Sometimes I fee that the problems with the school systems are blamed on the teachers. There is so much more to being a teacher than teaching the core subjects.
Imagine having different groups of kids with differing learning styles each year. We may teach the same curriculum but each group and each child is different. A good teacher will tweak what he/she is doing to meet the needs of those particular students in that particular class.
She/he has some that are ready to go beyond the curriculum, we've got to take them there. There are other students that need some help catching up, we've got to help them along. A good teacher will try to get inside a child's head and figure out the best way to teach fractions, phases of the moon, why we can see a rainbow. We can understand a subject but explaining that subject to a child and have them understand it is another story.
We have to monitor their safety and the safety of the campus, teach social skills, self help skills, healthy habits and have micro sonic hearing to monitor if a child is bullying another on the far side of the play ground. A teacher has to have to have amazing conflict resolutions skills and teach conflict resolution. We have to monitor abuse situations and keep an eye out for differences that stem from physical disorders. I'm supposed to spot medical, developmental and emotional problems all without the benefit of medical school.
Teaching the children how to have a fire drill. |
I have had 19 groups of preschoolers in the last 20 years. Each group is so different that I have to adapt the curriculum a little for each group.
Imagine having 4,5 or 6 groups a day? The group's dynamic can change with addition of a new student.
Try teaching on "Tacky" day. |
Teachers as a whole are being told to teach more, more, more for long hours and little pay and with fewer resources. Teachers round out their classroom needs with their own funds day in and day out.
I get it. Parents work at their job all day and they don't want to come home and do our job. I hated doing hours of homework with my kids after school.
It isn't because we aren't doing our job.
My principal told us that the "theys" out there are thinking about expanding the school day and or the school year. (I have listed some "theys" in the links below. They are wikipedia, FYI.)(My boss is not in favor of lengthening the school day.) There is an age appropriateness to the length of a school day. Kids need to be allowed to be kids and can only pay attention so many hours in it.
The "theys" need to get back into a classroom to remember what it is like and to see how the edicts they send down from Washington and Austin really play out.
I had a parent tell me once that his worst day ever at work was still better than my best day in a preschool classroom.
Yet, I love it.
The satisfaction in seeing a child "get it" and love you unconditionally is worth it.
Our Secretary of Education has a Sociology Degree. The one before this had a Political Science degree. We haven't had an educator as Head the Department of Education since 2005. ??
Let the teachers be the ones in position of influence in this country and in Texas. Teachers need to be the ones telling teachers how to do their job. They are the ones that understand and have been there.
Katie
Link Sociology Degree
Link Political Science Degree
Link Physical Education Doctorate We haven't had an educator as head of Department of Education since 2005.
Link Head of Texas Education Agency - Law Degree
Alrighty then! Sorry to hear that you've been dealing with some issues at work. I'm not a teacher, so I can't relate firsthand to what you're going through but obviously being a teacher has it's pros and cons. At least the school year is almost over! Ours is out in May. I agree with you that kids should get a break from school too. I don't think they should extend the school year. My son (is in middle school) leaves the house at 8:10 and doesn't return home until 5:00! That's a long day.
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