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Wow, I'm glad I am out of school and did not have any of you as teachers. As my Aunt and several in laws and a few very good friends have always said:
Teaching is about the children and NOT about the administration.
If you have lost sight of the reason you are in the classroom it is time to get out of the classroom so someone who really does care more about the children than the administration can get in there and do what they love to do.
I'm not a teacher and teaching is not charity. I work at my full time job to earn a living and I'm sure you do due, so this idea that teachers need to teach for the children and not think about themselves is hogwash.
Teaching is not charity. I work at my full time job to earn a living and I'm sure you do due, so this idea that teachers need to teach for the children and not think about themselves is hogwash.
The attitude that teachers should be missionaries and not professionals compensated commensurate with their skills and experience is a major vulnerability of our current educational model. From a practical standpoint, there are just not enough missionaries to staff all the schools. From the perspective of professional families who want to live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle, teaching salaries that preclude owning a home in the area where they teach keep many people out of the classroom.
Other countries have figured this out and pay teachers on a par with what they would make in industry. Here, expressing that you would like to be able to pay for your children's college education AND save for retirement brings out the accusations that "You're not in it for the CHILDREN!", too often from those whose second homes cost more than you'll ever make in your lifetime. ($846k for 27 years for me)
There are plenty of legitimate complaints teachers can make, too many. I simply felt that the ones the OP enumerated were mostly petty. Seriously - having to tuck in your shirt as the first thing that came to mind? The race of the administrators? Come on.
Wow, I'm glad I am out of school and did not have any of you as teachers. As my Aunt and several in laws and a few very good friends have always said:
Teaching is about the children and NOT about the administration.
If you have lost sight of the reason you are in the classroom it is time to get out of the classroom so someone who really does care more about the children than the administration can get in there and do what they love to do.
People like you, just make me sick...it's about the children!!! well guess what happened AFTER I wrote this!
I was going back to my desk and I had gotten a new student. The student had his foot out in the aisle but up against another student's chair. I asked the student to move his foot so I could get by. The student refused. I asked again and this time said please. The student still refused...so what did I do? I went through his foot anyway. See I have back issues that have come up since last year. I cannot risk raising my leg too high or having someone trip me as even the slightest damage to my back could gravely aggravate my condition.
I called the student back to my desk and in a low voice I told him, "Look, I haven't disrespected you, I have respected you. All I am asking you is that you respect me and do what I ask of you and that is it." Well the student then says that I kicked him and that the next time he catches me he was going to beat me up. I warned him and said,"I just wanna let you know, that if you place even once hand on me, that I will press charges. On top of this I have back issues(explained the back problem to him)" He turned around and walked away saying just wait until I catch you..just wait...
What this punk doesn't realize is that I am NOT like other teachers. Not only will I press charges but I will DEFEND MYSELF. Since I am bigger than him, I already know that he would get knocked out, but I risk hurting myself in the process and I don't want it to come to that, so i documented what happened and now he is out of my class...but wait should I defend myself? or should I let him hit me? After all, I am there FOR THE CHILDREN, so let's just have them do whatever they want to me anyway right?
This whole for the children is a bunch of bs, I am a dam good teacher, and my students last year were very successful, but I am strict. Oh btw, I didn't get into to teaching for the children, I got into it because I like to TEACH.
So, that means we should just put up with anything dished out "for the children"??? No. When I'm in my room, what I do is for the children. Dealing with my administration is it's own headache. I don't believe it is wrong to want to be treated like a professional by your boss. Those children we're teaching see how our administrators treat us. When they treat us like children, how much respect do they have for us? How does that impact our ability to do our jobs?
Now I would consider it unprofessional to complain to the children. However, coming to a board like this where no one knows your name to vent about it is not an issue at all. It sucks to not be treated like a professional. There's nothing wrong with saying that. In fact, getting it off your chest and seeing that others feel the same way is healthy.
Exactly Ivory! and that is exactly what I was going for! I just wanted to know if it was just me or are there other professionals out there that are going through the same thing. They are the ones that like to teach, but maybe due to some issues in their district, they are needing to vent or look for advice.
There are plenty of legitimate complaints teachers can make, too many. I simply felt that the ones the OP enumerated were mostly petty. Seriously - having to tuck in your shirt as the first thing that came to mind? The race of the administrators? Come on.
I know it does seem petty, but the underlining problem here is as someone has already stated is this, when the students see us getting treated like them, then how much respect do they really have for us?
As for the race for administrators, yes we have a large african american demographic, but that doesn't mean that ALL the administrations have to be the same race. To me, that is nepotism and I don't like it. I wanted to get my master's in education, but i gave up because even if i get it, how do I know that I will get a better job since I'm not african american?
The only reason I was even hired was to teach Spanish and that's because no one around here will either learn it or want to teach it.
Wow, I'm glad I am out of school and did not have any of you as teachers. As my Aunt and several in laws and a few very good friends have always said:
Teaching is about the children and NOT about the administration.
If you have lost sight of the reason you are in the classroom it is time to get out of the classroom so someone who really does care more about the children than the administration can get in there and do what they love to do.
OK this is just plain old fashioned bull****.
Teachers are professionals who do a job. Like all professionals, when you love your job, it can be about more than just your paycheck. But make no mistake, it is a JOB, and it is about the PAYCHECK. And it should be.
That being said, every profession is going to have idiot managers ala Peter's Principle. Teaching is no different in this regard. And as a professional, a teacher should either deal with it, or if it is really bad, take another position. Whining about it does no good.
Exactly Ivory! and that is exactly what I was going for! I just wanted to know if it was just me or are there other professionals out there that are going through the same thing. They are the ones that like to teach, but maybe due to some issues in their district, they are needing to vent or look for advice.
I vent to let off steam. If I let the pressure build, I'd probably explode at my principal one of these days. I don't like the way I'm treated but it helps knowing I'm not the only one. If I thought all teachers were treated with respect and like professionals except those in my district, I'd be depressed over the fact that, for now, I'm stuck in this district. The fact it's the same all over puts a different spin on it.
This is, unfortunately, what we have to put up with if we want to teach. It shouldn't be this way but it is.
Your principal told you to tuck in your shirt in front of your students?
If not how exactly are they seeing you being treated like a student?
Ok, you are either a fidiot or a racist.
And fyi, NEPOTISM refers to the hiring of one's RELATIVES. Despite what you may think, all black people are not related.
And how many school's have all white administrators? Many is not most. Even in black neighborhoods.
Are you a spanish teacher? Because if so, than yes, that is why you were hired. The "only reason" I was hired was to teach. So what?
Based on these posts, you are not cut out to be a good administrator yourself. Good admins, are not whiners, they are motivators and leaders.
I disagree with the bolded statement. While I have no desire to be an administrator, the best administrators I've worked for understood and addressed the frustrations of their subordinates. The ones who put on a happy face and pretend nothing is wrong are just annoying and really hard to take serious because they're clueless.
Admins can't fix things they don't even realize are broken. I'll take an admin who knows the score over one who pretends all is right any day of the week.
I have been teaching for several years, and I am afraid that my district is now making me bitter towards the teaching profession. I am hoping to reach out to some educators and see if how I feel is at least valid.
The first thing that I notice is that we are treated just like the students. For example, we are allowed to wear spirit shirts and jeans on fridays. The students have to tuck their shirts in, but we do not. Well today my supervisor said we had to tuck our shirt in to as "an example for the students" I'm sorry, but i didn't do 5-6 yrs of school just to be treated like a 15 yr old.
The other thing, while I am not racist at all, the administration, school board and the people in the upper positions are all african american. There are very few people from other races that are in positions of power. Being a minority myself, I feel like my chance for advancement is very low.
I have a supervisor that is EXTREMELY NEGATIVE. While all the other departments are going out to eat together on inservice days, all the teachers in my dept leave. There is no cohesion at all. Everyone does for themselves. Don't ask to borrow supplies either because you will not get any. I found out that a teacher at another campus(same district) was new and the teachers all pitched in and gave her stuff. Not my school/dept. I have just three posters up on my walls, student loans I need to pay and I am not spending my hard earned money to decorate a classroom when I don't even know if I will be here next year.
Customer Service- That is what the district calls the sheet of paper that we have to put out on our door with a picture, our degree and education level, room number and a personal philosophy about how students can succeed. To me, it seems that they are trying to make the teaching profession into retail or some service occupation.
Not allowed to text or make personal phone calls even during our OFF period. The handbook says we must support student achievement this is done by listening to the student respecting the student and engaging in school activities. There is nothing in any book that says the student must respect the teacher. We are not allowed to eat or drink in class. I can understand the food, but my mouth gets dry from teaching and answering questions and I can't even have a bottle of water?
That is everything off the top of my head right now. Am I jsut being a non conformist? or is this really too much?
While I disagree on a few points, I find other points you make to be completely intolerable. The sheet of paper with name, degree, etc., sounds fine to me, for example, and the tucking shirt in thing sounds reasonable if it's a rule for students. And to be honest - the thought of a teacher in an untucked T at school - actually, a t at all - is kind of horrifying. Allowed or not, I would not wear that attire. On "casual" day at my school I wore dark jeans, nice shoes and a blazer. I think it's important to look professional every day.
However, other things are just unacceptable. No water bottle? No way. "Voice strain" is an actual phenomena that actually does contribute to teacher burn out and exhaustion and reduces one's effectiveness. To talk nonstop without water is unhealthy and unreasonable - even stage performers have glasses of water!
No calls or texting during off times is also unacceptable and unreasonable. People have lives and children outside of work.
About not getting help from coworkers - that's what happens when there is bad management. The nice people leave, and the tough, mean people stay. And the meaner and tougher the people who are there, the fewer decent people want to work there, and before you know it you have the worst school in the district and can't get decent teachers.
So yes, you are being treated with no respect and your coworkers suck. Get out as soon as you can. The longer you stay, the more you'll hate it. Unless you get new administrators, it isn't going to improve.
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No. When I'm in my room, what I do is for the children. Dealing with my administration is it's own headache. I don't believe it is wrong to want to be treated like a professional by your boss. Those children we're teaching see how our administrators treat us. When they treat us like children, how much respect do they have for us? How does that impact our ability to do our jobs?
