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Engineers are, definitely, analytical but we are also optimzers. Education is just a process to be optimized. The trick is to figure out how best to approach the problem because of the many variables. That makes it a cool challenge.
Thinking about this more and it gets more disconcerting.
If you want a cool challenge or something to experiment with and optimize then please go back to a regular engineering job. You won't figure out all of the variables as they are continually changing. Those variables consist of not only the administrative side of teaching but real, live teenage students. They are different not only year to year but day to day....you can't optimize them!!!
Perhaps you'd like something on the curriculum development side of teaching?? You could teach home school classes (where the student mix might suit your style more) or tutor, or how about teaching chemistry at a community college?
Oh, and I don't know if you mean it to be or not but your location listed as "In the state of denial" is unfortunately accurate.
You know, my response above first included the sentiment that you seemed to be content using your students as lab rats in whatever career change/midlife crisis/challenge you have going on but I really thought it was too harsh and over the line. Imagine my surprise to find that you DO think of your students as lab rats!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivorytickler
It would be interesting to run the experiment but they really frown on using children as lab rats. Yet, that's, exactly, what we do. I guess we just can't admit they're lab rats.
Uhm, why are you a teacher? If you are so enamored of being an engineer (and I am not sure if you are aware of it but you seem to project some disdain for non-engineer teachers) why arent you still one?
Because I think I have something to offer. If you listen to the state school board, there is a need for subject matter experts in the classroom, and they prefer ones with professional experience because we can advise students on career choices and tell them first hand what the real world is like.
I'm not enamored with being an engineer. BTDT. Once you've proved you can do something and do it well, do you really need to keep proving it? After a while, it's just same stuff different day.
Teaching is a different type of process to optimize and the product I must optimize is me. That entails learning a lot of things I didn't know going in. That's an attractive proposition.
Actually, personality wise, they tell me I'm a good fit for teaching. I did score higher for college professor than high school teacher but teaching high school, chemistry, physics or math were in my top ten. So were all the engineering disciplines. Given I was a chemical engineer, this is not surprising. Something about chemical engineers being neither right or left brained makes us good at lots of things.
I think if I'd been a teacher first, I'd probably struggle less with the lack of respect students have for teachers today. That's the one thing I miss about engineering. Even the company owner wouldn't have talked to me the way some of my students and their parents think they can. I miss professional respect.
Because I think I have something to offer. If you listen to the state school board, there is a need for subject matter experts in the classroom, and they prefer ones with professional experience because we can advise students on career choices and tell them first hand what the real world is like.
I'm not enamored with being an engineer. BTDT. Once you've proved you can do something and do it well, do you really need to keep proving it? After a while, it's just same stuff different day.
Im not buying it. First you talk about how engineering is something new all the time and then say the statement above.
Quote:
Teaching is a different type of process to optimize and the product I must optimize is me. That entails learning a lot of things I didn't know going in. That's an attractive proposition.
Actually, personality wise, they tell me I'm a good fit for teaching. I did score higher for college professor than high school teacher but teaching high school, chemistry, physics or math were in my top ten. So were all the engineering disciplines. Given I was a chemical engineer, this is not surprising. Something about chemical engineers being neither right or left brained makes us good at lots of things.
I think if I'd been a teacher first, I'd probably struggle less with the lack of respect students have for teachers today. That's the one thing I miss about engineering. Even the company owner wouldn't have talked to me the way some of my students and their parents think they can. I miss professional respect.
LOL, how do you even function?
I sincerely wish your students the best of luck. Besides you are an ENGINEER (OOOO AHHH) you can do anything, you are the bestest, brightest, most special snowflake of them all, what do you need from us lowly peon teachers, anyway?
Im not buying it. First you talk about how engineering is something new all the time and then say the statement above.
LOL, how do you even function?
I sincerely wish your students the best of luck. Besides you are an ENGINEER (OOOO AHHH) you can do anything, you are the bestest, brightest, most special snowflake of them all, what do you need from us lowly peon teachers, anyway?
Oy vey.
I didn't say engineering is something new all the time. I said the half life of information was about 2 years. There's a difference. I'm used to having to relearn my job every few years, however, unless you're on the bleeding edge, which I was not, you're not doing anything new very often. Just the same things in different ways.
So far, I haven't met a challenge I haven't mastered. We'll see on this one. The jury will be out for a while.
Please feel free to share methods you've found that work with kids for whom traditional methods don't seem to work. What did you do and how did you integrate it into the classroom without creating issues for other students or, completely, overloading yourself with work? In one of my classes, I have 8 special ed students, each needing accomodations. I find myself overwhelmed with this. While I'm tending to them, I have behavior issues elsewhere in the class. How do you handle situations like this?
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 05-18-2010 at 04:23 AM..
Why don't you ask the other teachers in your school who are dealing with the same student demographics, same admins, same everything? Aren't there other teachers there who are already able to accomplish what you are looking to do? Take your questions to your admins and they may be able to direct you to some courses to further your education in the areas where you are weak. Ask an admin or counselor to audit your class or conduct some sort of peer review.
Because I think I have something to offer. If you listen to the state school board, there is a need for subject matter experts in the classroom, and they prefer ones with professional experience because we can advise students on career choices and tell them first hand what the real world is like.
I'm not enamored with being an engineer. BTDT. Once you've proved you can do something and do it well, do you really need to keep proving it? After a while, it's just same stuff different day.
Teaching is a different type of process to optimize and the product I must optimize is me. That entails learning a lot of things I didn't know going in. That's an attractive proposition.
Actually, personality wise, they tell me I'm a good fit for teaching. I did score higher for college professor than high school teacher but teaching high school, chemistry, physics or math were in my top ten. So were all the engineering disciplines. Given I was a chemical engineer, this is not surprising. Something about chemical engineers being neither right or left brained makes us good at lots of things.
I think if I'd been a teacher first, I'd probably struggle less with the lack of respect students have for teachers today. That's the one thing I miss about engineering. Even the company owner wouldn't have talked to me the way some of my students and their parents think they can. I miss professional respect.
That is what I was going to suggest, I think you would be happier as a college professor than teaching high school. Not certain how to get there, but I think it would be a much better fit.
Oddly enough not *everyone* takes chemsitry in college (I think the idea of making it a requirement for HS graduation is just nuts, BTW ) and the ones that *do* take it are at least motivated.
That is what I was going to suggest, I think you would be happier as a college professor than teaching high school. Not certain how to get there, but I think it would be a much better fit.
Oddly enough not *everyone* takes chemsitry in college (I think the idea of making it a requirement for HS graduation is just nuts, BTW ) and the ones that *do* take it are at least motivated.
I agree. It's nuts to require chemistry for all. It makes teaching it very difficult as many of the students who wouldn't have taken it otherwise are, downright, angry that they're being made to take it. They don't want to be there and I'm the one they take it out on.
I could see chemistry for all IF it was taught on multiple levels but the state wants both the required and recommended core content expectations taught. I could build a course that non science majors would, at least, like a little if I could build it around the core only. When they ask me what they need much of the recommended content for, the only answer I have is "College". That's not a motivator if you're not even planning on going let alone taking chemistry in college.
I think I'd be happier as a college professor too but I only have a masters degree. I'd need to figure out how to get a PhD while working full time and raising two kids to get there. I'm not sure I could even study for the qualifiers under my current load.
I'm going to try applying to community colleges again. Came close last year. Unfortunately, they called about an emergency opening the day my dd had an accident and by the time I got back to them two days later, the position was filled.
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Yet, that's, exactly, what we do. I guess we just can't admit they're lab rats.
) and the ones that *do* take it are at least motivated.
