They don't mint enough money for me to put up with those little heathens! And I work in a jail!!!! I'm glad there are folks like you that do teach! Keep up the good work, Alison...

^^I second that. Of course, the only people I've taught have been 18 or older so I don't have to listen to their parents. I'm convinced that's the way to go. Good on you and keep up the good work.

Cheers.

-A.

teachers are my heroes, truth.

But in no way should a teacher think they know my children better than I.

Shovelheat:
Haha..maybe we can work something out between middle school and jail..hmm...that could get interesting.

A:
Thanks for the endearing comments. Some of the parents get so anal and do everything possible to hinder teachers. It's so annoying!

LW:
I wasn't writing this at you, personally. I have read your arguments and I think you do have some strong points. Just maybe take Marcie's comments with a grain of salt. She was pissed off and didn't mean any harm...or atleast, that's how I see it.

Mod:
I am not saying that a teacher knows their students better than their parents. I just think that the parents and teachers should work on the same side instead of working against each other.

Reply By: alison watkinsPosted: Wednesday, October 12, 2005Mod:I am not saying that a teacher knows their students better than their parents. I just think that the parents and teachers should work on the same side instead of working against each other.

perfect.

I don't have a problem with teachers that are teachers. I don't like armchair physicians, child welfare agents, psychologists, family counselors, etc. I have yet, at any time, to ever have a conflict with one of my daughter's teachers about anything disciplinary or academic.

Why I would ever need to talk to them about anything else is basically the problem most people have with teachers, and probably why teachers don't seem to have enough hours in the day to get what they need to do done. I like teachers, some of the best friends I had growing up were teachers I had previous. In the end, though, those teachers didn't act like a surrogate mother, or my local socialist overseer, they acted like teachers.

~~Teachers are on your side, I promise!~~
I second that.

How has your group been doing? We took our 5th graders to an out of town field trip to some Caverns on Friday. They observed desert animals and plants on the way there, and they studied cavern formations (stalagmites and stalactities (sp?) mostly) during the tour. The Cavern part of the trip turned out great, but the trip going and coming was, well, noisy...lol.

Then again, what do you expect when you are on a bus with 45 excited 10 and 11 year olds?

I think what you see is just a philosophical difference in the role of a teacher, not necessarily a slam against teachers.  There are many good teachers out there, and I have had the pleasure to work with a lot of them.

Then there are the waste of a human skin.

Hey chickie,

I don't have a problem with teachers at all. I think that the majority of teachers are professional, well educated and honest people.

There are, however, some teachers who like to beat people around the head and neck with their qualifications, and who, if given the chance, would have us all bow to their might teacher-ness. THOSE are the teachers I have issues with. The ones who think that they know more about my child than I do after having had them in their class for a month. The ones who would have me, the parent, work FOR them in my child's best interests, rather than WITH them.

The way I see it is this: we both have my kid's best interests at heart. We should have a partnership, not a dictatorship.

a teacher is just about babbling in front of a classroom and getting a paycheck when it's all said in done.

Teaching is about researching your topics and your students. It's being able to know how all of your children learn. It's about knowing all of your children's interests. It's about being resourceful. It's about taking a lesson and catoring it to your children to make the lesson fun and educational for all involved. It's about similarities and differences. It's about the thirst for knowledge and the hunger to do better.

The first isn't completely false, but your article did a great job of showing the difference between a poor teacher and a great teacher. Unfortunately, both have equal affect on educating our kids.

~~~~~

I have written a few articles about teachers here in Wisconsin. My complaints have little to do with their abilities as teachers because our education system is pretty good.

What I do bring up though has more to do with the teachers' union than the idividual teachers. In Wisconsin a teacher starts out at around $28,000 a year (many teachers make in excess of $75k a year), full medical, dental and other benefits (with a $5 co-pay and little or no premium payments), a retirement package that surpasses almost anything in the private sector and so many days off our kids don't get out for summer vacation until the middle of June. Yes, they are for career latter, Union meetings, conferences and other "teacher enhancing" programs, but since no tenured teacher is required to attend them, they are days off as far as I'm concerned.

For this great pay and benefit package (compared to other states), we get nothing but whining and complaining that we don't do more for our teachers... that they don't get paid enough, and that their benefits suck.

We show our appreciation to our teachers by giving them more than competative pay and benefits, they show their appreciation to us by whining for more.

~~~~~~

That being said, thank you for your time, patience and efforts to be a great teacher, and for trying to educate us on how hard it really is!!!!

Baker:
I do agree. I think some teachers try to take on too many roles. This detracts from learning in the classroom. This could be why some teachers get bogged down with so much work and quit the profession after 5 years.

LW:
Wow...I didn't realize what exactly she said to you. Ok..I admit, I would be pissed. It sounds like emotions ran pretty high. I hope that soon you two will be able to see eye to eye, but it does sound like a break from each other is the best thing.

Inbloom:
Wow! How did you survive the bus ride! hehe. Actually, it sounds like you guys had a lot of fun.

Choir has been going pretty well. I have a new discepline strategy and it's working like a charm! If they misbehaive I warn the group that it's points off of their participation grade. At the same time I take out a pen and say, "Do I need to write down names?" Now I'm pretty much to the point where if they see me reach for the pen, they are quiet as can be!

Dr. Guy:
Good point. Very well put. Here's another interesting point and a rant of nervousness:

I have been doing my job now for the past month and a half, and I think I'm really starting to reach out to some kids. I am doing everything in my power to better myself because I am no where near high and mighty. I take my state examination for my license this Saturday. If I pass, there's a possibility I will be picked up in the district, instead of being just a leave replacement. If I fail, I have to leave when the other teacher is due back from Iraq or possibly sooner. I have met teachers that don't give a shit about anything except that damn paycheck at the end, yet they pass these tests with flying colors. On top of teaching, I have been studying my ass off for this exam. If I fail, I am going to be pissed off knowing that many of these unqualified teachers are out there.

Dharma:
I agree. As put in my statement above, some teachers out there are just plain assholes. I hate teachers who try to be high and mighty, or therapist like. I was talking with a teacher the other day, and honestly she sounded more like a therapist. I found that to be highly annoying.

The way I see it is this: we both have my kid's best interests at heart. We should have a partnership, not a dictatorship.

All of that aside, what's been new with you?

All of that aside, what's been new with you?

Well, I get to take my brace off for a few hours a day at the end of the month, I sprained my back a couple of weeks ago and was pissed off at myself over it, Dave's leaving for school the first week of November and won't be back until right before Christmas, I'm starting a medical transcription class next month, I'm getting a laptop (should be here today), we bought a Ford Explorer......Dave's been pretty busy at work and currently has 3 males and 1 female in the jail (with one more female coming in this week and an AWOL in the area that will probably need to be detained until the Navy can come and get him), but things are going much better both at home and at work. We kind of shifted into partnership mode again. I've been helping him at work and rather than seeing me as the enemy, the person pulling him in the opposite direction from his job he's seeing me more as his personal assistant, someone who he can rely on to help out when needed and who understands the pressures his job and unit put on him. It's making life a LOT easier. Yeah, we still bicker, but our spats are storms in teacups rather than all-out battles.

I think having a second vehicle and my feeling not quite so trapped at home and reliant on someone else for everything is helping out a lot too. I'm more independent that I was 2 months ago...that's a huge deal to me.

What's going on w/you? How are you dealing with your gaggle of teens at work?

Parated:
Holy crap! Since my school is union free, I never realized what exactly defined the teacher's union. I think all teachers should be required to attend meetings, tenured or not.

and thank you for your insight!

Dharma:
I'm glad to hear that there has been calm after the storm with D. It was just one of those ebbs and flows of marraige that I am realizing happens to everyone. If there wasn't disagreement then there would be a problem. Either, you don't have a mind of your own or you just give in to his side to save the risk of an argument. Since you obviously have a mind, and so does he, there's bound to be disagreement. A lot of it probably had to do with the fact that you were recovering and frustrated with pain..etc. Glad to hear the brace is off and you're back to work!

Here's what's been going on with me....

School has been improving, which hey, I can't complain about that! My eighth graders are still my toughest group. Yesterday I had them pack up early and write an essay on respect. I also asked the question if they thought I was fair. Suprisingly, most of them answered yes. Then they began to state how it's so easy to pick on the new teachers and that they were sorry. I was pretty floored.

As for married life, Hardin and I rarely see each other, and when we do, we are exhausted! I go in at 7:00 every day and get home by 4, and he's usually booked with school between 9 am and 6-8 pm. By 9 pm I'm pretty much winding down and in bed by 10, and he's usually up until midnight. We're getting along pretty well because we realize that the time we have together is precious, since we rarely see eachother. Right now he's on tour with the Dorsey Orchestra yet again, and I won't see him until Sunday evening.

Glad to hear things are good with you!

If I fail, I am going to be pissed off knowing that many of these unqualified teachers are out there.

That is a very telling quote.  For in real life, there are many people who are good test takers (I am one), and others who are not.  I have a boat load of certifications, but that really does not make me more qualified to do my job than someone without them (it just gives the employer warm fuzzies when hiring).

By the same token, another in my field may have my certifications, and yet not be able to do the job (we call them Paper Certificates as they took the tests, but have no real world experience).

I wish you well on your exam.  And you are right. Passing it is not going to make you any more qualified, and failing it will not make you less qualified.  And many who have passed, should not be teaching as it is.