Vent thread for teachers

[morninggirl5]

Okay, if you venture here, be warned.

This thread is for teachers to vent their frustrations. We more than likely don't require a solution to the problem, we just need to let off steam.

Administration, other teachers, parents, students, want to knock one of them into next week, well here's your place to do so.

 

[morninggirl5]

I'll get this started with a rhetorical question.


How the hell am I supposed to teach a child who is absent and tardy more days that she's present. She started the year seriously behind, actually scored "not ready for kindergarten" on the entrance assessments. The days she's been there, she hasn't had her homework and her report card has now been in her folder, unseen and unsigned by her parent for three days.

For the fifth time today, I spoke to the Counselor about this child, and was given the same response, give me the referral and I'll talk to the parent. I've given her referrals, the phone numbers, every piece of information I have and she's done nothing. She's waiting for the Social Worker.



GGGGGGGGGGGGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

After school today, I looked at my grade book and did some calculations and realized that I'm wasting the time of 10 of my students doing letter of the week because of this child and one other who don't know their letters. I decided no more letter of the week for us. Somehow, I'm going to fit in a small group time for just the two of them (at the end of the day so she'll be there) and go on with real reading and writing with the rest of the class.


And the parent STILL hasn't returned my calls.

 

[lilminx]

Thanks for starting this, MG

Ok- here's one thing: a child told another child that he "wanted to suck on her private parts". I was upset for many reasons:
1) It was totally inappropriate for him to say that

2) It was inappropriate that he even knew a phrase like that

3) It made me wonder where he even GOT a phrase like that

4) He comes from a crappy homelife and I've had other issues with him.

His mother doesn't have a phone number listed. His homework is never done. This child is always hungry. I had his older brother 4 years ago and same problems- plus, his older brother came in with marks on him that were unreportable b/c they weren't done by his parents and it didn't happen in his house.

I am so upset that this child isn't being taken care of and that he's learning about life waaay too early. He even knew that what he said was inappropriate, because he asked the kid who told on him not to tell the teacher's aide (they were at lunch at the time).

When I spoke to the child about this, he started crying and begged me not to tell his parents b/c he would ge hit. When I told him that I would tell his parents just to talk to him about it, he asked me not to tell his mom while his dad was home b/c his dad hits really hard.

I love my job, but I hate seeing kids in situations like this, especially when I know there's not much I can do about it. I do what I can, but then I know that when they go home of go to the next grade, everything I have attempted with that child is undone.... Not really asking for advice, just venting....

 

[lilminx]

I'll get this started with a rhetorical question.


How the hell am I supposed to teach a child who is absent and tardy more days that she's present. She started the year seriously behind, actually scored "not ready for kindergarten" on the entrance assessments. The days she's been there, she hasn't had her homework and her report card has now been in her folder, unseen and unsigned by her parent for three days.

For the fifth time today, I spoke to the Counselor about this child, and was given the same response, give me the referral and I'll talk to the parent. I've given her referrals, the phone numbers, every piece of information I have and she's done nothing. She's waiting for the Social Worker.



GGGGGGGGGGGGrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

After school today, I looked at my grade book and did some calculations and realized that I'm wasting the time of 10 of my students doing letter of the week because of this child and one other who don't know their letters. I decided no more letter of the week for us. Somehow, I'm going to fit in a small group time for just the two of them (at the end of the day so she'll be there) and go on with real reading and writing with the rest of the class.


And the parent STILL hasn't returned my calls.

That sounds like a case of educational neglect, which in NY is reportable to Child Protective Services. Last year I had a similar situation with a child and called the parent and told her this. The child started coming in every day and had his hw done. Or you could take another approach with the "Is everything OK at home? I have some concerns...."

 

[sch00lteacher]

Okay, if you venture here, be warned.

This thread is for teachers to vent their frustrations. We more than likely don't require a solution to the problem, we just need to let off steam.

Administration, other teachers, parents, students, want to knock one of them into next week, well here's your place to do so.

Came out in the paper today that my district, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, had a 22% turn over rate last year. Everyone is scratching their heads wondering why.

Lack of respect from:
Students
Parents
Other Professionals
Media

Low pay. Long hours. Meetings, meetings, meetings. Stupid assed administrators that got out of the classroom because they couldn't stand the heat, but want to tell us how to do our job.

Observations.

Hoops to jump through.

Great thread!

 

[morninggirl5]

We had one conference and things improved for about two days. Like your vent, it's a family situation, there is an older sister and after numerous phone calls and requests for conferences, etc. the second grade teacher has given up with Mom.

Our counselor is doing nothing so far and in our system all reports have to be made through the counselors. I resubmitted my request for social worker referral today and copied it to our principal (she reviewed my report cards since I'm a first year teacher at the school and questioned why the child had so many N's).

We have staff development day tomorrow, so hopefully, the break from seeing this child and me wanting to pull out my hair because she's so far behind will dissipate before the kids return on Monday.



Meanwhile, two of my other students told me they weren't staying home tomorrow. They're coming to school because I can't be there and have all the fun without them.

 

[sch00lteacher]

Boy this thread has me pumped.

How about this. Our 1st quarter ends tomorrow. I got a new student in class today who has not been in school so far this year. I will be expected to give this student a grade. HA HA HA!

The way my alternative school works we get kids all year long. When they get in trouble at the regular school they are suspended for 10 days. During which time they have a hearing. If they lose they sometimes have the option of coming to us. Now they can be sent to our program for various lengths of time, the most being one school year. Or for as little as a few weeks.

I have new kids entering my class once or twice a week. Some have been attending school. Some have not. Yet if a state test is given they have to take it, and guess who the score reflects upon, yeah me. So I might give my end of course US History test to, oh let us say 30 kids in June. Of those thirty none will have been with me for the whole year, not this year. Some may have been with me for a week or two, and have not been in school all year. When the grades are counted, and reported to the local media, I look like a total fucking fool.

Tomorrow is Friday, Monday and Tuesday are teacher workdays, and I am taking them both off. HA!

 

[Guest]

Oh boo-hoo. Teachers have NO reason to vent. You get three months off in the summer, 2 weeks for winter break, a week for spring break, and about 5 other assorted holidays. You get a good starting salary comparable to what other people with bachelor degrees get and your working hours are perfect. What do you have to complain about? There are nurses and EMTs who don't come close to getting the kind of time-off you get, yet they still do their job.

 

[Angel]

They're preparing YOUR snot nosed pain in the ass spoiled brat children for the future.

Be grateful.

 

[morninggirl5]

Troll, get the fuck out of MY thread.


And if you want my teacher's salary and hours, come join me for a week. I arrive at school at 7:30 and leave at 5:00 at the earliest. Usually the custoldial staff comes to my room to let me know they're ready to go and lock the building and if I want to go home, I need to do so then. That doesn't include the hours I spend working on things at home. Let's see I spent five hours last Sunday completing report cards and another four on Saturday completing anecdotal notes on each of my students.

Out of my "generous" salary last year, I spent 10% of my GROSS income on supplies and materials for my classroom. How much of YOUR income did you spend to have the necessities to do your job?

Assholes like you, are the ones that make good teachers leave for other jobs.

 

[sch00lteacher]

Oh boo-hoo. Teachers have NO reason to vent. You get three months off in the summer, 2 weeks for winter break, a week for spring break, and about 5 other assorted holidays. You get a good starting salary comparable to what other people with bachelor degrees get and your working hours are perfect. What do you have to complain about? There are nurses and EMTs who don't come close to getting the kind of time-off you get, yet they still do their job.

Who gets three months off in the summer? We don't get paid in the summer dumbfuck. At least not here. Do you owe 60 grand in student loans? Some of us didn't go to state schools.

Who said we do not respect EMTs, Nurses, Cops, Firemen, or anyone else who gives of themselves for low pay?

We have to put up with trolls like you all fucking day long, and try and teach you shit at the same time.

 

[lilminx]

Oh boo-hoo. Teachers have NO reason to vent. You get three months off in the summer, 2 weeks for winter break, a week for spring break, and about 5 other assorted holidays. You get a good starting salary comparable to what other people with bachelor degrees get and your working hours are perfect. What do you have to complain about? There are nurses and EMTs who don't come close to getting the kind of time-off you get, yet they still do their job.

[
First of all, we DON'T get good starting salaries... second of all I have to get my Master's degree in order to continue teaching, and my salary does not go up when I receive it. Plus I don't get reimbursed for ANY of the money that I have to spend on my education- the Board of Ed forces me to get this degree but won't help me get it. Many companies actaully PAY for their employees to get Bachelor's degrees and even their Master's.

Secondly, no one asked you to come here-MG even warned anyone coming in- if you have a problem about us bitching, that's fine, but I'd like to see YOU try to teach. Then you'll see why we have reason to vent: especially when you have to deal with children who have parents that don't give a shit, administrators who can't be bothered, children who are too poor to have clothing and food, children living in shelters, lack of supplies and many other things that I can't possibly name right now b/c they're so numerous.

Oh, and you're a fucking chickenshit b/c you van't even post under your own name...

 

[Guest]

7:30-5pm- that's 8hrs with an hour lunch. So you have to work your full 8 hours, cry me a fucking river. Oh, and name one other job that doesn't require some outside work effort .

You know what you're getting into when you choose a career. Don't sit there and complain about it when you now damn well it was your decision.

 

[Guest]

know

 

[lilminx]

7:30-5pm- that's 8hrs with an hour lunch. So you have to work your full 8 hours, cry me a fucking river. Oh, and name one other job that doesn't require some outside work effort .

You know what you're getting into when you choose a career. Don't sit there and complain about it when you now damn well it was your decision.

I get 50 minutes for lunch, part of which I am usually taking care of work matters: calling parents, planning, etc...


DIPSHIT

For someone who is so willing to knock teachers, you really know very little about the teacvhing profession...

 

[JenJ]

Yes I'd say you need your own vent thread and eventually one day I'll make it to being a teacher myself when and if I can ever finish school.

 

[sch00lteacher]

Lunch break?

I heard about that once... I can eat with my students, school food that I get to pay extra for because I am an adult. Or I can watch them to make sure they don't burn the building down.

Fuck it, ain't gonna let him get my goat.

Like I said, I am TAKING MONDAY AND TUESDAY OFF. I can, yep, and I am going to. I am going to enjoy my Christmas vacation too. Don't forget Easter break. Ha ha haha ha.

 

[morninggirl5]

AN hour lunch??????? There's NO school that gives teachers an hour of lunch. If you're lucky, you get a thirty minute duty free lunch. Of course, you have to walk your class to the cafeteria during that time, check the office for messages, have your only bathroom break of the day, and be back to pick up your students before the thirty minutes is up.


Did I say I was complaining about my decision to be a teacher? HELL NO, I'm a teacher and I'll always be a teacher.

AND there will always be people like you who couldn't be a teacher with the same old tired arguements and misconceptions trying to bring us down.


I suppose I should feel like I'm an old-timer now. Finally a troll directing their vile at me.

 

[Guest]

No one ever said you HAD to be a teacher. Go out and find another career if you don't like the requirements it takes to become one. If you really loved what you were doing, you wouldn't be complaining about the pay. I go back to the same thing: you knew exactly what you were getting yourself into when you chose to become a teacher.

Oh, and schoolteacher, the point I was trying to make when I said you get 3 months off is that you could always find another job in those three months. Ever hear of a thing called summer school?

And morninggirl5, you openly invited criticism. Go back and reread your initital post.

 

[sch00lteacher]

Okay I gonna go play somewhere else.

Just wasting time till ER comes on anyhow.

Nice to meet my fellow educators.

God bless you all.

 

[freakygirl]

ok, i'm not a teacher... but i'm a parent of 4 children in the public school system. Now i've had some complaints about the school but NEVER the teacher. But today i had to go talk to my daughters teacher about the fact that she (my daughter) thinks its really neat to cut up her clothing. I know this isn't a teacher problem. That I need to teach my child NOT to do it. Believe me i've tried. 6 pair of pants and 8 shirts later, i got really fed up. So i approached the teacher today about it. I asked if there was anything we could do to remedy the problem. She said that she would take the scissors away, but couldn't guarentee that it wouldn't happen when they had a classroom project to do. She said, and i quote "I can't be a babysitter and a teacher at the same time". This instantly pissed me off. I send my child to school to learn.. to be taught.. i'm not looking for a free babysitter. Hell i work from home, if that was the case i'd keep her home. (i've thought about homeschooling, but to be honest, i don't have the patience nor the intelligance )

I know there is alot of students (35 in my childs class for ONE teacher) and this is because our school system says they don't have the money to hire another 1st grade teacher. But yet, they have 6 janitors (for a 1 story, 12 room school).

I told the teacher that i would come in on days that they were cutting and pasting, if she thought that would help. She got very snotty about being able to do her job, and to stay out of her business. I went to the principal about this. All she had to say, was she is over worked and under paid. I said, then why does she have this job? She doesn't seem to want to do it. The principle had no answer to this. I left VERY angry, but didn't let them know that.

I wish my daughters teacher had an ounce of the compassion that you guys seem to have. I really think she needs to retire or get a different job.

P.S. She isn't a young teacher, she has been teaching atleast 10 years. From what i understand she has the same attitude every year. Can't switch my daughter to another class or school. The one she is in, is the only one in town.

ok.. sorry.. i had to vent also

Hope you don't think i'm stealing your thread..

 

[sch00lteacher]

Oh, and schoolteacher, the point I was trying to make when I said you get 3 months off is that you could always find another job in those three months. Ever hear of a thing called summer school?

(Well shit I was leaving but I can't let this one go )

Summer School? What the fuck is that?

 

[morninggirl5]

No one ever said you HAD to be a teacher. Go out and find another career if you don't like the requirements it takes to become one. If you really loved what you were doing, you wouldn't be complaining about the pay. I go back to the same thing: you knew exactly what you were getting yourself into when you chose to become a teacher.


And morninggirl5, you openly invited criticism. Go back and reread your initital post.

No, I invited teachers to vent and release their frustrations. Until you've been in a classroom, you can't understand those frustrations.

You brought up the issue of pay. And we tried to educate you about the misconceptions you have.


Dammit, can't even prevent myself from trying to teach a troll. I'll go back to beating my head against the wall, it's less painful.

 

[sch00lteacher]

ok, She said, and i quote "I can't be a babysitter and a teacher at the same time". This instantly pissed me off.

ok.. sorry.. i had to vent also

Hope you don't think i'm stealing your thread..

You should have been pissed off. Teachers have to be aware of everything. What if the kid sitting next to your daughter thought it was neat to cut up other kids clothing, or other kids. Can't believe she would think this way.

I remember giving hair cuts in the first grade. We thought it was fun. I lost my scissors for the rest of the year.

If your ever unhappy after talking with a teacher, take it a step up. You did it the right way. Start off with the teacher, then if need be, go see the boss, the principal. But please see us first. Not all of us are dumbasses.

 

[lilminx]

ok, i'm not a teacher... but i'm a parent of 4 children in the public school system. Now i've had some complaints about the school but NEVER the teacher. But today i had to go talk to my daughters teacher about the fact that she (my daughter) thinks its really neat to cut up her clothing. I know this isn't a teacher problem. That I need to teach my child NOT to do it. Believe me i've tried. 6 pair of pants and 8 shirts later, i got really fed up. So i approached the teacher today about it. I asked if there was anything we could do to remedy the problem. She said that she would take the scissors away, but couldn't guarentee that it wouldn't happen when they had a classroom project to do. She said, and i quote "I can't be a babysitter and a teacher at the same time". This instantly pissed me off. I send my child to school to learn.. to be taught.. i'm not looking for a free babysitter. Hell i work from home, if that was the case i'd keep her home. (i've thought about homeschooling, but to be honest, i don't have the patience nor the intelligance )
I told the teacher that i would come in on days that they were cutting and pasting, if she thought that would help. She got very snotty about being able to do her job, and to stay out of her business. I went to the principal about this. All she had to say, was she is over worked and under paid. I said, then why does she have this job? She doesn't seem to want to do it. The principle had no answer to this. I left VERY angry, but didn't let them know that.

I wish my daughters teacher had an ounce of the compassion that you guys seem to have. I really think she needs to retire or get a different job.

P.S. She isn't a young teacher, she has been teaching atleast 10 years. From what i understand she has the same attitude every year. Can't switch my daughter to another class or school. The one she is in, is the only one in town.

ok.. sorry.. i had to vent also

Hope you don't think i'm stealing your thread..

i don't think you're trying to steal it at all, hon....
As for the teacher, it sounds like teacher burnout. I think that she definitely could have been nicer about it. And to be honest with you, I have teacher's aides b/c some of my students receive special education services, but if I didn't have them, I would love it if a parent offered to come in and work with the class. As a matter of fact, MY mother is coming in next week to do some Halloween cooking with the kids. Isn't she great?