Teachers-- Inspirational sayings in your classroom, what's on your walls? (middle school, pay)

[maf763]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

I'm pretty sure that a lot of people make more than $40,000 right out of school. Sounds like the teacher might regret some of the choices s/he's made in life.

Either that or they haven't bought new posters in a while.

[bowlinggreenorbust]

Originally Posted by HighlandsGal

Is the teacher "old"? I ask because one of them mentioned a "car phone" or did you mean cell phone??

LOL I Thought that was weird too! And I know plenty of 9yos with cell phones (not mine!) She's pretty young late 30s early 40s.

[bowlinggreenorbust]

Originally Posted by d'ann

I teach third grade and those seem pretty harsh to me. Two new posters that I put up this year are "The best things in life aren't things" and "If you can't change it, change the way you look at it" with a half-full, half-empty glass. While I see the reality of those sayings that you listed, I think fourth grade is too early for that. At third grade, I want my students to feel safe and comfortable in the classroom. But that's just me.

Those are awesome, Wanna teach 4th grade in KY?

[photobuff42]

Sounds more secondary in nature to me.

[Acuda]

Those posters and sayings are not age appropriate and a bit too abstract for 9 year olds. I'm all for getting my students to think "outside the box," but those are just too out there for 4th Grade. I teach 4th Grade as well and here is what I have up in my classroom.

"The trouble in life comes not from aiming too high and missing, it comes comes from aiming too low and hitting the mark!"


"Through these doors walk our champions of tomorrow!" (a bit cheesy, but I'm a cheesy dude).

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift." - Steve Prefontaine (I'm an Oregon Alum, so I've got to rock a Pre quote in the class)

"You only have to read on days that end in "Y."- next to my classroom library

Plus, a few Oregon Football posters (fully intended to indoctrinate my kids here in Texas Longhorn country- I have no shame- haha)

And of course my school emails have a snazzy little quote that I fully believe.

"It is important that students bring a certain ragamuffin, barefoot, irreverence to their studies; they are not here to worship what is known, but to question it." - Jacob Bronowski

A funny thing happened the other day as I was setting up my classroom. My principal was giving a tour to a home schooled boy when they walked into my class. The shaggy haired boy was wearing a football jersey, basketball shorts and had that certain dirty, rug rat smear on his face so many 9 year boys have. He looks at my Oregon posters, sombrero hanging on the wall, and then at me wearing my wizard hat (had no place to put it at that time), and looks at the principal and says, "I want to be in this class!" Well, he didn't end up in it since I always have the rough and rambunctious kiddos and he was just too nice (and I was full already).

[bowlinggreenorbust]

Thank you all, I've been accused of "overreacting" in the past, it's nice to see some validation that this is totally not appropriate for 9yo children!

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by bowlinggreenorbust

• If you think your teacher is tough, wait til you get a BOSS!
• Be nice to nerds, chances are you'll end up working for one.
• The world won't care about your self esteem as the school does. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself!
• You will not make $40,000 a year right out of school. You will not be a vice president with a car phone until you earn BOTH!

These quotes are all a direct lift from the e-mail that circulated (years ago, BTW) from Bill Gates' speech to college graduates. I don't know what a teacher of fourth graders could be thinking.

[skbs]

IT TAKES AS MUCH ENERGY TO WISH AS IT DOES TO PLAN

(Eleanor Roosevelt)

[bowlinggreenorbust]

Originally Posted by skbs

IT TAKES AS MUCH ENERGY TO WISH AS IT DOES TO PLAN

(Eleanor Roosevelt)

Very nice! I"ll be putting that on our Wall at home. Today was the last straw with the crappy school, I'm homeschooling her.

[skbs]

Originally Posted by bowlinggreenorbust

Very nice! I"ll be putting that on our Wall at home. Today was the last straw with the crappy school, I'm homeschooling her.

It is my favorite quote... I tell myself that in order to keep from procrastonating.