How many of us are teachers?
Posted by KissMeKate on Feb 27, 2008 · Member since Aug 2007 · 7322 posts
I've been noticing that a lot of you are teachers. I am going to be a teacher starting next school year for TFA in secondary mathematics.
I'm curious how many of you are teachers. What subjects and ages of kids do you teach? What do you like about being a teacher, and what do you find challenging?
OH! you should check out this book, i might have told you about it already, but it looks so awesome and if i taught math, i would get it too. http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/math/
i teach k-2 music! im sure most of yall know that though. i talk about it way too much.
will you be doing a student teaching type program? or are you thrown into things? i've found that student teaching was fun and enjoyable, but also stressful, worried about people watching my every move and grading me. but once you get into the classroom and can explore on your own, make your own mistakes without it being reflected in a 'grade', then its much less stressful and you can feel free to make mistakes and fix them as you go along. of course there is the stress of dealing with parents, difficult kids, coworkers, teacher aids and the like, but i dont find it nearly as stressfull as student teaching, surprisingly. as you go along and get to know the kids, it gets more personal and exciting to see the students grow and change.
That must be fun teaching music!
With TFA, you are thrown right into teaching after a month-long intense training session. It will be tough! Especially because I will be teaching in an area where the kids are years behind in achievement. I might want to continue being a teacher afterward, so I like hearing about what you all do!
I will check out that book as well :)
are you teaching in a city or a rural area?
I'm an art teacher....I have taught all levels, currently doing elementary (my favorite, I think!).
This is my 12th year...
I'm a retired teacher. I taught grade 1 the last nine years and before that multi-grades up to grade 8. (not k-8,but various grades together). I've also taught nutrition and foods classes in high school. One desperate year I was given a high school gym class--that's the year the boys broke my glasses playing volley ball! They were horrified and I was somewhat stunned for a few moments. I needed new glasses anyway. Now I'm a stay-at-home mother-sitter.
I'm studying to become a teacher! I'm finishing up my BA and then I'll move on to my MA--I will teach history/art history on the university level--I can't wait!!!
I will be a teacher in 7.5 weeks. I am currently finishing up my degree and then I will be doing a teaching placement in a high school history class for 5 weeks. I have already done a placement in a grade 8 class and loved it. i am having reservation about teaching high school but I think I will survive. I love interacting with students and being creative with my lessons so that students are actively engaged.
The one thing I dislike about teaching are the students who just don't care. I have no idea how to motivate them since nothing seems to work reanimating Louir Riel or General Brook would make them go "so what?" I found that very trying when I was in the classroom in december. I am really hoping to get a job teaching elementary music or high school drama but in the meantime I just hope to find a decent supply teaching job.
I teach music K-5. I like it. Sometimes I wish I could "just teach" though. You know, I hate it when all the logistical stuff gets in the way. I have always wanted to be a teacher, and think I always will. I don't know if I will always teach elementary school though. I have my master's in music history and I hope to go back for the PhD so I can teach at a University.
Anyway, I do love it...no matter how much I'm looking forward to spring break. :w00t!:
I think you're doing a great thing KMK! You will know for sure whether or not it is the career for you pretty soon after you start. ;)
and don't barf it at me. i was you to digest it and crap something different and original out.
(should i put that into my first day speal?)
Most definitely! Also, give them some a couple of hard ass quizes right up front that they couldn't possibly pass.
I tutor English and American Lit from home, which includes basic grammar and mechanics. I find it startling that a person can be a junior doing a Degree-level course in English and be unable to remember that the third person of the present simple carries an "s"!! That's first-year highschool language stuff!
Yes, Do the work! Read the stuff! And go to class! Granted tuition isn't anywhere near as high as in the US (though that will change if the party in power has their way), but the system itself is much tougher...all the profs have instant tenure and they absolutely glory in failing 80% of their students. Sometimes just out of hand! They're government employees, they can't be sacked easily.
I have final year students who don't even write me a little paragraph just to see if they can. They "don't have time." Which, being translated, often means "I don't want you to see how badly I do." Which kinda messes up the whole idea of paying (peanuts) for a private tutoring session, doesn't it.
I can substitute teach K-12. I never have, but I took the CBEST for fun. I used to like tests... WAY back in the day.
whoa. there ARE a lot of teachers (or soon to be teachers) here. that's amazing.
as a student, even I get frustrated with the other students who just don't care. I've always been one of the ones who always did their homework, who stressed (and still stresses) about grades. I'm not a brown-noser,a and never was. I just care.
I have no idea how to motivate them since nothing seems to work reanimating Louir Riel or General Brook would make them go "so what?"
I'm related to louis riel! really. he was my great, great, great, great uncle (I hope I have the proper number of "greats").
I was an adjunct professor at the university for a while, but no longer. I loved it, but I think it turned out to be cheaper for the university to pay graduate students to teach the undergraduate courses that I was teaching (non-majors science classes). :(
I will be a teacher in 7.5 weeks. I am currently finishing up my degree and then I will be doing a teaching placement in a high school history class for 5 weeks. I have already done a placement in a grade 8 class and loved it. i am having reservation about teaching high school but I think I will survive. I love interacting with students and being creative with my lessons so that students are actively engaged.
The one thing I dislike about teaching are the students who just don't care. I have no idea how to motivate them since nothing seems to work reanimating Louir Riel or General Brook would make them go "so what?" I found that very trying when I was in the classroom in december. I am really hoping to get a job teaching elementary music or high school drama but in the meantime I just hope to find a decent supply teaching job.
for the students that dont care, as long as they dont bother anyone, i dont bother them. if it's repeated, ill ask them about their musical interests, or if something is going on at home, but usually its just a one day kind of thing. today i had two boys lay on the ground during my whole music class, i spent a couple minutes at the start of each activity to encourage them to participate, but they would not budge. so i just left them there. i dont know what else to do, but all of the other students were having fun, even some of my trouble makers were behaving well, keeping other kids quiet. i dont know what was up with those two. i think a lot of my students have family problems at home, it is strongly reflected in their behavior at school. but i've found using material that they are interested helps motivate them. one student said 'miss page! you should bring in black sabbath!' so next week, i'll have a dance to do with a black sabbath song.
there are SOO many awesome things you can do with history! what a fun subject! there has to be several things in history that each of your students can relate to.
What Black Sabbath song are you planning on using. I've always been fond of "War Pigs":
War Pigs lyrics
Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds, oh lord yeah!
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'till their judgement day comes, yeah!
Now in darkness, world stops turning
As the war machine keeps burning
No more war pigs of the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
ALL RIGHT NOW!
Ozzie and company used to tell it so good! ;)b
I have found that if you have a passion for history that comes through to the students and they tend to be more interested. In my grade 8 placement in December I taught a mini history unit about the development of western canada and the kids had such a great time and found all of my activities really interesting. Of course there was some complaining and groaning but for the most part they really seeemed to understand what I was teaching I had a really good time with it.
I am not sure what grades in high school I will be teaching comming up but I am still looking forward to trying new things to make history fun and interesting. Students really don't understand how much history effects their everyday lives and I like to point it out and make them stop and think about it.
I have found that if you have a passion for history that comes through to the students and they tend to be more interested.
I think the people here who teach have a passion for their subjects. A lot of it comes down to where you teach and the age of the students, I think.
What Black Sabbath song are you planning on using. I've always been fond of "War Pigs":
War Pigs lyrics
Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds, oh lord yeah!
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor
Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait 'till their judgement day comes, yeah!
Now in darkness, world stops turning
As the war machine keeps burning
No more war pigs of the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees, the war pigs crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
ALL RIGHT NOW!
Ozzie and company used to tell it so good! ;)b
that was the one that my student wants me to play, i couldnt think about what it sounded like, but now i remmeber! that song is soo good. if i didnt live in such a military town, and if i had older kids, i would love to have a discussion about the lyrics. but parents would have my head, they are so proud of being soldiers and soldiers wifes/husbands. i think its crazy, but whatever.
Maybe this site that lists 153 Black Sabbath lyrics can help you pick one (if you don't already have another candidate in mind):
http://www.elyrics.net/song/b/black-sabbath-lyrics.html
Kelsi, I can't believe your K-2 students know Black Sabbath. That is awesome. Mine are from two completely different ends of the spectrum...about half listen to either country or gospel music, the other half only know rappers that I haven't heard of. Oh, I almost forgot, the girls all like Hannah Montana. Haha. No Black Sabbath...actually if I played Ozzie in class, someone would probably bring in a preacher to save me. >:D
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