As some already know, I have accepted a job at an office here in the town where I live. What with various unexpected expenses and the amount of money we were spending on gas driving two hours every day, it was becoming unfeasible for me to continue teaching.
As I sit here finishing up the last of my grading and learn a very nice and capable young man will be taking my place in a week, I am thinking about the decision I have made. I do not regret it. Teaching is a very demanding profession. It can be very rewarding, but the toll the stress was taking on me personally and on my relationship with my husband was not worth the reward to me personally.
Teaching is all about relationships. I love each and every one of my students, but I am not the kind of person who feeds off of interacting with people. It drains me. And I cannot leave those relationships at the school when I go home. I feel responsible for them, even when I am at home and on holidays. Grading is the same way.
Now that I know this about myself, I am looking forward to a job I can leave at the office when I go home and having time to volunteer with youth with my husband. He is my primary calling right now, and one day our children will be as well. I am thankful for the experience I have had and I wish all teachers the best. But I am not unhappy about my decision.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Update
Within the past two weeks, I have been told to say "Please," twice when asking the students to participate in class activities and assignments, been yelled at once for "interrupting" a conversation during one of my lectures (the girl was across the room out of her seat, talking with another girl), had a student ask if all that was going to happen if he absolutely refused to move to his assigned seat (forget expecting him to do any work) was that he was going to be sent to the principal's office, had 4 of 8 brand new pens and all of my gotcha cards stolen out of my desk, had a student respond "move, ho," when asked the proper way in which to ask a girl to move so he could get by, and watched a boy literally take a bite out of another boy's paragraph and chew it up. Have they learned any English yet?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Another Interesting Day . . .
. . . but this one I'm pretty ticked about. My 7th hour was just dandy today. Two boys decided to throw a literature textbook at each other's heads (and I had already stepped between a shoving match during 3rd hour), but the thing that really makes me mad is that someone in my 7th hour took another boy's SCHOOL PICTURES and drew a mustache and other facial paraphenalia, as well as breast indentations. He was furious, and I do not blame him one bit. I sincerely hope his mother comes up to the school to complain. Another students pulled me aside later and told me it was a certain young man in the class. This young man was one of the ones with the giant hornet yesterday, and he claimed today that the principal had taken his side because another teacher was "out to get him" for making fun of one of the new teachers. Bull. I'm about ready to suggest a group meeting with all the teachers and the boy's father. I have tried a few different punishments and even talked to his dad, but nothing is working.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
No, Patty, my day was not quite like that. This is more like it:
First, I had commons duty. This means that 15 minutes before the first bell rings, 3 of us corral 250 kids, making sure they sit down and don't kill each other before school begins.
When first hour starts, one young girl walks in smelling very strongly of sweet smoke. As it was first hour, I tried not to be too hasty and assume it was something she was actually smoking, as I understand that perhaps some parents smoke cigars at 7:30 in the morning and oftentimes that smell lingers on the students' clothes as they come into the building.
Come to find out, another teacher found ashes in the girls' bathroom sometime before lunch. Interesting.
The principle came to watch my 4th hour class (my 2nd most challenging class), and I actually got a little bit of work from one of my most difficult students!
After lunch, I sent 4 students to the office for shooting "hornets," little pieces of paper made by folding a long strip of paper over and over until you have a little rectangle about 1/8 of an inch thick which then fits nicely over the rubberbands with which the students shoot them. Oh, and by the way, I collected at least 26 rubberbands today (and no, I did not have any students hiding them under their tongues today like I did yesterday). I began keeping the entire class after 15 seconds for every time I hear a "hornet" fly across the room. It is somewhat working.
So this is what happened that 7th hour. I knew a kid had been shooting them, so I checked his arms and made him empty his pockets before he came in the room. Pretty soon I hear a whiz and a snap and turn around to see a girl holding her hand like it was hit. Not too long after that, I hear something hit the opposite side of the room. Despite my extremely engaging lesson on apostrophes, I still managed to catch those first two with rubberbands and hornets. The best part? The kid next to the boy was the one making the hornets for him - and he's usually the one getting shot by that same kid! I walked over, and kid #1 shut a drawer and sat down really quickly, claiming he did not have a rubber band. Hmm, wonder where it could be - oh, look! It's in this drawer. Office? Yes, I'm sending ---- and ---- to come see you.
5 minutes later: Most students are working on their worksheets. I meander over to a couple of desks where 2 boys are supposed to be sitting but are not. There, on the floor, with their backs to me, they have stretched a broken rubberband across from the leg of one desk to the leg of the other and have the hornet poised and ready to release. Whatcha got there? Um . . . Yeah, why don't you join the first two in the office. Office? Yes, I have two more coming your way.
10 minutes later: The team effort returns to the room. Mind you, one of them is the same boy who had asked me right before class started how he could get his grade up. My response? Why don't you try sitting in your seat, not talking, and doing your work for a change? His words as he came into the room? They said to come back. They didn't care. Great. Never heard a single word from the principles.
8th hour. Did everything but pat 2 boys down as they walked into the room. One boy pulled out a wad of rubberbands. I made a deal with him: first time I hear or see one fly across the room from anyone at all, I'm taking them.
Apostrophes again. We get 2 seconds in, and half the class is complaining because 2 boys in particular won't stop talking. I give those boys a choice: you can either listen, or you can go in the hall so the rest of the class can listen. They chose the hall, followed by a unanimous "Thank you!" from the rest of the class. It still didn't last. They got out their workbooks. Another teacher came in and asked to see those two boys. Apparently they had been shooting one of her students in the hall while she was trying to work on a test. Oh, and I did get that student's rubberband. I hear a pop, and I look up to see him sitting as if nothing were happening, and the 3 boys opposite him hiding behind their binders. Am I dumb? No. Rubberband count is up to 24.
Last hour. This is "enrichment," meaning all my first hour kids who do not play sports come back in my room for 30 minutes to do the homework which we are encouraged not to assign. Yeah, it's great. 2 more rubberbands, 3 boys picking up trash off the floor, and little girl from first hour comes prancing in reeking so strongly that my nostrils are burning and I am getting a headache. Tried the old, "Could you take this note to the principal" routine, but no go. So I then sent an email to the principal, but what with the discipline problems with which he's been dealing, I 'm not sure he has the time or the energy to even deal with this.
Finally, school is over, and I am writing my next day's information on the board. The janitor comes in and informs me that she had cought the other young lady who had also been late to my last class in the bathroom kissing another girl. Yeah, that's really popular among the kids now, so we have to crack down on PDA not only from boyfriend to girlfriend, but also from girlfriend to girlfriend, some of whom have both. I think Smoky holds the record, though. I saw her kiss 4 boys and 1 girl on the lips in a period of 5 minutes.
Yep. That was my day, Patty. I just pray they actually learned something about apostrophes and will have their essays to turn in tomorrow. I bet you're all jealous that your days are not nearly as exciting as mine! :-)
First, I had commons duty. This means that 15 minutes before the first bell rings, 3 of us corral 250 kids, making sure they sit down and don't kill each other before school begins.
When first hour starts, one young girl walks in smelling very strongly of sweet smoke. As it was first hour, I tried not to be too hasty and assume it was something she was actually smoking, as I understand that perhaps some parents smoke cigars at 7:30 in the morning and oftentimes that smell lingers on the students' clothes as they come into the building.
Come to find out, another teacher found ashes in the girls' bathroom sometime before lunch. Interesting.
The principle came to watch my 4th hour class (my 2nd most challenging class), and I actually got a little bit of work from one of my most difficult students!
After lunch, I sent 4 students to the office for shooting "hornets," little pieces of paper made by folding a long strip of paper over and over until you have a little rectangle about 1/8 of an inch thick which then fits nicely over the rubberbands with which the students shoot them. Oh, and by the way, I collected at least 26 rubberbands today (and no, I did not have any students hiding them under their tongues today like I did yesterday). I began keeping the entire class after 15 seconds for every time I hear a "hornet" fly across the room. It is somewhat working.
So this is what happened that 7th hour. I knew a kid had been shooting them, so I checked his arms and made him empty his pockets before he came in the room. Pretty soon I hear a whiz and a snap and turn around to see a girl holding her hand like it was hit. Not too long after that, I hear something hit the opposite side of the room. Despite my extremely engaging lesson on apostrophes, I still managed to catch those first two with rubberbands and hornets. The best part? The kid next to the boy was the one making the hornets for him - and he's usually the one getting shot by that same kid! I walked over, and kid #1 shut a drawer and sat down really quickly, claiming he did not have a rubber band. Hmm, wonder where it could be - oh, look! It's in this drawer. Office? Yes, I'm sending ---- and ---- to come see you.
5 minutes later: Most students are working on their worksheets. I meander over to a couple of desks where 2 boys are supposed to be sitting but are not. There, on the floor, with their backs to me, they have stretched a broken rubberband across from the leg of one desk to the leg of the other and have the hornet poised and ready to release. Whatcha got there? Um . . . Yeah, why don't you join the first two in the office. Office? Yes, I have two more coming your way.
10 minutes later: The team effort returns to the room. Mind you, one of them is the same boy who had asked me right before class started how he could get his grade up. My response? Why don't you try sitting in your seat, not talking, and doing your work for a change? His words as he came into the room? They said to come back. They didn't care. Great. Never heard a single word from the principles.
8th hour. Did everything but pat 2 boys down as they walked into the room. One boy pulled out a wad of rubberbands. I made a deal with him: first time I hear or see one fly across the room from anyone at all, I'm taking them.
Apostrophes again. We get 2 seconds in, and half the class is complaining because 2 boys in particular won't stop talking. I give those boys a choice: you can either listen, or you can go in the hall so the rest of the class can listen. They chose the hall, followed by a unanimous "Thank you!" from the rest of the class. It still didn't last. They got out their workbooks. Another teacher came in and asked to see those two boys. Apparently they had been shooting one of her students in the hall while she was trying to work on a test. Oh, and I did get that student's rubberband. I hear a pop, and I look up to see him sitting as if nothing were happening, and the 3 boys opposite him hiding behind their binders. Am I dumb? No. Rubberband count is up to 24.
Last hour. This is "enrichment," meaning all my first hour kids who do not play sports come back in my room for 30 minutes to do the homework which we are encouraged not to assign. Yeah, it's great. 2 more rubberbands, 3 boys picking up trash off the floor, and little girl from first hour comes prancing in reeking so strongly that my nostrils are burning and I am getting a headache. Tried the old, "Could you take this note to the principal" routine, but no go. So I then sent an email to the principal, but what with the discipline problems with which he's been dealing, I 'm not sure he has the time or the energy to even deal with this.
Finally, school is over, and I am writing my next day's information on the board. The janitor comes in and informs me that she had cought the other young lady who had also been late to my last class in the bathroom kissing another girl. Yeah, that's really popular among the kids now, so we have to crack down on PDA not only from boyfriend to girlfriend, but also from girlfriend to girlfriend, some of whom have both. I think Smoky holds the record, though. I saw her kiss 4 boys and 1 girl on the lips in a period of 5 minutes.
Yep. That was my day, Patty. I just pray they actually learned something about apostrophes and will have their essays to turn in tomorrow. I bet you're all jealous that your days are not nearly as exciting as mine! :-)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Back to the Simply-Stick-with-It Board?
I am not sure my procedures really did much good. Last week it seemed to be getting better, but this week, it seems we are back to square one. Of course, the more I learn about these students, the more I realize I would probably act the same way if I was dealing with all this stuff at the age of 13. And I also keep reminding myself that they are only 13 and 14 and are just going to be squirrelly from day to day.
Anyway, I hope to finish personal narratives this week (yay - lots of grading this weekend!), and next week we will begin and perhaps finish letters before Fall Break gets here.
I am reading a book another teacher loaned me, and it seems that everything I keep hearing, seeing, or reading comes down to my simply needing more experience. I can have all the theories in the world in my brain, but until I suffer few these first few years, it is just going to be difficult. Guess I shouldn't give up quite yet.
Why did I become a teacher again? Oh yeah, something about thinking every kid deserves a chance . . .
Anyway, I hope to finish personal narratives this week (yay - lots of grading this weekend!), and next week we will begin and perhaps finish letters before Fall Break gets here.
I am reading a book another teacher loaned me, and it seems that everything I keep hearing, seeing, or reading comes down to my simply needing more experience. I can have all the theories in the world in my brain, but until I suffer few these first few years, it is just going to be difficult. Guess I shouldn't give up quite yet.
Why did I become a teacher again? Oh yeah, something about thinking every kid deserves a chance . . .
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Busy Week!
Parent teacher conferences, Explore test, funeral. Yep, it was pretty busy. As far as I can tell, my classes seem to be somewhat learning the procedures, although they still haven't mastered the art of doing homework. Oh, and if you ever want to know how to get parents to show up to parent-teacher conference: If you give them Fs, they will come!
Please keep B. in your prayers: her mother committed suicide on Monday. The funeral was yesterday. A few other teachers and I came to the service. She doesn't look like she is doing very well, and I just hope she deals with everything and is able to get back on track after a while.
Now, for a fun day of grading papers!
Please keep B. in your prayers: her mother committed suicide on Monday. The funeral was yesterday. A few other teachers and I came to the service. She doesn't look like she is doing very well, and I just hope she deals with everything and is able to get back on track after a while.
Now, for a fun day of grading papers!
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