[displacedinMN]

[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]