teachers and educators, why?

School cycling coach! It's legit now..

I would love to give it a shot. Buy i hear to many stories of shit teachers or teachers who cares to much but are held back by school "standards " they have to meet.

A friend of mine who is a HS math teacher in a inner city in nj told me that the highest grade in her class is a C on average. But since she is a new teacher and needs her job her school demands that they put out at least b average students. So they are forced to grade on really dumb curves and give bonus points on tests for just showing up to class. Now these kids who don't know shit are passing just because the school needs to meet its yearly figures. I have a hard time blaming my friend, she tries hard, but they are understaffed, overworked and at the end of the day she needs her job to progress on her field. Sucks to see he care so much but struggle to find ways to "pass" kids when she knows they haven't gained the knowledge yet.
 
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What about paid work at non-profits?

you have significant experience with volunteer work.
This could be high reward, better life, reasonable pay??
 
jumpa said:
School cycling coach! It's legit now..
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i was reading some of the rules about putting a team together, how it could be regionalized, primary goals.
it isn't going to happen under the 'school' umbrella. no $$ in nj for that. (i suspect that there will be exceptions)
it could happen under a shop or team sponsorship.
 
@qclabrat, what you've post here makes it seem like your views and understanding of teaching and the profession are not grounded in reality. Teaching is a crap load of work, even more so for a new teacher. Yeah there are some bad apples out there that don't really care, but many (most?) teachers teach because they are passionate about what they do and really care about their students.
 
jumpa said:
School cycling coach! It's legit now..

I would love to give it a shot. Buy i hear to many stories of shit teachers or teachers who cares to much but are held back by school "standards " they have to meet.

A friend of mine who is a HS math teacher in a inner city in nj told me that the highest grade in her class is a C on average. But since she is a new teacher and needs her job her school demands that they put out at least b average students. So they are forced to grade on really dumb curves and give bonus points on tests for just showing up to class. Now these kids who don't know shit are passing just because the school needs to meet its yearly figures. I have a hard time blaming my friend, she tries hard, but they are understaffed, overworked and at the end of the day she needs her job to progress on her field. Sucks to see he care so much but struggle to find ways to "pass" kids when she knows they haven't gained the knowledge yet.
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I have some friends who teach in Elizabeth, all are working and happy to be working, they follow the line, ask no question, don't give a shit, and go home. Parent's don't care at all, which is part of the problem, Cs and Ds are okay. I couldn't do her job, it's seems like an uphill battle everyday

btw: I miss music appreciation, The Snake...
 
ChrisRU said:
@qclabrat, what you've post here makes it seem like your views and understanding of teaching and the profession are not grounded in reality. Teaching is a crap load of work, even more so for a new teacher. Yeah there are some bad apples out there that don't really care, but many (most?) teachers teach because they are passionate about what they do and really care about their students.
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Chris, that was the purpose of this thread, to challenge my perceptions of teaching.
I don't discount that the vast majority to prospective teachers go into the profession for the obvious reasons; building young minds, mentoring youth and making a personal difference. Those goals alone are a significant undertaking for a new teacher. Now add all the other factors which makes the job less appealing, especially the ones mandated by the district and state. Seems like the cons outweigh the pros.

Can someone qualify this statement for me? Probably what my first question should have been.
Is it more difficult to be a teacher today, than say 10-20 years ago?
 
qclabrat said:
I can't see how the numbers work for any teacher who is bringing home the bacon
Don't recall seeing teachers married to teachers for that reason, I guess
most teachers I know (male and female) usually have a spouse which significantly higher income
my situation is a bit different from you in that I'll be hitting the sunset of my current career in the next 5-10 years, kids are approaching college years and done/saved enough for the future, where I can take a significant pay cut assuming an improved quality of life
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If you aren't concerned too much about money and you work for a good department, teaching college is awesome. It has certainly been the sunshine of my career-life. I find it hugely rewarding, challenging, and interesting.
 
qclabrat said:
Can someone qualify this statement for me? Probably what my first question should have been.
Is it more difficult to be a teacher today, than say 10-20 years ago?
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Unbelieveably yes. In my 13 years alone it has changed dramatically. It used to be a noble profession where you could influence the minds of many children and help shape their futures. Now it is somehow a part of the popular culture to villanize teachers and blame them for all that is wrong with students - neglecting the fact that there are many reasons why students can and will not learn. Many teachers put in long hours doing many difficult tasks at once and are taken for granted. For those like myself, I have to ignore all the negativity and degrading of the profession to still put out a great product every day. I put a lot of effort into my work because of the many that do take advantage of the material being divulged to them. All of this raising the bar nonsense only works if the students are willing to work and be motivated. It's really a hard profession to define and I hope the culture/climate starts getting back to where it once was.
 
In the US the teachers are severely under paid, for example in China, teachers are in the upper middle class in terms of salaries and not too far from doctors and lawyers. If I had a choice I'd rather increase salaries in my district than give chromebooks to every 2nd grader each year.
 
greeek32 said:
If you aren't concerned too much about money and you work for a good department, teaching college is awesome. It has certainly been the sunshine of my career-life. I find it hugely rewarding, challenging, and interesting.
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that's really great , I really enjoy hearing individuals making career changes and getting self
fulfillment
 
xc62701 said:
Unbelieveably yes. In my 13 years alone it has changed dramatically. It used to be a noble profession where you could influence the minds of many children and help shape their futures. Now it is somehow a part of the popular culture to villanize teachers and blame them for all that is wrong with students - neglecting the fact that there are many reasons why students can and will not learn. Many teachers put in long hours doing many difficult tasks at once and are taken for granted. For those like myself, I have to ignore all the negativity and degrading of the profession to still put out a great product every day. I put a lot of effort into my work because of the many that do take advantage of the material being divulged to them. All of this raising the bar nonsense only works if the students are willing to work and be motivated. It's really a hard profession to define and I hope the culture/climate starts getting back to where it once was.
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I'm sorry you feel that way, if it helps at all, I don't think most feel this way and is really a reflection of the education system itself. Frustrated parents usually only have access to teachers, who unfortunately get the bulk of the wrath and venting. I know this may be putting you on the spot, so ping me privately if you prefer. What can be done? I see this erosion of teaching talents very disheartening and concerned its not looking better. I'm hoping I can help some way.
 
qclabrat said:
I'm sorry you feel that way, if it helps at all, I don't think most feel this way and is really a reflection of the education system itself. Frustrated parents usually only have access to teachers, who unfortunately get the bulk of the wrath and venting. I know this may be putting you on the spot, so ping me privately if you prefer. What can be done? I see this erosion of teaching talents very disheartening and concerned its not looking better. I'm hoping I can help some way.
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I really wish I knew what could be done to change the way that people view teachers. Maybe it's a symptom of the most that get it and support teachers aren't the vocal ones. The ones who think that we babysit and are overpaid are the noisy ones. Everyone has the chance to point the finger at someone to blame for their kids inequities. A lot of the time it's pointed back at the teachers for some reason. I know there are some bad teachers but for most it's an expression of pride in everything that we do. It's sure as hell isn't for the pay or notoriety.
 
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