Roll Call: Teachers, sign in!

[peachykeen]

After reading mmany many posts and an interesting thread on the how-to board, I started noticing that there seem to be an awful lot of us teachers here at Lit. So just to get an idea, could you tell us:

-what you teach

-how long you've been teaching

-what you love about it

-what you hate about it

I'll go first - I taught for 7 yrs before moving to the UK (where I don't teach becasue I am not yet certified, but will be eventually). I didn't have my own class but was a multi-district basic science teacher for elementary grades as well as to basic physics and intro to astronomy for older kids. I loved the kids, I loved seeing their faces 'click' when they 'got it'. Hated the fact that most of my schools were in shitty inner city neighborhoods where I didn't know if my car woud be there at the end of the day.

 

[morninggirl5]

I'm in my second year teaching Kindergarten in the public schools. I taught Pre-K in private schools for two years before that.

I love my students, i love their smiling faces.


I hate the bureaucracy that leaves my students that need special services in paperwork and documentation hell for months and even years.

 

[deliciously_naughty]

I was getting my masters in high school history when I realized that I couldn't agree with the direction that subject and grade level were taking. Specifically teaching names and dates to pass state mandated tests to determine my districts budget for the next year. I have since moved on towards working on becoming a college professor. Yes there's beauracracy, but I can create my own classes and choose my books. I don't have a district breathing up my neck, reminding me that I can't teach Stonewall along with the other major events of the 70's or who have a big problem with the fact that I bring up pieces of US history in which we dont' look so good (like the trail of tears). My favorite was the department chair who had a problem with the way I expressed the problems with saying that columbus "discovered" america (the school liked to go with backwards, happy, we never do anything wrong history).

What do I miss about my kids, now that I'm a student again myself? The way they lit up when they got something....the way they would sometimes learn wtihout realizing that they were...and the one student who came up to me on my last day and said "miss X you can't go....you're better than oprah"....

 

[enjoyingitall]

Hi there, peachy.

I've been teaching for 16 years. I teach middle and high school history, government and economics.

What do I love about it?

I love that I get the chance to interact with my students in ways that leave me awed quite often. They brighten my life in many ways, and yes, I find teaching to be the most rewarding thing I could do.

I love the inquisitive nature of many of them and I love helping some of those less than enthusiatic students work on delving into their potential. I love watching apathetic students grow into the idea that education and learning is going to serve them well.


I love that I get to spend my days dealing with subject matter that is interesting to me. I love that I am afforded the chance to use my own education in my daily job.

What do I hate about it? I honestly can't say that I hate anything about it. I've taught in public schools and there were many things I disliked there. Administrative policies, lack of funding and disciplinary issues were always tough to deal with. I'm teaching in a private school again now, and I couldn't be more pleased.

 

[marksgirl]

I'm a mother...and I am one of the most wonderful teachers that roam the earth...I have taught my children to love, trust, respect, fight for their rights, not feel bad about them selves, have pity, and know when to know the difference. I have taught them to wipe their own ass, face and their tears and face their fears. I have given cooking lessons, diaper changing lessons and lessons in inserting tampons........Gawd damm...........I win the teacher of the year award this year!

Any others want to share in this award? You too deserve it!!!!

 

[Basia]

I havn't started teaching yet, but I hope to start by 2007. I'm working on getting my lisensure for the state of Massattuchetts in Secondary Special Edcuation with a second major in History.

 

[It'sasecret]

It does seem strange how many teachers we have here.

I teach 2nd grade.
Going into my 2nd year as a full time classroom teacher, although I have spent a while part-time teaching and being an aide.

I LOVE my kids. Knowing you are shaping them, its amazing.

I hate the trouble I had last year. Such has second graders setting fires in the classroom, being punched, having a kid write "fuck you" as a test answer. It was a rough group and I got no help from the higher ups ( big surprise)

 

[redelicious]

I used to be a teacher, but I quit to stay home with my baby. I will most likely be going back in the Spring.

I taught high school special education. Officially my class was labled TMD/Autistic (TMD for trainably mentally disabled). I worked for 8 years before resigning.

I loved my students the most. They were wonderful children at a fun age. Our curriculum was based on helping the students gain skills they would need for semi-independant life in the real world. There was a great deal of community training invloved and it was great seeing the kids practicing these skills and becoming young adults.

Another thing I loved was the challenge. Most of my students had language delays and odd behaviors. In order to be a success as a special ed. teacher you have to be a good detective, so that you can figure out WHY a child is behaving a certain way and take steps to correct it.

I absolutely HATED the paperwork. My children are protected by a slew of federal and state laws. There is a document for every child called an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) that has to be rewritten on an annual basis. Because my children had such special needs their IEPs could be an inch thick. Add to that all the data that has to be taken and it's a wonder I ever got any teaching done. To make things worse, I didn't get planning periods or even a lunch to myself because it was always up to me to see that my children were supervised.

 

[sch00lteacher]

Good luck Basia. History is a great subject to teach, even to the special student population.

Guess I had to post something on this thread...

 

[LovetoGiveRoses]

My hat's off to y'all. Thanks for the dedication you have to teaching, helping the next generation.

 

[Oilpainter]

1. Buddhism.*
2. Anyone who has the desire to open their minds and hearts to the Buddha.
3. I enjoy leading others to resources which help them find their way in this life.
4. There is not really anything I dislike about it.

*I have incorpotrated Buddhist principles, doctrines, and practices into my life and am a student myself. But one principal fundemental to the belief system (it is not a religion) is one must pass on what one knows to others to help them find their path. I am not fanatical about it and just let it be a part of me.

 

[Guest]

Another teacher here--isn't it interesting how many of us work with special needs children?
I've been teaching for almost 15 years. My first class was Profoundly Mentally Handicapped Physically Impaired Preschoolers. It was a wonderful challenge and made me know that I had chosen the right profession. Now I teach K-5th Grade Varying Exceptionalities students, which means my kids can have a variety of disabilities--more jargon for you to know.
What I love about teaching is seeing the tremendous growth that the kids make on a daily basis. I get to work with my kids for more than one school year if they stay in my area, and it's astounding to see that scared little 1st Grader who had a miserable start in school come to my class and blossom into a self-assured 5th Grader in a few years' time. I'm very guilty of feeling like a mom to (almost) every one of them--luckily I know the middle school VE teachers and can keep up with my kiddos when they move on.
What do I hate? I have to say apathy, both on the part of administrators and parents. I feel like the higher-ups only want to see what looks good on paper, not what works for the kids--that's why those IEP folders are 4 inches thick when my kids make it to high school. If they want to see documentation that the kids are doing well, visit my classroom and you'll see the proof. Then I'll ask them to jump in and help. Parents--I have some outstanding ones and I have some who I only see when it's time to get SSI papers signed so the money keeps rolling in. I feel like a lot of my kids wouldn't have the problems they do have if only someone at home took a little time to interact with them. Someone on this thread said it earlier--parents are the first and best teachers.
Have a great school year, y'all.

 

[PolythenePam]

That was me....doh!

Another teacher here--isn't it interesting how many of us work with special needs children?
I've been teaching for almost 15 years. My first class was Profoundly Mentally Handicapped Physically Impaired Preschoolers. It was a wonderful challenge and made me know that I had chosen the right profession. Now I teach K-5th Grade Varying Exceptionalities students, which means my kids can have a variety of disabilities--more jargon for you to know.
What I love about teaching is seeing the tremendous growth that the kids make on a daily basis. I get to work with my kids for more than one school year if they stay in my area, and it's astounding to see that scared little 1st Grader who had a miserable start in school come to my class and blossom into a self-assured 5th Grader in a few years' time. I'm very guilty of feeling like a mom to (almost) every one of them--luckily I know the middle school VE teachers and can keep up with my kiddos when they move on.
What do I hate? I have to say apathy, both on the part of administrators and parents. I feel like the higher-ups only want to see what looks good on paper, not what works for the kids--that's why those IEP folders are 4 inches thick when my kids make it to high school. If they want to see documentation that the kids are doing well, visit my classroom and you'll see the proof. Then I'll ask them to jump in and help. Parents--I have some outstanding ones and I have some who I only see when it's time to get SSI papers signed so the money keeps rolling in. I feel like a lot of my kids wouldn't have the problems they do have if only someone at home took a little time to interact with them. Someone on this thread said it earlier--parents are the first and best teachers.
Have a great school year, y'all.

 

[peachykeen]

Thanks everyone who's replied so far. Looks like there is more or less a general consensus that we love the kids and are frustrated by parents on one end and beaureucracy on the other. Just had to get an idea of how many of us are here (and I know there are more, come out come out wherever you are) and I am sick to death of reading post about how the world is about to implode because kids can't read anymore and it's because teachers are a bunch of lazy union zombies. Pisses me right the fuck off.