Education / Teaching thread (1 Viewer)

[bonnjer]

Update:

On her way home tonight, my wife stopped at HEB to pick up supper. While there she met up with a former elem teacher colleague who had moved to another school maybe 3yrs ago. During the discussion the lady told my wife that after 20yrs she’s had enough. She still loves to teach but all the other things they have to deal with have become too much. She’s leaving the profession and going work for her son in his business… In fact, she’s not sure she’ll make it through the end of the school year…

People should find it VERY disturbing that so many teachers who have been in it for so long are dropping out at the rate they are. You can understand when a teacher who has a couple years in decides that it's just not for them. When a teacher who has been around for 20 years says she can't make it through the school year, there's a problem. For some reason, we just don't seem too worried about it, though.

 

[gboudx]

People should find it VERY disturbing that so many teachers who have been in it for so long are dropping out at the rate they are. You can understand when a teacher who has a couple years in decides that it's just not for them. When a teacher who has been around for 20 years says she can't make it through the school year, there's a problem. For some reason, we just don't seem too worried about it, though.

In the DFW area, there are forecasts that there will be a mass exodus of teachers come May. Now what does that mean actually? Leaving 1 school to go to another in the same district? Leaving for a new district? Or completely leaving education? At last count(and maybe I'm not up-to-date), 9 superintendents have resigned recently. The Dallas ISD super is leaving to run for mayor of Dallas, but others have resigned due to the strain and the politics that have encroached into the environment. I guess we'll see come May if the forecasts are true or not. It could be a major problem though.

 

[Swamprat]

In the DFW area, there are forecasts that there will be a mass exodus of teachers come May. Now what does that mean actually? Leaving 1 school to go to another in the same district? Leaving for a new district? Or completely leaving education? At last count(and maybe I'm not up-to-date), 9 superintendents have resigned recently. The Dallas ISD super is leaving to run for mayor of Dallas, but others have resigned due to the strain and the politics that have encroached into the environment. I guess we'll see come May if the forecasts are true or not. It could be a major problem though.

Down closer to H-town my wife will be moving schools after this school year ends, possibly to another district... which we're centralized between the two and it's a very short <10min commute. Primary reasons are to be closer to home and get into a (hopefully) better managed school situation. From what I'm hearing, there are other teachers planning on leaving the school and it's probably split as to whether they are going to another school our out of education entirely. My wife has the summer to figure things out and who knows, if a non-education position turned up, she just might take it. If this did come to pass, I will say this, our kids/families/friends would be shocked. She is the quintessential elem teacher, she loves those kids like they're her own and there is nothing more important to her than having those kiddos progress to achieve their potential....And often, she's the Momma those kids don't have.

The school districts were already veering towards an industrialized teaching process that more/less forgets about the fundamentals of kids and learning... And then Covid came along and blew up any semblance of process, the new habit became 'chaos'... and muscle memory for this will linger for years.

The immediate issue are teachers.... I too am wondering just what the exodus will look like..

The longer-term possible issue are the kids... The last time these 4th graders had a 'normal' year was 1st grade. They don't know what our expected 'normal' looks like.

 

[Goatman Saint]

I have no idea what normal looks like anymore either, but I do know mine has become program compliance and mandates. Not good teaching but are you on page x with y poster up. Are the kids learning? Irrelevant. Are the kids actually enjoying and doing what is considered quality learning in an engaging atmosphere. Nope. But if put your x amount of time on a couple computer programs and read the script in a couple others you’re the hero.

Blah. I didn’t go to college and continually take classes and reinvent my classroom to be told to follow a script for every child. Forget that.

To top it off as if californias Covid rules aren’t insane enough, my principal and leadership team have added what they think is a good idea. Yeah really appreciate getting yelled at by my principal on the playground when arbitrary rules are changed and not communicated. Which is overly irritating because my wife in her district is responsible for informing, setting policy and compliance with county, state and federal regulations.

 

[bonnjer]

And often, she's the Momma those kids don't have.

Yep, that's part of the problem. We're having to raise these kids because they aren't getting it from home. There are some many programs that we have to do that aren't related to subject content. We've made it easier and easier for parents to not worry about doing their job.

 

[Sun Wukong]

I have no idea what normal looks like anymore either, but I do know mine has become program compliance and mandates. Not good teaching but are you on page x with y poster up. Are the kids learning? Irrelevant. Are the kids actually enjoying and doing what is considered quality learning in an engaging atmosphere. Nope. But if put your x amount of time on a couple computer programs and read the script in a couple others you’re the hero.

Blah. I didn’t go to college and continually take classes and reinvent my classroom to be told to follow a script for every child. Forget that.

To top it off as if californias Covid rules aren’t insane enough, my principal and leadership team have added what they think is a good idea. Yeah really appreciate getting yelled at by my principal on the playground when arbitrary rules are changed and not communicated. Which is overly irritating because my wife in her district is responsible for informing, setting policy and compliance with county, state and federal regulations.

I've got a student teacher this semester. She is horrified that I have to follow a script (a literal script, by the way. It actually has dialogue it tells you to read.) and am not allowed to deviate from it. Actually, I too am horrified that I have to do this. It's terrible.

 

[bonnjer]

I've got a student teacher this semester. She is horrified that I have to follow a script (a literal script, by the way. It actually has dialogue it tells you to read.) and am not allowed to deviate from it. Actually, I too am horrified that I have to do this. It's terrible.

Yeah, fork that. When it comes to that point, you aren't a teacher anymore. You're just reading shirt to them. It's total and utter bullshirt.

 

[SWJJ]

I’m telling you someone isn’t being efficient.
Our teachers work 7:15-2:15 school day…..then stay til 4:00 to complete all meetings, headings, etc.
I require them to leave by 4:00 each day, not make calls to parents after 4:00.
Parents know that and honor it too.
If a teacher wants to check email at night, that’s their choice.
But most use the 2:15-4:00 slot to handle all of that….and it works.

This SCREAMS lack of empathy for educators to me.

That "lack of efficiency" might be being spent altering plans for the dozen or more IEPs and 504s for students, talking to coaches, band directors, club sponsors, ANYONE who may can get thought to a troubled student.


Frankly it sounds like you are pretty well insulated from the realities of most people employed in education.


We have posted articles about teacher overtime, about teachers looking for exits from education.


And you efforts are to de-validate these experiences and say "I’m telling you someone isn’t being efficient."



DO BETTER.

 

[SWJJ]

I’m telling you someone isn’t being efficient.
Our teachers work 7:15-2:15 school day…..then stay til 4:00 to complete all meetings, headings, etc.
I require them to leave by 4:00 each day, not make calls to parents after 4:00.
Parents know that and honor it too.
If a teacher wants to check email at night, that’s their choice.
But most use the 2:15-4:00 slot to handle all of that….and it works.

How do they reach parents that work until 5 pm?

Do you just not call those parents?

 

[SWJJ]

Another HUGE issue is administration that tows the district line, and instead of being real with new hire teachers they paint inaccurate flowery pictures about how you don't have to bring work home after 4 and you will have so much support, and it's all a bunch of hot air.

 

[bonnjer]

Texas teachers burning out after a hellish month. Here’s what a trustee saw in classrooms

Fort Worth and other Texas school districts are fighting a decades-long trend and COVID-19 in order to attract and retain teachers.

www.yahoo.com

 

[BigOdin504]

22 years teaching and coaching here. I just wanted to say, put me in the “I’m burnt out” group too.
I don’t know the answer, but just wanted to be another voice for classroom teachers.
Admin and parents keep shoveling the responsibility on us. Kids are seeing cracks in the system and manipulating it. When you try to discipline the kids, there is no support.
It’s getting overwhelming for sure.
The only reasons I keep going are the kids that I coach and wanting to see them through.

 

[mc4saints]

My Wife is a Unicorn Teacher. I am not saying this because she is my Wife. Former students will tell her. Parents will tell her. She loves her kids as much as any other teacher. She loves teaching kids. She is struggling as much as the rest of you but she loves her kids enough to fight through it but barely. The non-teaching work is more than the teaching work. Add in the extra work required during covid and she is struggling even more. Administrators don't seem to take into account the extra time it takes to make sure the kids that can't come to school due to covid has some work in the portal to get to. Of course, 75% of the kids don't or can't do it while at home anyways.

@Outbackjack is for sure at a Unicorn school. Not sure how your teachers have conferences with parents, get all the papers graded, respond to all the red tape, and tons of other non-teaching things that have to be done in those time frames. I actually don't believe it is truly happening that your teachers are getting it all done during work hours. You probably truly have a great environment that your teachers appreciate, but they ain't only working 190 days a year.

In my opinion, based on what I witness, teachers work the same amount of hours as a typical 9 to 5 job without summers off. The weekend, after-school, and work in the summers adds up quickly.

 

[Sun Wukong]

This SCREAMS lack of empathy for educators to me.

That "lack of efficiency" might be being spent altering plans for the dozen or more IEPs and 504s for students, talking to coaches, band directors, club sponsors, ANYONE who may can get thought to a troubled student.


Frankly it sounds like you are pretty well insulated from the realities of most people employed in education.


We have posted articles about teacher overtime, about teachers looking for exits from education.


And you efforts are to de-validate these experiences and say "I’m telling you someone isn’t being efficient."



DO BETTER.

Yeah, his takes here are pretty bad. Maybe what he's saying is true, but even if it is it's such an extreme outlier to the well documented truth of public education in this country that it doesn't warrant consideration or discussion. Somebody working in the situation he's talking about has no place telling me, who works in a high poverty district, at a Title I school with an urgent intervention designation from the state about "efficiency." Or anything, really. No calling parents after 4pm? Lol. I'm dealing with probation officers, DCFS case workers, CASA advocates, and foster families. I don't have that kind of luxury.