..it's that I don't want to teach. Being a high school teacher sucks. I spend 4-5 hours planning every night and I still feel like I'm just barely treading water. There are so many little stupid things to worry about all the time, and it doesn't help that the kids are demons. Honestly, I'm probably not even going to use this stupid degree. I'm going to try to get into some other program for this September and give something else a try. (end of rant)
Yes, it is a public high school; academic students. I'm doing my second (of two) teaching placements to fulfill degree requirements. Luckily there are only 9 days of teaching left, but I still want to kill myself. Nine more days......
Sucks to hear that, but it happens, people think they know what they want to do, and find out later they absolutely hate it. I am a freshman in college, declared in education, but who knows maybe I will find out I hate it as well. I hope not *crosses fingers*
Heh, I remember the high school days when we tried to give our teachers some hard times. Just try not to be too up tight, joke around with them a little, but also you want to make sure they respect you, make your statements. But I know how hard it is to do that. In my school, there were only hand full of teachers who has the respect of their students, and most of them are also coaches.
just out of curiosity, what subject(s) are you teaching? I feel you on not wanting to be a HS teacher.... I'm terrified of it. but, if I can't find another job in the next couple of months, I'm going to have to do it. I already know from working at a K-7 school that I have issues with the older kids who talk back to me. It's going to be so much worse for a HS class. I'm not really prepared for all the work that's involved with higher education, but it's gotta be done. The only thing that I am looking forward to is passing on my knowledge and teaching kids in the hopes that they'll become interested too. That's why I'm going to teach.
I'm teaching history. I don't want to teach history -- I'm an English guy -- but I taugh English last placement so I need to do my second teachable subject this placement. The worst part is the guy who is evaluating me. He wants me to be a strict disciplinarian when I'm usually more easy going.
That's why (IMHO) teacher salaries need to be raised up....alot. Doubled if you could find a way to finance it. People do not realize what a tough job being a schoolteacher is.
As a teacher I can tell you that it should get better. I have been teaching for 10 years and my planning for tadays lesson consisted of 2 minutes of looking over what I was going to teach. After you have done it 6 times a day, for 180 some odd days, for 10 years you get used to it and you know the material. And it didn't really take 10 years to know it, only about 2. However if you don't like the kids get out now and run. Because the kids being there won't change.
Sorry, fadeaway. My Mother, Sister, and Brother-in-law are all teachers. Most of my friends are band directors. I have a degree in Music Education....and I'm working at the bottom of the totem pole at an insurance company (that advertises heavily during Rocket games and has been in the news the last few days for all the wrong reasons). When people find out I have a music ed degree, they always ask me why I'm not teaching. I decided the semester before I graduated that it wasn't for me. I'm just waaaay too easy going and I'm afraid my students would take advantage of me (like I took advantage of my HS band director) and I'd be miserable.
How come you haven't expressed this before. Castor is right. It gets easier. After 13 years, I can prep during morning announcements. Some questions for you... Are you in a block or traditional schedule? What level are you teaching? As for your evaluator, If your grade matters, do what he wants. If you want to do your thing, do it and take the grade you get. I took a c in my second part of student teaching because I wasn't cold bloode to the kids. Luckily, the A in the English section avg'ed out my student teaching to a b.
My dad taught high school for 37 years. He was happy to retire. Now he teaches creative writing and English at San Jacinto Junior College and loves it. My mom was a counselor for 20 years then became the head of secondary guidance counseling for HISD for 15. They eliminated her job and her last year she had to work as the vice principal at Sam Houston High School. She's worked a couple other jobs for HISD after her retirement - mainly for the cash - but she was ready to be out of HISD. Both of them and all of their teacher friends have always said they LOVE the students, but they hate the buerocracy.
I taught and loved it. Absolutley loved it. I loved it so much that after taking this gig I can work fearlessly, trying new things, not giving a damn if I get fired becuz I would go back to teaching in a heartbeat. That being said, I like this more.
So Jeff, did you parents have a heart attack when you told them you wanted to be a rock star? "OK Jeff, it's time to talk about your future. We know you like music, but....Jeff? JEFF!! Take off those damn headphones! ...Now, as I was saying, your mother and I have been teachers for all of our adult lives, and it's a very rewarding experience. We're concerned about your recent history grades, though....Are you listening, Jeff?" "Huh? Oh, hey dad...check it out, I just learned how to play Purple Haze! Wanna listen?"
Actually, my mother cried all the time about it and my dad made me stay with friends on numerous occassions when she was really freaked out. Seriously. My dad was generally cool about it but he knew it was absolutely killing my mom. She and many others (mostly relatives) liked to point out that musicians often end up broke and miserable. I actually credit my skills to her because the more she said I wouldn't be successful, the harder I worked to prove her wrong. That is just my nature. Now, she loves to come see me play and our relationship is the polar opposite of when I was a kid. But, so is she. But, I still have a few relatives who think that I'm wierd or whatever. They're idiots.
"What is that?!?!? An Orange Is In pin??? On your uniform?!?!? Who are you?!?!? Where do you come from?!?!? What do you want to dooooo with your life?!?!?!?!? *Jeff puts on sunglasses* "I WANNA ROCK!!!!"
90% of all jobs suck and you only get two weeks off in a freaking year! Hey , my wife (the former teacher) wants to know if you Clutchfans teachers are coaches too and if thats part of the reason you teach.
