mostly dominicans. some mexicans and a mix of other spanish speaking countries, some from african countries, and a few from yemen. the layoffs suck. i've made some good friends this year and it will suck to not have them back. i'm lucky though because ESL and spec ed won't be affected by the cuts. thanks for the kind words!
Damn man, good job! Too bad you edited the rape hero story though. I've taught a low income class once in Asia (3rd world). Taught English and man that was tough. I lasted a year. The system sucked and everyone was failing. I walked out on the job eventually. Have you thought about teaching regular HS English? It's nothing but vocab and reading books.
i have, but ESL has great job security. right now there is a hiring freeze on new teachers, the only spots open are for ESL and spec ed. thats the only reason i was allowed to be hired. there will also be layoffs for every department except for those two, so i'm very safe where i am.
Great job! A lot of people could not do what you do, especially in such a tough environment. Times are tough these days for teaching jobs; I am now a certified P-12 teacher but will probably not actually use it. I am on the community college job market instead (in a different field, where I have a lot more experience) and those of us with that option are having a lot easier time landing interviews. I also don't think I have the nerve right now to deal with all the hassle, paperwork, politics, and pressure about standardized tests. Glad there are some people who can handle it in even the roughest circumstances.
much appreciated Isabel! i'm planning on getting an administrative degree then a doctorate in the next few years, just in case i feel like making the switch to teaching college. how do you like being a prof?
Fox News tells me teachers are the leeches of society bankrupting our great nation on par with drug dealers and mob bosses. If you want to be respected in this world become a hard working lawyer or financial banker.
I haven't really experienced both yet, just student teaching which does not carry the same pressures. I like being a professor, I just don't want to be known/defined by that, or by my field. I like to teach, meet new people from all walks of life, and share knowledge and problem solving skills with them. For these reasons, I prefer a two-year college environment. Tried a small university for a while; it was OK but there were some snobbish attitudes among the faculty, who wanted to think they were the intellectual elite of the world and that made them better people. I also do not want pressure to research, publish, or make new strides in the field at the same time as I am trying to: a) teach and give decent attention to my students, b) have a personal life, and c) learn about different areas other than my doctoral specialty. (or d) all of the above.... hehe... I'm supposed to be writing exams and decided to swing by clutchfans for a minute to procrastinate). Anyway, I do not understand why universities still want you to be more than one person at once these days; well, actually it looks good and brings in grant money, but it's not a job I would want. Many people are not good at both. Anyway, there are a lot of positives regardless. Outside of scheduled classes, meetings, etc., a lot of your day can be scheduled as you wish. Maybe you're writing exams on a Sunday, but you can also take off on a Monday afternoon and run errands. Holidays have to be taken at certain times, but those times are great. Christmas is almost a month, there's always a week for Spring Break, usually something in the fall, and then there is summer. Even if you teach a full summer term, there are three weeks in May and one week in August at least. Good for those of us who like to travel and have friends and family scattered. (and obviously better than the P-12 school holidays) Finally, you get to teach more complex things, and with the students being adults, you don't have issues with such things as leaving them unsupervised, etc. It's nice to all be grown-ups.
my g/f's a 4th grade teacher. words of wisdom. don't go home and immediately complain about your work to your SO.
I'm at UH right now planning to become a Biology High School Teacher. I hope it's as fulfilling as you make it out to be. And I've always guessed that once you get through your first year you can just use the same lesson plans for the future! Good luck, I suppose the first year is the hardest
That was awesome to read Smoothie. It's been said throughout this thread, but hats off to you for making a real difference in the lives of your students. It takes one gifted with near infinite patience to do what you're doing. Keep up the good work!
Teachers make me ill -- they make about $250,000 per year if you include their benefits and time off. During the summer they rove in gangs drinking Pina Colodas and smoking cigarettes.
You deserve combat pay! I've spent the last school year substitute-teaching about 3 days per week. Done some ESL at the elementary level. Loved that! Ended up mostly working in Exceptional Children classes (Autism and more severely handicapped kids) Kind of found a home there as there are fewer classroom management issues (which loom large as a substitute) and more 1-1 time with children who are so overlooked and appreciative. It's an exhausting day. Kudos to you for your commitment and effort!!
Damn I can't imagine those teachers who teach AND coach. They either have no life or are $*** at teaching. From my experience it's the latter because I've never had one decent coach who taught English, math, or science. Well 1 almost decent English coach, but I heard he was a crappy baseball coach anyways.
