teachers- do you like your job?

[Markie]

Hey everyone, I am about to graduate from college (scary enough in itself!). I have been accepted to several masters/certification programs in education in CT and I am looking for teachers to give me perspective. I know this is a weird place to ask for advice about this, but I know I have seen teachers on here and I don''t know where else to ask! I for some reason am just not sure anymore that I can teach, that I would be good at it, or that I would really like it. I am trying to teach English and I do love English (although i sort of discovered too late that I would prefer history) but I am afraid that I can''t handle kids. I have always been in private school and my college is a tiny school, only like 2,000 kids, and I have no idea what public school will be like except that I will have to deal with (according to people I have talked to) bureaucracy and disciplinary issues that I have never encountered before.

The other thing is that one of my psych professors told me that I could get into a really good teaching program, like Harvard''s or Tufts'' and I wonder if I should wait and apply next year to those programs. I want to teach in CT though and I have no idea how much a degree from Harvard (if I even get in) will do for me. I have learned from my undergrad experience that a big name school does a lot less for you than you think it will and I will also have to change my certification to CT because I eventually want to go back to CT to live near my family (my college is in MA).

If I don''t teach I have no idea what else I could do. An English and Philosophy degree from a liberal arts college prepares you to do exactly nothing in the real world and I just want to find a direction so that I can get married and my husband-to-be and I can start a life together and independent of our parents. He wants to teach and he would be great at it, but I am much less comfortable with kids and with people in general. I am sorry for the long post I am just having a minor freak out about what to do with my life! That is normal for soon-to-graduate college seniors, right?

 

[Elmorton]

Hmmm. To answer the question of the subject line, yes, I love my job - I teach English at a community college. It''s demanding, engaging, and I love the groups I teach. Almost all of my students are at a crossroads in their lives, whether it is becoming an adult or changing career paths, returning to college after having a family, being in the military, or what not. I love my field because it allows me to read their stories (which is an incredibly humbling experience), their perspectives, and, through the assignments and texts that I find, hopefully, I can better engage them in the world around them as well.

But, I think what you''re really asking is whether teaching is right for you. When I first told my parents (both teachers) that I was changing my major from psychology (I had planned on going into clinical pyschology) to English, and that my plan was to earn my MA so I can teach at the collegiate level, the first thing my father (a community college prof) said was "You''ll find that there aren''t too many differences between a teacher and a counselor." It''s very true - I think at any age, you can''t separate life from the classroom (my closest girlfriend teaches kindergarten, and we are always shocked at the similarities between our teaching experiences). A wonderful essay on this topic is "Just Like Pastrami" by Lee Shulman - it''s part of NPR''s This I Believe Series. If nothing else, teaching is the ultimate people-oriented, helping-profession.

So, there''s that aspect - teaching is sortof a messy social experiment no matter how you slice it. I can tell you though that there is no way I''d ever teach high school because that''s something I simply know I''m not cut out for - like you, I don''t want to deal with parents, discipline, or administration. Also, I was one of those people who hated high school in the first place, so there wasn''t any doubt in my mind that I''d never go back. Through my studies, I''ve met some amazing high school teachers, and I have a lot of respect for the jobs they do and wide.

In regard to choosing a school, this is what I tell my students now: Go to the school that is most regarded for what you want to do. I had a colleague last semester who constantly talked about how she had a master''s degree from Yale and that she was completely overqualified for her job, but when I''d mention some of the pillar concepts and works that have shaped the study of teaching composition, she''d ask me to explain - these were all things she hadn''t learned. I went to a state university that is well-known for teaching, and as a result, was much better prepared.

That said, if I were making the choice again and I could go anywhere, I would first start reading articles - find out who are the big names in your field and apply to the schools where I could work with my academic idols. Ask your English profs who they studied with, who they''ve been pumped to meet at conferences. When your write your personal statement, explain who you want to work with and why.

I think what worries me most about your post is that you say you think you''d rather be teaching history. The one thing I have to say about grad school is that it''s a complete mind game, and the one thing you should be certain about is your interest in your subject matter (because you''ll question just about everything else). Here''s my litmus test - go pick up a journal that''s a major voice in your field (for me, it''s College English, Teaching English in the Two-Year College, or my absolute fave, College Composition and Communication). Read it, cover to cover. If you find one or two articles that get your curiosity really sparked, then you''ll probably love your studies. If you want to drill nails in your forehead, then there''s your answer, too.

Best of luck - I remember how hard this time was for me (and I still question if I did the right thing sometimes!). The advice is so cliche, but follow your instinct. OH- and job shadow - test out the water instead of jumping feet first

 

[Sabine]

In a word, NO.

I teach high school English. Although there are aspects of the job that I love, such as the moments when you see a student finally getting what you''ve been talking about and interacting with some great kids, I am just not cut out for teaching. I hate how much time I spend on lesson plans and grading. I hate having to deal with administration trying to "catch" the teachers doing something wrong so they can make a bad example out of us. I hate parents who don''t know their kids, don''t know how to raise their kids (honestly, they call me and ask me what THEY should do), and don''t care about their kids, and I hate the kids who have already been through so much that they are just downright mean. I will be living in the same area for one more year, so I plan on teaching for one more year, and then I will be switching careers. As someone with an English and Education major from a liberal arts school, I have NO IDEA what it is that I really want to do, but I know it''s not this. Since I am so lost myself, I have no idea what advice to give you other than to try to figure out if this is what you really want to do, because it would be a shame to waste grad school on it if it''s not.

As for the college name game, I do think going to a prestigious school helped me get a job right out of college, and my school was known for its education department, so I felt like my background was better than a lot of other people''s, but did it actually help in the day to day work, no.

 

[ephemery1]

I'm not a teacher, but I do have 2 masters degrees in Education from an Ivy League school... so some perspective on the "big name school" side of things:

I chose a big, fun public school for undergrad (JMU in Virginia) and ended up with an excellent psychology education. When I graduated, I applied for masters programs in counseling/education and got into all of them (programs in schools of education are notoriously easier to get into than most, I learned)... and chose Penn because of its location. My education there was WAY inferior compared to JMU... we actually used some of the same textbooks that I'd already used in sophomore-level courses, and my Penn professors were often distant and distracted by their own research agendas.

Overall, I loved the campus, I loved my advisor, and I loved what I was learning (I even went back for a 2nd grad. degree!)... but I would NEVER presume my education was better than one from a regular state school. The name on my diploma certainly opens doors, there is no denying that. People respect names, whether that's justified or not. But I'm still deciding whether that benefit is worth those massive student loans I'm currently paying off... ask me again in about 10 years.

Good luck in your decision-making!

 

[Mannequin]

This is a very tough question to answer truthfully with only one day to go before my school lets out for Easter break. Today you get a definite HELL NO.

Any other year you might have asked me if I liked my job, I would have said "Yes!" in a heartbeat. This year, with the way our school schedule was changed into blocks and the type of students I have, I feel so beaten down and worn out and unappreciated daily. I teach 7th grade language arts at a middle school and this year most of my students are low achievers with not much home support. I am seriously considering job-hunting in a different area closer to my BF AND going back to elementary within the next two years because I am sick of the defiant, entitled attitudes and the complete unresponsiveness of the parents. This week has been a Spirit week as well as the week before a long vacation, and insanity is running rampant here. I am so looking forward to ten days of relaxation and alcohol.

My advice to you is to fully utilize your school''s counseling office, particularly career counseling. They can give you many resources and options as to what you can do next after you receive your upcoming degree. Also, see if you can arrange to visit local schools and observe daily lessons going on at the level in which you are interested in teaching. Field experiences in my pre-teaching training were extremely helpful in helping me decide what I wanted to focus on in my certifications. If you are at all interested in special education, getting a ceritifcation that allows you to work with children who have autism could almost guarantee you a job anywhere. Autism is one of the most rapidly growing areas of concern in many districts near me.

HTH, good luck!

 

[Fancy605]

What a tough question: I do love teaching, but I don''t always like my job. IN fact, sometimes it is downright miserable. I have found that while I love working with the kids, my love for the profession ends there. I do not love how new trends are constantly being thrown at us to implement. I do not love the emphasis on high stakes testing. I do not love how teachers are held SO accountable for things we have little control over when parents and students are not held accountable for their own actions. I do not like unrealistic expectations placed on me. I do not love being stripped of planning time for no good reason. And the list goes on. However, I do love the time I spend actually teaching my 8th graders Grammar and Literature.

Now, after I graduated college, I went and began my masters. I got a teaching job because I was going to have to do so much field experience working with other people''s students for my masters that I figured I may as well go ahead and start getting paid to work with students of my own. Let me tell you something, I grew up sheltered like yourself. Even with extensive training in education I still found myself feeling overwhelmed my first year. And while I knew the school I was working at would not have perfectly ideal students for me to teach, I wasn''t quite prepared for some of the bad behaviors the exhibited. A room full of 13-16 year olds can be rough. I learned the hard way how important the very first week of school is in establishing structure and discipline. I have some horror stories from my first year. Actually, even as a more experienced teacher, I still find myself wondering, "What on earth am I going to do now?" when various situations arise.

It seems to me your fear is ending up with a room full of out of control kids who won''t listen to you and not knowing what to do about it. And truth be told, you will see some crazy things if you go into teaching. You will think, "what on earth am I doing here? I should have been a (fill in the blank with anything)" Even at the 8th grade level, I see/hear drug use, violent fights that may or may not include bloodshed, profanity like you''ve never heard, blatant disrespect for anyone (friends, authority, parents, anyone)sexually explicit everything, STDs, you name it. Not everyone is cut from the right cloth to prevent those things from spilling into the classroom from the halls/lunchroom/bus or to handle them when somehow they do occur in class. But, there are lots and lots of tricks to good behavior management which in turn leads to an environment where learning just happens. If you are considering teaching and want to look into some good ideas, I recommend Harry Wong''s "The First Days of School." It is very elementary geared, but his ideas can be applied to all grade levels. My advice: be consistent. Don''t make threats; make statements that you follow through with promptly (because otherwise the kids see all of your attempts at discipline as BS), and don''t put up with much of any behavior you don''t want in your room from day ONE. Pick which rules and matter to you and what consequences you will use to enforce them with, and don''t let anything slide (not even once) until you get to know the kids well enough to where you know whether there is a mitigating circumstance.

All in all, the main thing that helps is to land a position in a school with a good, consistent administration. I have worked under both good and...we''ll call it challenging administrative conditions, and it makes ALL the difference.

That being said, not everyone''s cut from the right cloth for teaching. If the idea of educating doesn''t seem exciting and challenging at the same time to you, then it may not be right for you.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 3/19/2008 5:57:11 PM
Author: equestrienne
This is a very tough question to answer truthfully with only one day to go before my school lets out for Easter break. Today you get a definite HELL NO.

Any other year you might have asked me if I liked my job, I would have said 'Yes!' in a heartbeat. This year, with the way our school schedule was changed into blocks and the type of students I have, I feel so beaten down and worn out and unappreciated daily. I teach 7th grade language arts at a middle school and this year most of my students are low achievers with not much home support. I am seriously considering job-hunting in a different area closer to my BF AND going back to elementary within the next two years because I am sick of the defiant, entitled attitudes and the complete unresponsiveness of the parents. This week has been a Spirit week as well as the week before a long vacation, and insanity is running rampant here. I am so looking forward to ten days of relaxation and alcohol.

My advice to you is to fully utilize your school's counseling office, particularly career counseling. They can give you many resources and options as to what you can do next after you receive your upcoming degree. Also, see if you can arrange to visit local schools and observe daily lessons going on at the level in which you are interested in teaching. Field experiences in my pre-teaching training were extremely helpful in helping me decide what I wanted to focus on in my certifications. If you are at all interested in special education, getting a ceritifcation that allows you to work with children who have autism could almost guarantee you a job anywhere. Autism is one of the most rapidly growing areas of concern in many districts near me.


HTH, good luck!

Equestrienne, that is exactly what I did before considering my masters. I taught public school (regular ed)right out of undergrad and knew pretty soon it was not for me. Then I made an appointment with my undergrad school career counseling office and gained a lot of insight. Then I called people up in different areas of teaching and shadowed them for a day. Markie, I think you are wise to look closely at what you can tolerate day to day. No sense making yourself crazy. (I'm a speech-language pathologist in a private school with wonderful parents and staff--but first I spent years in public schools honing my craft.) My best friend teaches public middle school and is always telling me stories of how kids falsely accuse teachers of pushing or touching them to get out of work or trouble. It's a sick, sick world.

 

[zoebartlett]

First off, the "minor freak out" you''re having is completely normal. Totally. In fact, I don''t know a single person who hasn''t had an "OMG, I''m about to graduate and I have NO CLUE what I want to do" moment.

I didn''t start out as a teacher. I had a different job that I loved the IDEA of but not really the job itself. I decided that I wanted to be a specialist in a partiular field but in order to complete my master''s program, I had to do a full year of student teaching. It was then that I learned that I loved being in the classroom with young students, and I actually decided not to pursue the specialist avenue.

After finishing grad school, I taught reading and math to small groups of students (or 1:1). I moved from that to my own classroom a few years ago. I''ve had varied experiences working with many kinds of kids in elementary school.

I feel right at home with kids. It''s all the other stuff teachers deal with that isn''t always pleasant.

Do I love my job? Well, I love working with kids and my principal is amazing. My school is small and my colleagues are great. There are so many pluses to my job but there are also minuses.

I don''t have experience teaching in private schools, and my experiences are only with elementary, not secondary or post-secondary. Can you shadow a teacher in a few different grade levels for a few days so you can see what you might be more comfortable with? Observing others in their job can give you good insight about what a particular job entails.

 

[Haven]

I love my job. I''m currently a high school English teacher, and I used to teach English at a community college. I spent a few years working in the corporate world after undergrad, hated it, went to law school, hated it, and then quit law school to become a teacher.

I would strongly advise you to become certified to teach a content that you love. If you aren''t passionate about literature, and history really is your thing, do what it takes to become a certified history teacher. The reason I love my job is that I get to discuss literature every single day with teenagers, then I go home and research literature and read criticisms and figure out how to deliver the information to my students. If I didn''t love lit, I''m quite sure I''d hate my job because it requires an enormous amount of time and physical and emotional energy. (And you''re REALLY going to hate your job when you''re grading on a Saturday afternoon and you''re only on the 42nd paper out of a stack of 120 eight hours into it.)

As for whether you would like to teach--only you can answer that question for yourself. I''d make absolutely sure that you want to teach before you pursue an advanced degree in education. It''s a tough job, and it can suck the life out of someone who doesn''t have real passion for their content area.

In Illinois, some of the best teacher preparation programs are in schools that are little known outside the state. I''d research the programs long and hard to find one that offers what you need, and I''m not sure a big name will guarantee a quality program.

Good luck. Don''t choose teaching just because it looks like an easy gig to an oustider. It''s an enormously difficult job, and the responsibility is enormous--you literally have the opportunity to impact hundreds of young people every year (good or bad.)

 

[KimberlyH]

I am currently enrolled in an MEd program on the path to teach elementary school (if I can get a job! I'll probably be subbing for a while longer, I live in CA budget crisis centra). I highly recommend you take the time to do some classroom observations before you make a decision. If I had done so my credential/degree would be in Special Ed; I discovered a bit too late that while I'm going to be a good elementary school teacher my heart lies with Special Ed. Explore a bit, look into substituting (an interesting way to spend a year while applying to Ivy League if that's what you decide), and give yourself time to figure it out.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

The big name school may help if you want to get your PhD and then teach at the college level. But I just don''t see it as cost effective unless you can get some kind of scholarship. My salary is master''s level, and it is the same amount whether the degree was from Harvard or Small Town U.

I teach dyslexic children mostly one-on-one and I do love that. But the public schools have lots of issues, and I would not be interested in teaching a class of 25. The bad thing is that new teachers at the secondary level usually get the classes of low kids and the experienced teachers get most of the honors and AP classes. So it might be a survival game to wait it out until you can get better classes to teach.

 

[Haven]

DS--Have you read Proust and the Squid? I think you''d like it, there''s a great section on reading disabilities, including dyslexia.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Date: 3/19/2008 9:59:13 PM
Author: KimberlyH
I am currently enrolled in an MEd program on the path to teach elementary school (if I can get a job! I''ll probably be subbing for a while longer, I live in CA budget crisis centra). I highly recommend you take the time to do some classroom observations before you make a decision. If I had done so my credential/degree would be in Special Ed; I discovered a bit too late that while I''m going to be a good elementary school teacher my heart lies with Special Ed. Explore a bit, look into substituting (an interesting way to spend a year while applying to Ivy League if that''s what you decide), and give yourself time to figure it out.

Kimberly, once you finish your masters, can you take a few extra classes and get the special ed. certification? There is often a shortage of special ed. teachers. What area are you interested in?

 

[Markie]

Wow, thanks everyone for such thoughtful responses! The good news is they helped me to gain some perspective and clarity about my situation. The bad news is that I am being more and more convince that, in my heart, teaching is not what I really want to do.

I have done a lot of the things you have mentioned. I worked teaching middle school kids last summer and tutored elementary school kids the year before that. I also observed a couple of high school classes. I guess I probably knew deep down that this wasn''t for me, but I have been on this path and the closer I got to doing it the easier it seemed to just keep going. It wasn''t until I got my first acceptance letter in the mail from a grad school that I was like- wow, this is going to be the point of no return and I don''t think I want this. It is hard because I really don''t know what else I could do, I have been planning on teaching for so long.

I guess I will have to figure that out for myself but thanks again to everyone for responding, I think you definitely confirmed my thoughts about teaching. Sabine, the way you described how you are feeling right now is so similar to how I am feeling. It is hard because my parents really want me to go to grad school, they feel like getting a job instead is the wrong decision and they have invested a lot in my education up to this point so I feel bad disappointing them. I applied for a yearlong internship in my college''s admissions office next year, but I doubt I will get it and I guess I have this thought like- if I don''t get the internship (which is perfect for me as I am really interested in the admissions process, I would get to stay at school near my BF, it pays OK, and it will let me take a year to research what else is out there) I will just go to school anyway and move back home, when clearly there are other options that I just don''t have the energy or knowledge to look into right now. So maybe I am still freaking out but now at least I have a better sense about why I don''t want to teach and how to articulate that to my parents

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/19/2008 10:10:52 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 3/19/2008 9:59:13 PM
Author: KimberlyH
I am currently enrolled in an MEd program on the path to teach elementary school (if I can get a job! I''ll probably be subbing for a while longer, I live in CA budget crisis centra). I highly recommend you take the time to do some classroom observations before you make a decision. If I had done so my credential/degree would be in Special Ed; I discovered a bit too late that while I''m going to be a good elementary school teacher my heart lies with Special Ed. Explore a bit, look into substituting (an interesting way to spend a year while applying to Ivy League if that''s what you decide), and give yourself time to figure it out.

Kimberly, once you finish your masters, can you take a few extra classes and get the special ed. certification? There is often a shortage of special ed. teachers. What area are you interested in?

If only it were so easy I would do it. I looked into it and to tack it onto my current program I would have to add another year of school, plus another 12 week student teaching stint. Down the road I do intend to return to school and earn a special ed credential. But I really need to move on with my life (return to work for a while, perhaps have a child, etc.). I''d like to work with children with autism, eventually.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 3/19/2008 6:42:47 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
First off, the ''minor freak out'' you''re having is completely normal. Totally. In fact, I don''t know a single person who hasn''t had an ''OMG, I''m about to graduate and I have NO CLUE what I want to do'' moment.

Wow tell me about it, I thought I was the most know what I want to do person I know, but now that I feel like doors are kind of slamming in my face and like I am not sure if I want to go to law school and to be short I feel lost. I never considered what I''d do if what I wanted to do didn''t work out. Not really anyway, I guess I assumed I''d become a teacher, but sounds like that may not be for me. Anyway, just wanted to thank everyone for their input as well.

 

[Haven]

Date: 3/19/2008 10:36:33 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 3/19/2008 10:10:52 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 3/19/2008 9:59:13 PM
Author: KimberlyH
I am currently enrolled in an MEd program on the path to teach elementary school (if I can get a job! I''ll probably be subbing for a while longer, I live in CA budget crisis centra). I highly recommend you take the time to do some classroom observations before you make a decision. If I had done so my credential/degree would be in Special Ed; I discovered a bit too late that while I''m going to be a good elementary school teacher my heart lies with Special Ed. Explore a bit, look into substituting (an interesting way to spend a year while applying to Ivy League if that''s what you decide), and give yourself time to figure it out.

Kimberly, once you finish your masters, can you take a few extra classes and get the special ed. certification? There is often a shortage of special ed. teachers. What area are you interested in?

If only it were so easy I would do it. I looked into it and to tack it onto my current program I would have to add another year of school, plus another 12 week student teaching stint. Down the road I do intend to return to school and earn a special ed credential. But I really need to move on with my life (return to work for a while, perhaps have a child, etc.). I''d like to work with children with autism, eventually.

That really is too bad, Kimberly--you really should have moved to Chicago, because adding additional certs in Illinois once you''re certified isn''t nearly as difficult as it is where you are.

I hope you can eventually work with the students you really want to teach, I think you''ll find it incredibly rewarding. Hang in there!

 

[gwendolyn]

I think asking if we like teaching and if we like the job of a teacher is really two separate questions. I love to teach with every fiber of my being, but there are some days when the administrative (more school politics than paperwork) aspects of the job really frustrate me. Teaching itself is almost always a joy; it's the other stuff that can bog you down from time to time.

I am friends with a number of teachers and we all had that same thought of "oh my gosh, what am I doing and will I hate it?!" The first couple of years of teaching is as much about finding out who you are as a teacher, what works for you, and what sort of relationship you want to have with your students as it is about delivering the curriculum. When it's done well, teaching is an art--a balancing act--and it takes time to get good at it, so please don't feel like giving up if the first day, week or month are hard.

It's a difficult job, but it's a great one. When you have your first light-bulb moment with your kids, you will feel so good that you will (mostly) forget about the other stuff and remember the real reasons you wanted to get into teaching in the first place: the kids.

 

[justjulia]

Okay, I've been thinking some more... I just wanted to throw in a couple of ideas that three of my friends actually did. The first started out subbing, and then took a year to drive a school bus, and was then a school receptionist- the driving and receptionist positions contributed to her teacher retirement. Then she became a teacher. She just received teacher of the year from her middle school after 26 years of sincerely loving what she does (minus the occasional crisis or frustrating moment).

The next friend got her undergrad in sp ed, taught a year, hated it and then got a job in her undergrad college support services office and did classes for the college to teach study skills--then got her masters, went back and hated it again, and returned to the college position. She was able to keep building her teacher retirement, because the college was public..it all dovetailed.

The third friend worked in the school cafeteria as manager and then took nursing classes at night and will become a school nurse very soon. She was able to secure the nursing position (they are limited) in the same system because they already knew her and were comfortable with her. Again, retirement will keep adding up.

Lots of avenues that ended up in different places but kept them working with the kids doing what they love.

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/20/2008 11:08:24 AM
Author: Haven

Date: 3/19/2008 10:36:33 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 3/19/2008 10:10:52 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006

Date: 3/19/2008 9:59:13 PM
Author: KimberlyH
I am currently enrolled in an MEd program on the path to teach elementary school (if I can get a job! I''ll probably be subbing for a while longer, I live in CA budget crisis centra). I highly recommend you take the time to do some classroom observations before you make a decision. If I had done so my credential/degree would be in Special Ed; I discovered a bit too late that while I''m going to be a good elementary school teacher my heart lies with Special Ed. Explore a bit, look into substituting (an interesting way to spend a year while applying to Ivy League if that''s what you decide), and give yourself time to figure it out.

Kimberly, once you finish your masters, can you take a few extra classes and get the special ed. certification? There is often a shortage of special ed. teachers. What area are you interested in?

If only it were so easy I would do it. I looked into it and to tack it onto my current program I would have to add another year of school, plus another 12 week student teaching stint. Down the road I do intend to return to school and earn a special ed credential. But I really need to move on with my life (return to work for a while, perhaps have a child, etc.). I''d like to work with children with autism, eventually.

That really is too bad, Kimberly--you really should have moved to Chicago, because adding additional certs in Illinois once you''re certified isn''t nearly as difficult as it is where you are.

I hope you can eventually work with the students you really want to teach, I think you''ll find it incredibly rewarding. Hang in there!

When I hear the requirements of other states in comparison to CA I''m a bit baffled. I love, love, love the elementary school kiddos and know I''ll be happy working with them, but I''ve never had my heart sing, or hurt, like it does when I have success or face challenges with the amazing children with autism that I have had the pleasure of working with. They blow me away and I miss them terribly now that I''m student teaching in a typical classroom.

Having two credentials is never a bad thing, as burn out rates are high and the ability to take a break from one or the other will be good for me. It''s just going to take some time for me to get there.

Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. Student teaching has been an interesting and amazing learning experience so far, and I have another 9 weeks to go.

Darn my not moving to Chicago! If I had I think you and I would have been friends.

 

[Haven]

Date: 3/21/2008 10:35:38 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 3/20/2008 11:08:24 AM

Darn my not moving to Chicago! If I had I think you and I would have been friends.

I couldn''t agree more.

And as for eventually working with the kiddos you cherish most, I have faith that it will happen. I''m glad to hear student teaching is going well, and don''t hesitate to post a thread if you need any help, encouragement, ideas, support, or just a good old vent. I''m here if you need some support.

 

[swimmer]

Markie,
One of the things you will notice from our posts is that we have such varied experiences as teachers. We all took different paths and work in different communities. There is no one teaching experience that we can tell you about, its like when I''m in China and people ask me what the weather is like in the US. In my public HS, we haven''t had a fight since 2001, our parents are wonderful, we love our principal, and salaries cap around 90k....my friend teaches two towns over (you know outside of Boston thats like 4 miles) and she has to deal with drug dealers with knives in the halls...another friend three towns to the south gets paid more, but has to deal with "Why isn''t my kid getting into Harvard?" and an admin who back parents not teachers.

If you think you are going to be eaten alive, well, then you will be. So, don''t do TFA (teach for America) in Compton. That is one end of the spectrum for teaching. There are many other paths. Can you visualize what would make your heart sing? Get out there and volunteer in different communities. Tutor afterschool. Generally speaking, the wealthier the community, the more bureaucracy and scary parents you will find. The more poverty stricken the community, the more autonomy teachers have to some extent, and the lack of parental intrusions means that the kids are not always situated well on Maslow''s hierarchy...Have you read Hirsch or Kozol?

I now teach HS part time and at a university (in the ed school) part time and love it. You have to find what works for you. I started out in Boston Public teaching kids who had failed 9th grade 2xs, I loved parts of it but knew I was going to burn out so switched to an immigrant community where the kids knew that they were going to get fed by parents who were around. It made a world of difference and getting out of bed on Monday morning isn''t so painful. Yeah, its still hard, but everyday the students make me laugh so hard I cry. Do know that the first years are hard, I don''t even remember them, but now my planning is less work (I teach AP and ELL {English Language Learners} because I love the discovery in the eyes of learners who are tackling a new language and the great discussions with students who love to read and want to work enough to take a college level class).

Also, know that history teachers teach writing every day. Its what we do, there is no point if kids learn all the random and quite frankly not necessary dates and battle lines if they cannot express themselves clearly in writing. So there really isn''t the dichotomy that seems to be imposed between the disciplines. We teach both, English teachers doing Shakespeare or Animal Farm are teaching history too...or its just talking animals.

I went to both schools you mentioned after deciding that law school was not my bag,(H is a waste of time and $$ for an MEd if you want to learn classroom control, T is fantastic if you want to intern and study history while getting your masters, check out the MAT in History). Perhaps taking this year to work at your admissions office will be a gift. Take some History classes, look into a James Madison Fellowship if you are interested in teaching history (free grad school), and volunteer at different schools. If you are interested in Tufts, go to the website and email professor S.C. who is the most wonderful person, he will meet with you for hours to discuss various plans.

You could also apply for the JET program to teach English in Japan, not a lot of classroom mgt issues there I''m told, and there are now lots of programs in China too. That would be hard to be away from your man for so long...but to find what you want to do and to have an amazing adventure? What is that worth?

My apologies for nattering on, its just that I''ve seen your confusion so frequently before and I want you to know that teaching is not all about either classroom mgt or the discipline you teach. Its more about the relationships you form and the opportunities you create. Every so often, a former student emails me for future planning ideas or to say "hey, I''m doing great" and its worth millions!

My principal emailed our entire building this as a pep talk:

mali


PS: All the HS teachers I know personally hated being in high school, that is why we work so hard to make it a better place for our students! Yeah, we certainly weren''t the "cool kids."

 

[KimberlyH]

Date: 3/22/2008 4:29:34 PM
Author: Haven

Date: 3/21/2008 10:35:38 PM
Author: KimberlyH

Date: 3/20/2008 11:08:24 AM

Darn my not moving to Chicago! If I had I think you and I would have been friends.

I couldn''t agree more.

And as for eventually working with the kiddos you cherish most, I have faith that it will happen. I''m glad to hear student teaching is going well, and don''t hesitate to post a thread if you need any help, encouragement, ideas, support, or just a good old vent. I''m here if you need some support.

I think I''ve recruited DeeJay to go to tea at The Drake before Christmas. You should plan on joining us, if you''d like.

I will definitely reach out if I need a sounding board. I just decided what to base my culminating student teaching project on; I have to create a work sample that begins with a look at the contextual factors surrounding my district, school, and class, then describes a unit I am to teach from start to finish with three assessments, and culminates with my reflections on the experience. I should end up with a 30 page report by the time I''m done. I decided to teach a math unit for the purposes of this project, because it''s the area I am least comfortable with and I need to work on it. I may need a bit of a push along the way as I''m feeling a bit uncomfortable with my subject.