) but at a Middle school. It is at least a teaching position that gets me back on track.
For the past year and a little I was at the Elementary level teaching PE (like a few of my posts had said) but it definitely isn't where I wanted to end up permanently. In this state you don't have to have a teaching license to teach Elementary PE so anyone and everyone is able to teach it. So having me as a certified teacher in that position wasn't great. I wasn't getting paid like a teacher and I wasn't treated like a teacher either.
But enough about that. I'm back in the classroom. Teaching 7th and 8th graders basic computer stuff isn't exactly where I want to be forever, but at least it gets me back on track with tenure and going in the direction I need to. I need 2 more years to get tenure, then I can start my Masters program and go where I really want to go: the University Level or into Administration. These past 2 years having worked with all three levels of Principals, I realized that I really want to go that track. I'd rather be working towards that if I don't have the teaching position that I really want. And it gets me more money.
For the most part, getting back into the classroom hasn't been all that bad. The worst for me has been the fact that I came in in the middle of the term because the other teacher left. The students had a substitute for about 2 weeks, so they were behind and they were really unruly and rude. Most of the classes have come around and realize that I am here to stay and I have a really different way of teaching/doing things. There is 1 class, my 7th period, that is still Hell. There is no other way to put it. They are so wild and rude. Apparently the substitute couldn't handle them and just let them play games and they are still fighting me because I don't let them unless they are completely caught up. There are 27 students in there and only 15 of them are actually going to pass the class (with a C or better). The others are failing completely and they don't care. I keep reminding them that Term ends on Friday and I won't be accepting any other work past Friday, but again, they really don't care. I've even sent home a letter to those failing students and I had 1 parent tell me that if his student doesn't do all the work I still need to give him a passing grade for at least trying. UMMM, No?! If they don't do the work, follow directions, and get themselves where they need to be on time and turning in the work on time, then I have no obligation to grade anything. I'm being nice this term because of all the teacher confusion about when they can turn in their work, but next term (which is next week), things start being different.
I am not a fan of late work. It isn't fair to me or the student, so next term I won't be accepting late work past a certain date. That is going to shock a few of these students. I had one student turn in something from the second week on school (which was the last week in August). Yep, it had been sitting in his backpack since then and now that I've put 0s in everything that was missing, he saw what was going on with his grade and decided "it was time I turned it in." Yep, those exact words are what he told me when he handed me his work.
Okay, class ends in a few minutes and I'm really ready to let these students go. They are driving me nuts. I know that this is the last period of the day, but my last class at the high school was never this bad. I blame it on the substitute..
For the past year and a little I was at the Elementary level teaching PE (like a few of my posts had said) but it definitely isn't where I wanted to end up permanently. In this state you don't have to have a teaching license to teach Elementary PE so anyone and everyone is able to teach it. So having me as a certified teacher in that position wasn't great. I wasn't getting paid like a teacher and I wasn't treated like a teacher either.
But enough about that. I'm back in the classroom. Teaching 7th and 8th graders basic computer stuff isn't exactly where I want to be forever, but at least it gets me back on track with tenure and going in the direction I need to. I need 2 more years to get tenure, then I can start my Masters program and go where I really want to go: the University Level or into Administration. These past 2 years having worked with all three levels of Principals, I realized that I really want to go that track. I'd rather be working towards that if I don't have the teaching position that I really want. And it gets me more money.
For the most part, getting back into the classroom hasn't been all that bad. The worst for me has been the fact that I came in in the middle of the term because the other teacher left. The students had a substitute for about 2 weeks, so they were behind and they were really unruly and rude. Most of the classes have come around and realize that I am here to stay and I have a really different way of teaching/doing things. There is 1 class, my 7th period, that is still Hell. There is no other way to put it. They are so wild and rude. Apparently the substitute couldn't handle them and just let them play games and they are still fighting me because I don't let them unless they are completely caught up. There are 27 students in there and only 15 of them are actually going to pass the class (with a C or better). The others are failing completely and they don't care. I keep reminding them that Term ends on Friday and I won't be accepting any other work past Friday, but again, they really don't care. I've even sent home a letter to those failing students and I had 1 parent tell me that if his student doesn't do all the work I still need to give him a passing grade for at least trying. UMMM, No?! If they don't do the work, follow directions, and get themselves where they need to be on time and turning in the work on time, then I have no obligation to grade anything. I'm being nice this term because of all the teacher confusion about when they can turn in their work, but next term (which is next week), things start being different.
I am not a fan of late work. It isn't fair to me or the student, so next term I won't be accepting late work past a certain date. That is going to shock a few of these students. I had one student turn in something from the second week on school (which was the last week in August). Yep, it had been sitting in his backpack since then and now that I've put 0s in everything that was missing, he saw what was going on with his grade and decided "it was time I turned it in." Yep, those exact words are what he told me when he handed me his work.
Okay, class ends in a few minutes and I'm really ready to let these students go. They are driving me nuts. I know that this is the last period of the day, but my last class at the high school was never this bad. I blame it on the substitute..
Monday, January 3, 2011
P.E. Day 81
New year and I'm still teaching PE. Yeah, nothing too exciting happening around here. I'm looking around for another job, hopefully one that pays more than this one, but I'm not sure I'll be able to find anything.
The kids are still the same ill-mannered kids they were before the break, just now with gadgets and candy that they want to bring to PE. I've already taken a few (dozen it seems like) SillyBandz (I despise those things!), a bag of candy some kid was trying to hide in his sweater pocket, and a cell phone. It seems like they forget that the rules apply once again and I've got to reteach them things from before the break.
Looking on the bright side, I've got a couple of holidays coming up that involve 3 day weekends and a few mornings that I have guest instructors coming in so I don't have to prepare or teach.
I was asked over the weekend which age group I preferred working with and my answer would be the high schoolers. I can't believe how much I miss teaching my classes and working on projects with the kids. And grading. I never minded the grading too much and now that I don't have anything to grade, it feels weird. But I have it on good authority that the guy who took my spot at the High School isn't doing that great of a job and isn't teaching the same classes that I did. Poetic Justice.
The kids are still the same ill-mannered kids they were before the break, just now with gadgets and candy that they want to bring to PE. I've already taken a few (dozen it seems like) SillyBandz (I despise those things!), a bag of candy some kid was trying to hide in his sweater pocket, and a cell phone. It seems like they forget that the rules apply once again and I've got to reteach them things from before the break.
Looking on the bright side, I've got a couple of holidays coming up that involve 3 day weekends and a few mornings that I have guest instructors coming in so I don't have to prepare or teach.
I was asked over the weekend which age group I preferred working with and my answer would be the high schoolers. I can't believe how much I miss teaching my classes and working on projects with the kids. And grading. I never minded the grading too much and now that I don't have anything to grade, it feels weird. But I have it on good authority that the guy who took my spot at the High School isn't doing that great of a job and isn't teaching the same classes that I did. Poetic Justice.
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