Comments on: Ha ha

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:52:57 +0000

The administrators set a teacher up for failure when they give you too many classes to prepare for, no permanent place to be (the cart wheeled from classroom to classroom is the classic new teacher hazing) and sometimes the problem kids that other teachers refuse to have in their classroom. Your first year is the worst just adjusting to creating lesson plans, homework assignments and testing protocols. Also the entire student population is testing your limits as you are an unknown quantity. The fact that most of these young people have no remorse for their behavior shows not only a lack of any standards but also a lack of responsibility.
English teachers were always somehow the great backbone of my educational experience even though I ultimately majored in science in college. IQ is measured with a Mathematical and Verbal score. Also my science textbooks are out-dated and disposable but the books from my English classes will always be on my shelves. Remember the family motto. Aunt Madam

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:41:08 +0000

Yeah – this is one of the biggest struggles in public school. My mom struggled for years with her junior high students – she teaches English, as well. It’s so hard when you have to discipline like they’re toddlers, instead of being able to actually teach, that’s all you want to do, and there’s some very cool stuff they should know! But of course, they don’t get that and just want to act out.

Hang in there. There are the kids who appreciate you, but they aren’t the loudmouths about it. The bad kids are always the loudmouths, and the ones who are so much easier to focus on.

Breathing exercises are good. Chocolate is good. Just getting through the day without swearing or killing anyone is good. . .

You are wonderful, and someday they will understand (when they have their own kids, or are teachers, supervisors, etc. themselves!)

By: sarah

sarah — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:19:53 +0000

Hang in there! Teaching for me is so frustrating and yet can be quite rewarding. I love that you’ve haven’t given up on your students and that your flexible enough to think about how to do things differently. I think that indicates you are a good teacher, even as frustrating as it might be. Good luck!

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 05:20:58 +0000

Wow. Sounds rough. I feel for you. As a teacher, I get way too personally concerned about my bad students. I wish I could turn them upside down and shake them. I get personally hurt when they don’t like my class. I don’t even pay attention to the fact that a lot of others do like my class.

Anyway, I’ve found that for me and my *college* freshmen, I need to just relax and enjoy the good students, and accept the fact that the others have their agency. If I’m enjoying the class, then a lot of the good students will be enjoying the class, and the not-so-good ones will become interested and want to know what they’re missing, and the bad students will be too much in the minority to disrupt anymore — now they’re bothering their peers. But college freshmen have a lot more maturity than high school, so I don’t know if that would work for you at all.

Good luck with everything. Also: Don’t let it get you down…. I had a really bad week teaching 2 weeks ago, and didn’t want to go back but had to. I decided I wasn’t going to let the bad students (and administrators) hijack my love of teaching, that I was only there because I *wanted* to be there, so dang it – I would *keep* wanting to be there in spite of them. Anyway, it was rough for a week, but things are going better and I’m going to enjoy myself to the end of the semester.

OK, this is a long comment. Best of luck. I feel for you.

By: Equinox

Equinox — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:26:11 +0000

No, that was NOT mormonmagmeister who commented. That was me. I’ll have to pay attention to who is logged on next time. : )

By: mormonmagmeister

mormonmagmeister — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:23:55 +0000

“The bad ones who end up being good ones make it extra worth it.” Absolutely. I truly hope hope HOPE some of these bad ones become that. Because there are those brief shining moments when they show their potential and I like it.

By: Carrie Nation

Carrie Nation — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:13:16 +0000

There will always be at least one person in every class who will never like or respect the teacher. Fact of life. Sounds like you’re dealing with stupid kids and stupid parents. At least I never had to deal with parents.

Ask the “get with the times” kid if he/she would swear in a job interview. I’m guessing the answer is no. In other words: he/she is the one who needs to get with the times and places that still require good, respectful behavior. One of those places is the classroom, no matter where that classroom is.

Keep giving kids your Paddington hard stare. But as you say, drink in the good kids. They make it worth it. Of course, at the end of the year the bad ones who end up being good ones make it extra worth it, right?