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Have you tried making the kids/parents sign a lab safety contract? I have my students sign a statement that they have read and agree to follow the safety rules (including consequences for breaking them). When I taught high school, I also had their parents sign it and gave them a copy of the rules for their records. No signature = no lab. Then when a student breaks the rules, I whip out their signed "contract", and they can't/don't complain about the consequences.
Yup. They went home the first day of school and had to be returned signed before the first lab. I consider THAT warning enough. I'm not sure why the administration now wants me to document that I've observed the unsafe behavior and warned the child again before I can actually do something about it.
I've been told to document that I reminded the child about the behavior. If they do it again, I call their parents. If they do it again, I call home again. If they do it again, then I can talk to the administration to see what they want to do. Let's just hope no one gets hurt while they're breaking the rules three times BEFORE there are consequences. (Most parents don't care when I call home). Basically, my policy of IMMEDIATELY being removed from my class has been revoked by the administration.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 11-10-2009 at 08:51 PM..
As I've talked about in other posts, I have the wrong certs. I'm single subject in chemistry and physics. Few schools hire us. Schools like holders of general science certs because they can put them anywhere. The state made the decision in 2004 to continue to allow holders of general science certs to teach chemistry and physics without a major or minor in the subjects to avoid a shortage of teachers. This created a situation where someone who has a major or minor in chemistry or physics is unmarketable unless they also hold a general science cert. I'm afraid sucky placements are all that are open to me. Schools don't want teachers who can teach a few subjects well. They want teachers who can teach a lot of subjects and don't care whether they can teach them well or not. It's all about flexibility in scheduling. So it's back to engineering for me. At least I hope it's back to engineering for me. It's kind of scary being 50 and looking for an engineering job. Restarting a career at my age won't be easy.
I did toy with the idea of going back and taking the life and earth science courses I'd need for a general science cert but then I realized that I'd just end up teaching subjects I'm not really interested in or very good at. As a teacher, what I really offer is expertise in chemistry and engineering (physics). That's what I do well. That's where my interest is. I really don't want to teach astronomy or biology.
Our community college is looking for MS in Chemistry.....
the welfare department here is full of credentialed teachers, this should speak volumns about K12.
Are you saying they can't find jobs or they choose to work there instead?
Right now, I'd take that or any other job that comes along. I made my safety rules very clear from day one. I remind the kids before any lab of them. The no eating rule gets reminded all the time because it's a normal rule (because our class is our lab) and someone pushes it, at least, once a week (and I still find candy wrappers on the floor from the kids I don't catch). But the office thinks I need to remind students, warn them and call their parents before taking action?
Yeah, I'll take an office job. I just hope I find one before I'm fired. I'm sure this is the beginning of setting me up to be fired. I'm rocking the boat and I've been told that all you have to do to get fired at this school is not be liked. Unfortunately, in this class, I'm ineffective because the kids know they have to be warned before anything can happen to them. I have about 7 in this class who take turns seeing how they can disrupt class knowing I have to warn them once and call mom before I can send them to the office and I can't call mom until after school. I have to admit with everything else on my plate I'm not good at getting phone calls home made. I only made about 35 in October.
Because the infractions in this class are usually borderline, the kids paint it to their parents as I pick on them. Honestly, some of these behaviors would be ignored in a class where I only had one or two kids doing them. When it's six or seven it's enough to disrupt class. This class has me waking up with a knot in my stomache every morning. I need to get out of this job. I made the biggest mistake of my life going into teaching. When a class can win, it's time to leave and hope the next teacher has a better handle on things. With three lab based preps, one of which is a new class I'm writing the curriculum for as I go, requirements ot remediate failing students, a large number of special ed students who need extra help and usually no para, students who need tutoring after school....I, all too often, get to the end of the day and realize I had six calls home to make but didn't get to them. I've learned the hard way that if I call tomorrow I get "Was he a problem today?". I need a secretary.
Our community college is looking for MS in Chemistry.....
Unemployment is so bad here that many people are taking adjunct positions at community colleges. I attended and adjunct day and was suprised I had to wait in a line 10 deep to interview for a chemistry position. Because of prior committments, I wasn't available the days they needed then when they did call about an engineering class, they didn't wait 24 hours to hear back from me and hired someone else that afternoon because they called back (My daughter was in the hospital so I didn't get the message until that evening and called first thing the next morning but was too late).
Teachers, and just about everyone else, are a dime a dozen here. If I were in position to quit this job and not work for a while, I'd try to build a full time job out of 4 adjunct jobs at different colleges. Teaching 2 classes at 4 colleges adds up to a full time job. Unfortunately, zero income while I get this in the works won't work for me. I'd need, at least, unemployment while I worked this out.
You know what really stinks? If I'd known the certs I was getting were the wrong ones, I could have had my PhD in engineering in the same time it took to get my MAT. THAT would have made me employable. Can I have a do over?
I like teaching but I like teaching what I'm good at. I can't see geting a general science cert just so a school can stick me anywhere they want to. Trust me, you do NOT want me teaching your child biology or any other science that requires a lot of memorization. What I'm good at is explaining what this stuff is good for, why you need to know it and how to use it but I'm good in chemistry, physics (well most areas of physics, chemical engineers are notoriously lousy at electrical circuits) and math (my first language in education). My physics kids tell me that they understand the trig and calc I teach them because I teach it from a real world perspective. I hear from kids who had the previous teacher that I teach things they never learned. I've worked hard to make chemistry a lab based class. I teach three lab based preps (I've done 9 labs so far this year), one of which is a new class I'm writing the curriculum for as I go (I'm only a second year teacher), I do not have a TA, I do not have a separate lab where I can set things up and leave them when students need to make up labs (so I get to set them up over and over to accomodate students who were absent), two of my classes have more than 1/3 (one close to 1/2) special ed students with accomodations and I'm lucky if I have a para 60% of the time in one of them (only when I plead with the special ed office in the other), most days I have kids in my class for tutoring until an hour after school and I'm about to get hammered because I don't warn kids enough and call home before referring to the office. I put in 80 hours a week as it is. WHEN am I supposed to document every infraction and call home? What I need is support from the office. I've been burried too deep and I'm about to be reprimanded for not getting everything they want done. I really wish I could just say "*********" and walk out today. Unfortunately, we do need some income from me so I'm stuck.
How do other teachers deal with all of this? How do you manage three lab based preps and write a curriculum map for a new class that they didn't even supply a teachers manual for? AND document every infraction for every child AND call home on those infractions so that the office will support discipline? I don't know how to do it but I'm only a second year teacher. My gut says this is not what you do to a second year teacher. That they have burried me too deep and now will use that against me as grounds for dismissal for my failure to get it all done. I sure hope I have a wrongful dismissal case here. I'm screwed WRT finding another job if they fire me.
It is going to be such a relief when I can walk into the principals office and say "I QUIT". They've piled too much on my plate, given me too little
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 11-11-2009 at 04:43 AM..
How do other teachers deal with all of this? How do you manage three lab based preps and write a curriculum map for a new class that they didn't even supply a teachers manual for? AND document every infraction for every child AND call home on those infractions so that the office will support discipline? I don't know how to do it but I'm only a second year teacher. My gut says this is not what you do to a second year teacher. That they have burried me too deep and now will use that against me as grounds for dismissal for my failure to get it all done. I sure hope I have a wrongful dismissal case here. I'm screwed WRT finding another job if they fire me.
It is going to be such a relief when I can walk into the principals office and say "I QUIT". They've piled too much on my plate, given me too little
Unfortunately this is all too common with public schools. The administrators have the opinion that the new people are on the bottom of the totem pole and give them too many preps, often for the least desirable classes with the most problem students. Then they give the more desirable classes to those with the most years experience. It's no wonder that most new teachers don't make it beyond 3-5 years.
I totally understand your frustration and don't blame you one bit for looking elsewhere for work. I can tell you are one of the good science teachers (a rare and underappreciated thing!), and I hate the way the system drives away the good ones.
......What I'm good at is explaining what this stuff is good for, why you need to know it and how to use it but I'm good in chemistry, physics (well most areas of physics, chemical engineers are notoriously lousy at electrical circuits) and math (my first language in education). My physics kids tell me that they understand the trig and calc I teach them because I teach it from a real world perspective. I hear from kids who had the previous teacher that I teach things they never learned. I've worked hard to make chemistry a lab based class. .......
Lotta unemployed PhDs here in NC, and unfortunately, what you describe is all too common. That said, we could use math, physics instructors also, especially for night sections.....
Job Search
also, not all positions (esp adjunct) are listed - go to the individual college.
Lotta unemployed PhDs here in NC, and unfortunately, what you describe is all too common. That said, we could use math, physics instructors also, especially for night sections.....
Job Search
also, not all positions (esp adjunct) are listed - go to the individual college.
Depends on what your PhD is in. Mine would be in Chemical Engineering and there is a demand. Can I have a do over? I would have done myself way more good with that degree than my MAT. At least I have a piece of paper if I run out of toilet paper. Definitely not one I'll waste money on framing.
Here, there are so many out of work people looking for night classes, it's hard to get night classes to teach. Day classes I could probably get but then I'm putting myself in a position where I can't work full time (they hire you as an adjunct first) and I'd be living off of a part time salary.
Oh, my reprimand wasn't too bad though it was suggested that they wouldn't want anyone staying who isn't happy in their job. I left feeling like I have their blessing to find something else. I was paid a lot of compliments but that was just lip service to make it look like what was happening wasn't happening.
They were upset that I dared voice that I feel unsupported. I was told that I haven't followed protochol and instructed to document negative behaviors, give warnings and call parents before I can ask the office for help. Warnings are going to be a problem. How do you step out into the hallway to give a warning when you have 26 other students doing a lab who will be left unattended when you step out? I guess warnings will have to be given the next day.
I need a little hip book like police officers have to keep these notes in. Anyone know where I can get one?
Oh, my reprimand wasn't too bad though it was suggested that they wouldn't want anyone staying who isn't happy in their job. I left feeling like I have their blessing to find something else. I was paid a lot of compliments but that was just lip service to make it look like what was happening wasn't happening.
They were upset that I dared voice that I feel unsupported. I was told that I haven't followed protochol and instructed to document negative behaviors, give warnings and call parents before I can ask the office for help. Warnings are going to be a problem. How do you step out into the hallway to give a warning when you have 26 other students doing a lab who will be left unattended when you step out? I guess warnings will have to be given the next day.
I need a little hip book like police officers have to keep these notes in. Anyone know where I can get one?
I'm thinking an AWESOME Christmas present for you from your family would be a simple surveillance system. One can pick up a complete system pretty cheap at places like Sam's. Then all of your documentation is on tape and there is no denying that the student actually violated the lab protocol and classroom rules. I'd just LOVE to see a parent in the office claiming lil Johnny didn't do it and the admin backing them and you come in and plop in the video of him doing it
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It's kind of scary being 50 and looking for an engineering job. Restarting a career at my age won't be easy.
The administrators have the opinion that the new people are on the bottom of the totem pole and give them too many preps, often for the least desirable classes with the most problem students. Then they give the more desirable classes to those with the most years experience. It's no wonder that most new teachers don't make it beyond 3-5 years. 
Definitely not one I'll waste money on framing.
