***OFFICIAL Teacher Appreciation Thread***
 

The last year I've seen and read a lot of criticism of teachers. Greedy, Lazy etc. etc.

Just like every profession there are bad apples. But, I think most teachers chose their profession to help kids instead of a profession that pays more. As the Sandy Hook tragedy proved someday that teacher may take a bullet for your child.

I know that there are teachers that touched us all, made us aware of the wonder in life, helped us get through a tough subject, taught us something, helped that light go off in your head. Let's share our stories of teachers that have touched our lives.

I have long thought that teaching is one of the most undervalued professions. It has to be a calling, for as little as most of them make, and it literally shapes the future for everyone. Why it isn't more highly regarded (or paid) I will never know.

I'm married to a teacher. One year she logged all the hours she put in for the year. That year she made less than the minimum wage. She cared about the kids, not the money.

:clap:

My wife is a teacher too. She teaches middle school art. I've seen her buy hundreds of dollars worth of art supplies like paint, paper, clay, etc out of her own pocket, because the school district doesn't give her enough of a budget to give the kids what they need to do their projects the right way. She never complains, she just loves the kids and wants them to succeed. I don't know where she gets the patience. Teachers certainly deserve summer vacations, that's for sure!

F em. They only work 180 days out of the year.

Add in snow days and other school holidays and they have it made in the shade...

Don't give a **** about teachers. They're nice people, but they're no different than steel workers or doctors or coroners or Walmart clerks or rocket scientists or garbagemen.

Nobody cares.

I love teachers! You do it wrong and they make you do it over and over and over again! :thumb:

Oh christ... I'll be warming up the ban hammer here pretty quick Im sure.

How does one warm up a hammer before they use it? Did teachers not explain clearly that you don't have to warm up hammers before use?

They are a remarkable lot. The reward has got to be in the kids, because they put up with an awful lot of crap.
Seems like every taxpaying citizen feels they have a right to tell teachers how to do their jobs, and then bitch about how much they get paid. Now some are calling for teachers to carry guns - geesh, I 'spose they'll want them to furnish their own pistol, and arrange for their own training.

I had a Badass science teacher.

My wife is the same way. She is on her 14th year of teaching and loves it. She knew from a very early age that this was her calling. So much so that when she was a little girl, she would come home from school and get her stuffed animals arranged on her bed and play school.

She works late nearly every day and only takes off 3 weeks during the summer. The rest of the time she is either looking for classes to take to help her be a better teacher or working in her classroom planning with her grade level workmates for the next school year.

She is the single most dedicated worker, in any field, I have ever know.

You don't know any teachers... do you?

That 180 days bullshit is the biggest lie you will ever be told. My wife works longer hours and more weekends, willingly and for no additional pay, than anyone I know. She takes 3 weeks off per year and the rest of the time she is working on personal development so that she be a better and more effective educator.

Any teacher out there that does nothing but the bare minimum... is guaranteed a super shitty teacher.

I just read the first couple and figured it could get out of hand lol.

LOL, ignorance is bliss.

Lots of love and props to our teachers, but I read that as the official TEICHER appreciation thread...

I design schools so teachers have a place to work...


Do I get anything?

A good teacher can shape a young person up just as well as a good parent. Several people I admire most were my teachers.

Do you work for DLR Group?

I tried paying attention that day but unfortunately there were far too many distractions. Kids fighting and shooting and talking on cell phones etc.

Yep.

The snow days myth is a nice one too. Those days have to be made up. It's not like when it snows we just get to say the heck with the day.

With my job, I do an additional 100-250 pages of paperwork on each student I have. I get between 15-20 students each school year. A 40 minute prep period where I'm typically working one-on-one with a student does not account for that.

Society has a pretty awful perception of teachers.

thanks.

I'm assuming this thread is bc of Connecuit?

Just because they protected some of those children doesn't mean shit, I'm sure any normal American would do the same. Another horrible BRC thread. You're becoming worse. Just stop

Here's why we should respect teachers: because they just sat through a one hour before-schoolday meeting where the neo-nazi department head just mandated that they each write up a 40 page "Personal Development Report" in which they outline their goals for 2016, making reference in each goal to the Preliminary Proposed State Guidelines Interpreting the Proposed Federal Guidelines for Student Effectiveness.

What in the **** is wrong with you?

Why does it take a tradegy to praise teachers?


Here praise me because I provide gas and oil for your car.

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Most teachers are really great people with huge hearts and they deserve appreciation for such, but let's not get out of hand. They work 2/3 of the year and when you consider that, their pay isn't terribly out of whack with other professions that also greatly impact lives.

The average teacher salary in California is almost 70,000 per year. Nationwide, it's right around 60,000.

Let's not act as if that's some crazy low amount.

[essay]

When I see an appreciation thread for teachers-I smile and I am grateful.

When others bash teachers-I wonder why.

I am not looking for sympathy, just an understanding of what we do in a typical year.

I have been a middle school science teacher for 21 years. I love science and most kids.
I am a very strong disciplinarian. I have students thank me for being tough on them and making them work. My class has few problems and everyone knows it. Teachers, admin, parents students. No- is a great word.

My day is spent trying to teach adolescents about rocks, space and weather. Most of which they do not care because it means nothing to them. That is one aspect of my job-make it meaningful.

I teach 8th grade. They have the attention span of sperm and would rather be talking than listening. Many come from crazy situations. Single parent homes, parents that don't parent, drugs, alcohol, guns, welfare and the lack of general common sense and respect that most of us should have. You would not believe the stories experienced teachers have heard. The numbers of free/reduced lunch is unbelievable (that is another thread) Parents work hard but some just don't know how to parent.

I teach 5 periods a day. All of my classes are at 32--I have had years at 36. I have 2 honors classes and 3 regular classes. It is like having a car going 60 and another car going 10. Some kids read at a third grade level and I want them to know how rocks are formed or understand the big bang. Some of my kids will be engineers some day-others won't be able to mop floors. I need to teach that range of kids.

We are being told to give less homework-because kids don't do it anyway. Give in class assignments only and don't let them leave with it. Give a kid a pencil and paper when they don;t have it. I quit that. Teach a man to fish---

I have one period of plan/work time every other day. One period of meetings a day and one of helping in others classes.

I get a 30 minute lunch that is usually school food. I have 4 minutes to go to the bathroom 6 times a day. You can't leave a class for very long.
Much of the work time is spent calling parents about missing/late work or failing grades. Kids fail to try on homework or hand it in-so I am called a failure by some.

After a 40 hour week, I spend at least an hour every night correcting work. Sundays are spent preparing for the next week or correcting work. That takes about three hours.
I have spent a lot of time away from my own kids to help others.

Paperwork is a killer. Data is driving education. Testing to low level/high stakes multiple choice test in a non multiple choice world. We have a science test in 8th grade. If my students do not do well, do I get fired? I only taught them for a year and they had 7 other science teachers before me.

Some summers were spent in grad school. Taking more science classes. I could not do that if three were year around schools. Got a tick on my personals just for fun while in the woods. Summers now are spent being with my kids and being a chauffeur.

A longer school year may be great-but our school does not have an AC that can handle 1500 smelly hormonal middle schoolers. That would cost over $20000-no tax payer is going to go for that. We need time to clean and do repairs to the buildings. That cannot be done during school.

I do sales, pr, entertainment, babysit, mediate, police, dress, train and moderate. I broke up a fight between two boys bigger than me 6' 1" 240. I have broken up many fights and seen teachers get injured doing it.

Below is my school. It is not bad, it is not great. We have had our problems-find one that hasn't.

When teachers get bashed for some things they may deserve it. I have met very few of those people. Most work incredibly hard and care more than is humanly possible.
It is tough to come to work and get told 'you suck' by kids, parents and the press.

There are some things about my professional life that may surprise you-but the political side of teaching shall remain confidential for now.

Please remember-I am a science teacher, not an English teacher.

I would be happy to answer reasonable questions via PM. Always glad to talk about what I do and how I do it.

I know there is more. But-it is a well deserved Christmas break and my brain is starting to shut down. No adult cocktails yet, need to go get a kid from an activity first.

Happy everything.

[end essay]

No shit. People like King and SNR must not have known a Teacher in their life's.

Teachers work long ass hours at night and on weekends. And that 3 month vacation is pure BS. No teacher gets that.

A teacher (Soto) making $22K a year and a teachers aid making $10 an hour shielded their kids with their bodies and gave their lives to try to protect the children. I would bet that 99% of teachers in America would make that same decision.

I just can't believe that you are this aggressively stupid in real life. Just because its the intraweb doesn't give you the right to take a shit anywhere you want.

I like that.

Unfortunately, ignorance is only bliss to the ignorant one. The rational people have to endure their ignorance.

Starting salaries is 22K. Average in Missouri is $42K. $70K aint shit in Cali.
http://www.teachersalaryinfo.com/ave...-missouri.html

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I like this.

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I get the chills watching that. I have been through 3 fires and one decent size explosion at various refineries. You can bet that every time I enter the process at a refinery, I look around for different exit strategies.

Oh yeah, and in most cases teachers are alright in my book.

I have not had a raise over 2 percent in 8 years.
I do not get a work phone, car, internet.
I could not afford the 1200 a month for family insurance. So my wife works and it goes through her.

What a greedy dick
/King and SNR

I get the chills watching that. I have been through 3 fires and one decent size explosion at various refineries. You can bet that every time I enter the process at a refinery, I look around for different exit strategies.[/quote]I was on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico when it blew out. Jumped into the cold ass water with the sharks. Wasn't a pleasant experience.

Probably a Q, but a little Taylor Mali seems appropriate here. Awesome spoken word rant if you've never seen it:

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Jesus. I wish my wife made 60.

She teaches 5th grade. And while there is nothing really technical or any huge high level skill she needs to educate these varmints, there is a real art to teaching. I don't have it. I'm entirely too logical and linear thinking.

That and I'd discipline a kid and be fired on the spot.

Teachers are expected to so many functions of teaching, parenting, socialization, and basic skills development. Many of my wife's students get virtually none of it at home. So it is on her to try to develop the kids and she can't do a damn thing discipline wise to push the kids along.

Dude. Thats just lazy.

same here, i have a couple O' friends that teach.

Like any profession there are the good guys and the bad guys (sorry Frank, no pun intended).

I've seen teachers that do it because they love it and it shows....and I've seen teachers that suck because they despise what they do. Those are the ones that need to find another vocation and leave...immediately if not sooner.

But I will go on record as saying that there were 3 teachers that helped mold me at a really tough period of my life.....were it not for their wisdom and guidance I probably would have taken a different and less respectable road in life.

Thank you Coach Michael, Coach Bush and Coach Bonuchi....

When the alternative is ending up well done, I sure as hell would have done the same thing. Getting hit with a blast wave will pump up the adrenaline faster than getting shot at.

As a teacher, thanks for saying that. I teach in a very supportive district, but I've had people, friends and relatives, make the old jokes and it gets old. I'm definitely not in it for the money, I do it because I love helping kids to become responsible independent thinkers. I honestly feel love for the kids I have in class, I miss them when they leave me for the next grade, and it makes my week when one or two of them come back to visit.

I was inspired to be a teacher by 2 I had in high school. My Anatomy and Physiology teacher my senior year had so much passion for his subject and just thought it was so cool that he got to show it off to us, I was amazed by him. It didn't hurt that I loved the subject too.

The other teacher was an algebra teacher I had when I first moved to PA from Colorado. It was the 4th move for my family in a little less than 5 years. She was known as a ball buster who would call you out if you didn't know your stuff and demanded perfection. One day after school she was helping me get caught up to where they were when I moved there, I broke down, I think because of the stress of moving so much had finally caught up with me. She was the nicest, most sincerely compassionate person I've ever been around in that moment. She didn't let me off the hook in class because of that, but my perspective of her was so different from my classmates that I requested to have her the next year too.

I'm 10 1/2 years into my career. If I can have an affect on one kid like these two mentors had on me, I'll consider it all a success.

Yep, one guy died in the initial blast. I was asleep. It was a rush I'll never forget. That was my last day working the oil rigs. Figured I couldnt spend the good money I was making if I was dead.

I can't even begin to imagine that. I didn't sleep both nights after firefights in the sandbox. Not that I am disagreeing mind you.

I'll chime in and say that I appreciate the teachers in my life, including my mom who taught in a public school for 17 years and served as a sub for another 8.

I had a few bad apples through my time, but appreciate all of those who poured their lives into mine. So to all of you on here who teach, thank you.

That's the thing, contract wise, yes it's 2/3rds out of the year. However, my wife was an elementary teacher for 3 years and typically worked 7:30-9 5 days a week and then would do about 5 hours of prep on Sunday.

In the summer, she was gone for professional development roughly 5 weeks of her 9 weeks "off"

She made 45,000 in her 3rd year in one of the most expensive parts of the country.

It's not a teach out of the textbook job anymore. It's making curriculum accessible to every student in the room, it's adapting to everyone's needs, it's incorporating mass amounts of technology into every lesson, it's being a parent/role model/mediator/counselor every single minute you're in the classroom.

I haven't seen a pay increase in 3 years, and this year I had the misfortune of getting furloughed in a district that I just gained tenure from. The hardest part of losing my job in the high school was that I wouldn't get to see the kids I started with 3 years ago graduate this year. I worked insanely hard in getting some kids that were in really bad places to find the value of every day and to work hard to get what they want. I had internships in place for some that the new teacher didn't bother to follow up on.

Most of those opportunities were created after my contracted time. It was me going into the community and advocating for my students.

It's a grueling job some days. But it's rewarding on just about all of them.

I was joking in my earlier post. I remember the epic thread a year or two back where there was a big argument about the 180 days thing.

My 12th-grade calculus and physics teacher really impressed me, in part because he was the first adult who really treated me like an adult. I also remember appreciating the fact that, on the first day of class he went around and talked to each student individually and asked us if we were working, and how many hours. I was the only kid in that peer group that consistently worked a lot, and it was nice to have him recognize that.

Another teacher that really impressed me was my high school band teacher, who really liked what he was doing. I'm Facebook friends with him today 30 years later, and he's proof that you can enjoy your work for an entire career.

And finally, my second-grade teacher was a cute young redhead that I liked more than a seven year-old should. I actually sent her an e-mail a couple of years ago, not to confess my crush but just to say hi and let her know that I enjoyed being her student. She sent a nice letter back and included photographs that she had taken in her classroom that year that included me. It turned out that it had only been her second year of teaching, so she remembered it well.

Let me tell you about my experience with teachers. In 6th grade I was blessed with a great one. She loved my writing and despite being a very unpopular kid in school she offered me up for a special creative writing class. I got in there and mingled upon jocks, the popular and the unpopular. it changed my view on my abilities but I still was so unsure of myself.

The next year I had an English teacher who demanded we participate in class and made it mandatory that we entered our writing in a local juco's literary review. The 3rd day of class, sitting silent as a stump, she called me into the hall. I was astonished and amazed. I had done nothing wrong.
When I got there, she said (and I will never forget this), " do you think I am better than you?" Of course I said yes, after all she was the teacher. Then she proceeded to tell me that her words were formed by her brain just as my words were formed by mine. She would make me express myself, hell or high water, and I'd best take the easy way out and jump in or she would make it her sole purpose to include me if that meant me giving a report every day at the beginning of class. Initially the fear of the worst prompted me. Eventually the confidence of what I am motivated me.

To say a teacher isn't worth anything is a shame in my mind. They shape the most important aspect of our world--Our future.

I get the chills watching that. I have been through 3 fires and one decent size explosion at various refineries. You can bet that every time I enter the process at a refinery, I look around for different exit strategies.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'm inside a gas plant everyday. I do various jobs inside including working with welders. When working with a welder inside a gas plant you can believe that I'm on my "A" game lol. You won't put run these explosions and that's why I'm always looking for exits, just like you mentioned.

Teachers are teachers they should be remember as people and not the brave teacher(s). I only say this because any right human being would protect an innocent child. Remember them as a person and not some teacher. Sorry for bitching BRC

Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.

This is why I am going to grad school while I do an EPP to get certified to teach. Also, Nurses shouldn't be allowed to have facebooks.

What the hell are you going to teach?

Stupidity as an art form?

You shouldn't have an account here.

I'm just kidding y'all! Lmaorofl Lolololol

My mom retired as a school teacher. Pretty cool to students come up and tell her how they helped them along in life. Life is so much about giving your blood sweat and tears and there were lots of tears about qutting because of parents school boards and other teachers. She made it through.

apology accepted.

Man, there are a lot of sons of teachers on this site.

Don Manley, my fifth grade teacher, was the best teacher I ever had. I looked forward to going to school and challenging myself. We would do fractions in class, and he was so motivating I was able to solve an addition fraction problem with a 47 digit denominator. We weren't allowed to use calculators. We didn't have computers. We used our noggins, pencils and lots of graph paper so we could keep our columns straight.

He wasn't just a good teacher, he was also a good man.

Father and two sisters were teachers here.

I just started teaching middle school this year. Started out around 39K/year. But, as someone said earlier, the health care is horrid. Good thing my wife works at a hospital because for my family it would be like $1300/mo through the district.

My fiancée is going to school to become a teacher and my sister in law is currently an elementary teacher

My dad was a teacher too.

Teachers are awesome. To bad too many people think their magicians...

Thats the issue with Teacher pay. A pay cut was put in place. Instead of paying for insurance they decided to make it cost so much that only the desperate would use the insurance and the cost would be on them. Whereas 5 years ago or so the school picked up the tab.

I've had to carry my wife on my insurance for over 10 years now.

the teachers in my high school were pretty terrible. But it was small town kansas...

For example, one teacher got drunk all the time. Had a flask in her desk. She got caught many times too, never fired her or anything. A terrible person and a terrible teacher.

Another, just sat there at her desk with a blank stare, never actually taught anything and had a horrible attitude.

Another, laughed at kids when they got beat up by others and did nothing to stop it.

Several, were high on their power over the kids/teens.

There was like 3 teachers that I remember out of all of high school that seemed to enjoy what they do and were good teachers.

I guess my school just had the bad apples.

Teachers are good people. The Teachers Union are not.

I wonder if on average the teachers in small towns are worse than those in the bigger cities?

Those who can do, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach gym. Those who can't do anything, are sent to Bump's school.

An economist would say most likely. Bigger cities (that have more diversity) need better teachers, though. Of course, that doesn't take into a lot of factors. For instance, if a teacher-spouse worked in a bigger city but now works in a smaller town because of spouse.

Several teachers at my sons highschool have their Concealed Carry....

School allows them to carry to school...

ROFL REP

You would assume that. Same job in a city of 1 million would in general pay more than a city of 10K. But the fly in the ointment may be the people in this particular profession. Most are not in it for the money.

My wife has worked in small schools and big schools. Rich districts and poor disctricts. She says its how the school is run, how the principles conduct school business and parental involvment that matter the most, make it a good school.