School's out for Summer!-AMA

[displacedinMN]

I said I would.

But a few classroom rules.
1. The answer to the obligatory question. No
2. There are no stupid questions-just stupid people that ask questions.
3. Teacher has the right to suspend you.
4. Teacher can take regular quarter and holiday breaks.

[IowaHawkeyeChief]

Is your neighbor still a messy prick?

[notorious]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

Another year in the books.

Clean up the room tomorrow then start on the 'stuff I put off until summer' list

You went a full month longer than we did. And we started in late August. Holy crap!

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by Simply Red

Are you gay?

Welcome back Simply Red

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaChief

I switched careers. This fall will be my first in a public high school teaching social science. Glad to know there are a few others on CP!

Good luck. Be tough. Stay away from the union agenda BS.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by excessive

Started my Summer session Comp I class at JCCC this week. Love Summer classes: only eleven students and I get paid for a full roster.

I tried to do younger students when I started out 30 years ago, but dealing with 9th and 10th graders during my practicums sent me straight to graduate school and out of that mess. With dual credit classes and the trend of high school juniors and seniors taking college level classes now days, I am teaching lots of 16 and 17 year old students on college campuses. So, my question is, wtf are you doing in junior and senior high? Let's just say the quality of student I receive has declined, both in skill level and attitude.

Blame the pandemic, social media, whatever or whoever, but it's a different game than as little as ten years ago. I'm just hanging on for another 3 years when I'll start S.S. and maybe just do a few online classes for extra money.

I'm interested to hear from those teaching elementary or secondary kids about if they see any changes, experienced similar challenges, with the current generation of students.

Many of my students complain that they've already had the courses I teach, don't need to do them again, and the whole experience is a waste of time. "I got an A in this course in high school" is what I hear from many of my D and C graded students. And those aren't the exception but the norm. I'll be lucky to get 2 students out of a class of 24 with both talent and the motivation to work. I can deal with the lack of talent among the rest, as that's my job, but the lack of motivation and desire to learn is what's making retirement look pretty good right now.

Kids forgot how to do school. And now that they are back-many are uninterested. They claim there is no need to learn anything. Technology did this.

Then the addiction to games and social media. Barely can communicate with each other. I can lock up student computers-which I need to do to get them to listen.

School policies that allow and even expect disincentive.

[displacedinMN]

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

Is your neighbor still a messy prick?

Still a prick.

Stuck his foot in his mouth the other day on the facebook page.
A neighbor has a kid graduating and has a reception Friday night. Grandpa was passing out invitations.

Dumbass saw him on the door bell camera. Asked if he was a salesman and what was he selling. He lives two doors down and you do not know who he is.
Grandpa sits in the garage everyday and watches the cars go by. He is a great guy.

[CaliforniaChief]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

Good luck. Be tough. Stay away from the union agenda BS.

I landed at a small school in a much more conservative district. They still celebrate Columbus Day! My biggest challenge is building all the plans because I'm the only social science teacher at the high school level. 10th world, 11th us, 12th civics/econ, plus one elective.

Once I get those plans laid out, I'll be in great shape.

[displacedinMN]

**** you Wal Mart and Pennys for the subversive back to school ads in July

And a special **** you for Target for wiping out the summer stuff by July 5 and changing it over to Back to School July 6.

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

**** you Wal Mart and Pennys for the subversive back to school ads in July

And a special **** you for Target for wiping out the summer stuff by July 5 and changing it over to Back to School July 6.

Speaking of which, the summer breaks in Montana were a month longer than ones in AZ.

My son goes back to school on August 7th and Montana goes back to school August 28th.

Here they get a week off for Fall and Spring break, which is maybe where it adds in?

What gives on the short summer?

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by lewdog

Speaking of which, the summer breaks in Montana were a month longer than ones in AZ.

My son goes back to school on August 7th and Montana goes back to school August 28th.

Here they get a week off for Fall and Spring break, which is maybe where it adds in?

What gives on the short summer?

I'm on a modified year long schedule at my new school. I'm back August 1st. Summer Break started on Memorial Day.

The main idea of it is that it fights the "summer slip". Basically there's a ton of data that longer summers cause learning loss, especially among elementary students. There's been an argument for a long time that if elementary teachers didn't have to "re-teach" in the first quarters of every year, learning outcomes could be improved across the board.

Anecdotally, teachers say longer fall and spring breaks help with burnout for a position that is experiencing major staffing shortages around the country.

Just my two cents. I personally am fine with either approach as long as I'm out before June (85 degree classrooms are no bueno -- and I had to deal with that the last month of school in my last two years).

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

I'm on a modified year long schedule at my new school. I'm back August 1st. Summer Break started on Memorial Day.

The main idea of it is that it fights the "summer slip". Basically there's a ton of data that longer summers cause learning loss, especially among elementary students. There's been an argument for a long time that if elementary teachers didn't have to "re-teach" in the first quarters of every year, learning outcomes could be improved across the board.

Anecdotally, teachers say longer fall and spring breaks help with burnout for a position that is experiencing major staffing shortages around the country.

Just my two cents. I personally am fine with either approach as long as I'm out before June (85 degree classrooms are no bueno -- and I had to deal with that the last month of school in my last two years).

I give you teacher's all the credit. You are vital to our success but are given so little.

In AZ they provide an optional "donation list" as classrooms are supposed to be fully supplied by AZ law. We always make sure to give as much as possible. The education system here is near the bottom of the barrel. I don't know how you teacher's do it but thank you.

[displacedinMN]

Public schools in MN cant start until the day after labor day.
We start before since it is private.
We have the normal holidays off but have 2 days off in October for the Union meetings.
22 years-I have never been there.


There is never a schedule that will make everyone happy.



Thanks Lew. It is a struggle and getting worse. My old district had guns brought to school 3x this year. No one is really taking responsibility for it. One was at a old friends school. He did not report it. District swept it under the rug.

[Chiefspants]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

Thanks Lew. It is a struggle and getting worse. My old district had guns brought to school 3x this year. No one is really taking responsibility for it. One was at a old friends school. He did not report it. District swept it under the rug.

There are whispers that two schools in my area swept students bringing weapons to school under the rug this year.

You're not the first teacher I've come across who said they're also seeing this, and it's a terrifying trend.

Originally Posted by lewdog

I give you teacher's all the credit. You are vital to our success but are given so little.

In AZ they provide an optional "donation list" as classrooms are supposed to be fully supplied by AZ law. We always make sure to give as much as possible. The education system here is near the bottom of the barrel. I don't know how you teacher's do it but thank you.

I appreciate that so much! I'm going on Year 8 (3rd year teaching Middle School STEM - and I love it). Since I teach Title 1, if all goes to plan my student loans will be forgiven by Year 11 for me, and I'm not sure what my plan is then. Both my parents didn't plan on their last year of teaching to be their last year, but both hit administrative incompetence/red tape to a level which made them bow out on Year 13. That year could be coming to me, but as of now I'm still going strong.

I mostly do what I do so that students can come in and have a safe place to exist. I have my room open over lunch and I get a lot of kids who just come in to 3D design, some kids who I don't even have as students and others who don't even seem to like me but seem to like having a place to be. Middle School was by far the worst time of my life (I found a home here during that time, if that tell you anything), but I got through it in large part thanks to teachers who gave a **** and nowadays I just try to pay that forward. Last year was a challenge for a lot of reasons, but I was able to get a great job teaching STEM closer to home (those teaching gigs can be hard to come by). I'd love to one day be teaching in the building my kids are going to school in, fingers crossed I can make it that long!

[lewdog]

Originally Posted by displacedinMN

Public schools in MN cant start until the day after labor day.
We start before since it is private.
We have the normal holidays off but have 2 days off in October for the Union meetings.
22 years-I have never been there.


There is never a schedule that will make everyone happy.



Thanks Lew. It is a struggle and getting worse. My old district had guns brought to school 3x this year. No one is really taking responsibility for it. One was at a old friends school. He did not report it. District swept it under the rug.

Originally Posted by Chiefspants

There are whispers that two schools in my area swept students bringing weapons to school under the rug this year.

You're not the first teacher I've come across who said they're also seeing this, and it's a terrifying trend.

Heard the same in many districts in Phoenix, as can be imagined in a city of 5M. We are in an A+ school district but it seems to be happening everywhere.

Lots of charter schools here but we are doing good old public education in a good school district. There's something to be said for interacting with all kinds of kids.

[displacedinMN]

I dont blame guns for the issue. I blame the parents. We know this can happen. It is ok to frisk your kids before they leave. If you are about education, you will do what ever you can to help your kids succeed. Even if that means they fail.

If you know what I mean.