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..
