Teachers of the world, unite!

[troymess]

Last teacher day is June 12th for me. I'm going back to former school district next year as it's a little closer to home.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

Where are you at Troy?

[troymess]

Where are you at Troy?

PM'd

[suchashorttime]

i'm a second year teacher trying to hang in.  i love teaching, when i can actually teach.  the battle with curriculum and standards is a tough one.  has everyone else moved to common core?  i'm in kindergarten, too, so it's obviously not a testing grade, but all of the creativity and learning by play has been sucked out for content-intensive curriculum.  and my district keeps lowering salaries and the state is making us pay more into benefits.  i won't be making a dignified salary until my 12th or 13th year, which puts me at 40.  at some point i'd like to buy a home and start a family, but i don't see how.  it's rough.  i love my school and kids, too.

 

last day is the 28th!  then i have to find summer work.  yikes.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

so my wife just finished her fourth year at her school, and had interviewed for a position at another district.  she was offered the position last night, and excitedly accepted it.  today, the last day teachers had in the school to pack up for the summer, she informed her principal she was offered a job at another school and was giong to be leaving.  her principal, within 10 seconds of her finding out said "oh!  great! I can hire so-and-so!".  Then, asked why she would want to leave to go teach at that school, and told her she wasnt qualified at all for the position (which, actually, she's MORE qualified for that job than the one she currently has), and that anyone who leaves their district to go to that school district always end up wanting to return.  THAT IS ALL SHE SAID.  No congrats, no good luck, nothing positive at all.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE????  Why cant she just be happy for my wife?  She literally HIRED the new teacher within 30 minutes (the new teacher has ZERO teaching experience, did 1 year with americorps while she finished her teaching degree which is how she was at my wife's school to begin with) of finding out my wife was leaving.  I have never been so fucking mad... I realize this is just the principals way to cover up her own insecurities, but WHAT THE FUCK.

[BuzzersonKillwell]

Much like nepotism and cronyism, poor management skills and a lack of decorum are in all industries. 

 

Sounds like your wife is headed to a better situation. Good for her!

[jhook]

How about the custodians in the schools where you guys work at? I am a day guy at an elementary school. We don't have a last day. We work harder during the summer. The teachers in my buildng are awesome but I have worked in some where they were very hard to work with. All ways be nice to the custodian, we know everything that goes on.

[GradedOnACurve]

^ I did that on and off for the better part of 3 years through college. Definitely an underappreciated position. Nothing like stripper fumes in the summer.

 

Seeing as I'm trying to finish my masters program full time to become a teacher, a lot more goes into preparation as well as daily work. So I would only imagine the breaks are a necessity for everyone. Plus how else would a thorough cleaning/painting get done?

[turbobrando]

so my wife just finished her fourth year at her school, and had interviewed for a position at another district.  she was offered the position last night, and excitedly accepted it.  today, the last day teachers had in the school to pack up for the summer, she informed her principal she was offered a job at another school and was giong to be leaving.  her principal, within 10 seconds of her finding out said "oh!  great! I can hire so-and-so!".  Then, asked why she would want to leave to go teach at that school, and told her she wasnt qualified at all for the position (which, actually, she's MORE qualified for that job than the one she currently has), and that anyone who leaves their district to go to that school district always end up wanting to return.  THAT IS ALL SHE SAID.  No congrats, no good luck, nothing positive at all.  WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE????  Why cant she just be happy for my wife?  She literally HIRED the new teacher within 30 minutes (the new teacher has ZERO teaching experience, did 1 year with americorps while she finished her teaching degree which is how she was at my wife's school to begin with) of finding out my wife was leaving.  I have never been so fucking mad... I realize this is just the principals way to cover up her own insecurities, but WHAT THE FUCK.

 

 

Sounds like the principal be jelllly

[turbobrando]

How about the custodians in the schools where you guys work at? I am a day guy at an elementary school. We don't have a last day. We work harder during the summer. The teachers in my buildng are awesome but I have worked in some where they were very hard to work with. All ways be nice to the custodian, we know everything that goes on.

 

[paynegretzky]

Where I live it is also a struggle for a young, somewhat recent graduate to find work. For me it is going year to year, if nothing comes up I need to supply for a bit until something opens. With budget cuts and less of a turn around some colleagues have turned to other career paths even, which I could not imagine doing after putting in my 5 1/2 years of post secondary. Hanging in there, but optimistic. Very nice seeing a number of teachers on this forum!

[jhook]

I am the ears and eyes of this institution.

[turbobrando]

I am the ears and eyes of this institution.

 

I go through your lockers. I read your letters. You don't know that, but I do.

 

Haha. When you posted that, it's the first thing I thought of

[jhook]

In all seriousness tho, we find stuff out long before the teachers do sometimes. Parents also tell us stuff. It's crazy.

[turbobrando]

For sure

[mcm1610]

Re: the custodians

 

When I just started student teaching, my supervisor said this to me: "You always have to be nice to the people who run the buildings, so cozy up to secretaries and custodians."

 

I took that to heart.

[streetwaves]

I know there's a few on here.  Just want to see what it's like in your neck of the woods.

 

Around here, it's test-test-test, data, budget cuts, and worrying about who will have a job next year.  Do you guys face heavy cuts like NYS (and particularly WNY)?  Do states that don't have Regents exams like we do focus so much on the testing?

 

What's the climate like where you are?  Here there's tons of negativity, a very heavy feeling of teachers-vs-administration combativeness, and the feeling that we aren't trustworthy as professionals.  Is it like that everywhere?  I hope not, but if it is, that can't last forever, can it?

I've been teaching for sixteen years---currently in NYC. The only way things are going to change is if parents get involved and stand up against school closings, standardized testing, consulting firms and trying to make money from education. Otherwise, we're fucked.

[streetwaves]

i'm a second year teacher trying to hang in.  i love teaching, when i can actually teach.  the battle with curriculum and standards is a tough one.  has everyone else moved to common core?  i'm in kindergarten, too, so it's obviously not a testing grade, but all of the creativity and learning by play has been sucked out for content-intensive curriculum.  and my district keeps lowering salaries and the state is making us pay more into benefits.  i won't be making a dignified salary until my 12th or 13th year, which puts me at 40.  at some point i'd like to buy a home and start a family, but i don't see how.  it's rough.  i love my school and kids, too.

 

last day is the 28th!  then i have to find summer work.  yikes.

13 years and only 40K? That's outrageous. I'm sorry. You should make double that amount. Even though our salary schedule seems to pay more than yours, I will never be able to afford to own a home in NYC. It's a trade off.

 

Common Core rules the roost in NYC. I don't have a problem with CCSS---we've always followed state standards so it's not much of a change. It's the (mis)use of the Danielson Framework for observations that has me concerned. 

[sirrichardrichard]

I think he means age wise 40.

 

Interesting, in Ontario (Canada), we've gone to full day, play based learning throughout kindergarten - it's probably going to bleed into first grade too in the next couple of years.

[mcm1610]

Maybe I should look into teaching across the border. I'm close enough, and I get my Nexus pass in the mail in the next few days anyway.

[sirrichardrichard]

I imagine the job market is worse here (Niagara Area). They've just instituted seniority based hiring through something called Reg. 274. I've been on LTOs solid for the last 5 years (few contracts...this year is the first time there hasn't been redundancies that I can remember) after teaching in Ottawa and Saskatchewan. Now, they have made an Occasional Teacher seniority list (with 650 people on it) and they've developed something called the Long Term Occasional list too. All LTOs have to come from that list unless there is no one qualified. If you can speak French and are somewhat talented, there's a good chance you'd find an LTO or even a contract...but it's slim pickings for us unilingual folk. My job this year is trying drudge up all the French I learned 15 years ago.

[suchashorttime]

13 years and only 40K? That's outrageous. I'm sorry. You should make double that amount. Even though our salary schedule seems to pay more than yours, I will never be able to afford to own a home in NYC. It's a trade off.

 

Common Core rules the roost in NYC. I don't have a problem with CCSS---we've always followed state standards so it's not much of a change. It's the (mis)use of the Danielson Framework for observations that has me concerned. 

right, i meant by age 40.  by then, i probably will be making close to 80k if not a bit more, but for the price of living in north jersey on top of the student loan debt i'm carrying, it's hardly gonna get me anywhere.

[¯\_(ツ)_/¯]

sooo... this is the lunch menu for the school my wife started teaching at this month... for students and staff.

 

8.22
Open Faced Turkey Sandwich or Seitan Sandwich
Tossed Salad with Chickpeas
Mashed Potatoes
Red Pepper/Cucumber Slices
Apple

 

8.23
All Beef Burgers or Homemade Black Bean Burger on W.Wheat Bun
Broccoli and Corn
Carolina Slaw
Grapes

8.26
Kielbasa Dog
Vegetarian Dog
Sweet Potato Wedges
Carrot Bites/Cukes
Apple

 

8.27
Chicken Stir Fry or Tofu Stir Fry
Mixed Vegetables: Snow Peas, Carrots, Onions
Brown Rice
Roasted Pears

 

8.28
Scrambled Eggs
Sausage Patty or Soy Patty
French Toast
Fresh Peaches
Jicama & Carrot Sticks

 

 8.29
Chicken Sandwich or Veg “Chicken” Sandwich
With lettuce & tomatoes
Root Veggie Salad with Fresh Herbs
Green Apple

8.30
Grilled Cheese
Tossed Salad with Radishes
Three Bean Salad
Banana

 

9.2
No School

 

9.3
Baked Mac n’ Cheese
Green Beans
Grapes and Oranges
Tossed Salad
Bread Stick
Motts: Green Beans

 

9.4
Beef and Bean Burritos or
TVP and Bean Burritos
Toppings (Lettuce, Cheese, Salsa)
Tomatoes and Zucchini
Bananas

[GradedOnACurve]

Hope it's as good as it sounds!

[paynegretzky]

Mike T, that lunch menu looks legit in comparison to how my school use to be.

Our school district has gone a long way since I was in high school. They could hardly accommodate people with allergies, but now it seems everyone can eat for an somewhat decent cost. Beats the greasy stale pizza I was subject to.