13 Things Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You

[MrsPete]

Because every job has issues that are annoying so you complain. Human Nature. Readers digest just did the same list for shoe salesmen (#1 stop trying to squeeze your 91/2 feet in a size 7 shoe LOL) and Christmas mall santa clauses. I can only imagine the horror stories Nurses could tell. Doesn't mean you don't like your job.

Yep, I do like my job -- don't want any other job -- but that doesn't mean I don't have a good store of absolute horror stories and stories about stupid things kids have done in my classroom.

 

[MM27]

No one on this thread "said" they were superior, but check out most posts regarding teachers on the DIS. It's pretty obvious over the years how they feel.

I've been on many of those threads and I can tell you that as a teacher I don't feel superior to anyone, nor do I think I deserve a professional athletes salary. What I do have a problem with is people that feel they know all about my job when really they don't. Unless you've been a teacher, you don't know what we do all day, you don't know what we take home at night and you don't know what our job entails. Being a parent, volunteering in the classroom and having gone to school yourself does not equate to knowing the ins and outs of the profession. Stalking the teacher parking lot at the end of the day to see what time they leave doesn't mean you know what's going on.

I can assume I know about other professions, but you know what happens when you assume

I complain about some things in my profession. Who doesn't? Yes I knew I would have to deal with parents when I started, but no I wasn't aware that some of them would be total psychos. I didn't realize that there would be a time where I would be cursed out in front of my class by a parent that I called 100s of times all year because of her child's poor performance and she waited to come in until report cards were being handed out to see that her child was failing. Calling me every name in the book probably made her feel a lot better, but if she pulled that in other people's work places she probably would have been arrested.


Kids burp, they fart, they pick their nose, some of them smell really bad. Is it a reflection of home? Sometimes yes it is. Some kids come to school with great manners and are wide awake and ready to learn. That too is a reflection of home.

 

[SDFgirl]

I'm a teacher and I agree on the homework issue - a lot of kids get way too much.

I only give homework on Monday through Thursday. No weekends, no holidays. The most I give is one sheet, front and back (so two sheets of work). Sometimes not even that. Hopefully that would only take 30 minutes a night or so. I think a small amount of time at home should be about reinforcing classroom skills and bringing the parents into the loop of instruction...but more time should be spent relaxing, enjoying time with family, and re-charging.

 

[tink20]

When DS was in K5, (he goes to a Christian school). His teacher ask for prayer requests, he raised his hand and said " I want to pray for my sister, because she is very mean to me" His teacher told me, I was like

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Just because this list is posted does not mean that everyone feels this way. Some things I agree with, some I don't. Who doesn't wish they made more money? I was aware of how much I would make when I took this job (and it's nowhere near the figure in the article) and decided it was acceptable. Doesn't mean I can't wish it was more. It also doesn't mean I go around and complain about how much I make.

I also don't feel like we are superior. Do we provide a needed service? Yes. But then most occupations do. Whether you are a nurse, teacher, or Wal Mart cashier, you are providing a service to your community. None is better than the other.

Some that maybe I would add:

-Calling parents is my absolute least favorite thing to do. If I am calling you, it's because something serious has happened. Sometimes it's not even my choice, the principal is telling me to.

-By that same token, all kids get sad faces sometimes on their report home. Most of the time it's nothing more than they went to the safe seat three times for not following directions. It really isn't necessary for me to call you and warn you in advance. If I had to call every kid's parents every time they earned a sad face, that is all I would do. That's the whole point of the daily report- communication between school and home, and I always explain why your kid got what they got. Unless they threatened somebody, a phone call isn't necessary.

-Speaking of which, if you want to tell your kid that if somebody hits them they hit that kid back, fine. But realize you are going to be getting a phone call home and your kid may end up being suspended. Also realize that we will be having a talk with that student about home vs. school behavior.

 

[goofyernmost]

I mean no disrespect for teachers and their rolls or the degree of hardship it contains to educate our little high energy spawns. It is a tough job. The only exception I take is the statement that "we only make about $51,000.00 per year where other occupations are much higher.

Let me be the first to educate teachers by letting them know that many, many people earn far less than that per year in jobs that are equally stressful or just downright physically exhausting and they have to do it in a 251 day year as opposed to 185 days a year.

Although I do not envy the job of a teacher and I celebrate and admire the profession they have chosen...there are far worse, lower paying careers out there.

 

[golfgal]

I mean no disrespect for teachers and their rolls or the degree of hardship it contains to educate our little high energy spawns. It is a tough job. The only exception I take is the statement that "we only make about $51,000.00 per year where other occupations are much higher.

Let me be the first to educate teachers by letting them know that many, many people earn far less than that per year in jobs that are equally stressful or just downright physically exhausting and they have to do it in a 251 day year as opposed to 185 days a year.

Although I do not envy the job of a teacher and I celebrate and admire the profession they have chosen...there are far worse, lower paying careers out there.

Let me educate you that teachers work more than 185 days/year and often are REQUIRED to put in 10+ hour days at that, then get to go home and prep for classes and correct homework which is why most teachers get upset when people like you come on boards here and discount what they do.

 

[jamimb]

I mean no disrespect for teachers and their rolls or the degree of hardship it contains to educate our little high energy spawns. It is a tough job. The only exception I take is the statement that "we only make about $51,000.00 per year where other occupations are much higher.

Let me be the first to educate teachers by letting them know that many, many people earn far less than that per year in jobs that are equally stressful or just downright physically exhausting and they have to do it in a 251 day year as opposed to 185 days a year.

Although I do not envy the job of a teacher and I celebrate and admire the profession they have chosen...there are far worse, lower paying careers out there.

I used to think just like you. That was until I took a job as an assistant teacher 2 years ago. Unless you are in the thick of it you really don't have any idea. The teacher I work for makes less that 51,000 a yr and basically works year round (she writes curriculum in the summer) Most teachers I know do some kind of work over the summer whether it be summer school, our summer scholar program or writing curriculum. They work on average 9 to 11 hrs a a day in the classroom not to mention the hrs spent at home preparing. I can tell you I don't have half of the BS to put up with as the teacher does but this is by far the most stressful job I have ever had! Trust me when I say that they don't make half of what they should!!!!!

 

[disneyjunkie]

Speaking of which, if you want to tell your kid that if somebody hits them they hit that kid back, fine. But realize you are going to be getting a phone call home and your kid may end up being suspended. Also realize that we will be having a talk with that student about home vs. school behavior.

This is the only issue I refused to back my son's teachers on. My son was never one to cause problems, but he would defend himself.

 

[FSUDisneyGirl]

goofyernmost-

I think the reason that teachers sometimes complain about salary is not because it is so low (as you said, it's not low compared to many other low paying jobs), but for a college educated person, combined with the number of hours worked, it is quite low. The vast majority of teachers I know are in in for the love of kids and teaching, not the pay...but at a stressful time, some complaints may come out, and with what teachers have to deal with...I don't blame those who complain one bit!

 

[MM27]

This is the only issue I refused to back my son's teachers on. My son was never one to cause problems, but he would defend himself.

I'm right there with you on this one. I don't have kids, but if I did, I would tell them to let the teacher know and if nothing changed, to handle it the best they knew how.

I have a student this year that trips, hits, punches, pinches, you name it. I've called his mother several times and she is convinced that I make up these things about her son because guess what? He says he isn't doing anything. I've gotten the VP involved and still nothing. The other kids' parents have complained to me, the VP and the principal. I told the boy one day a few months ago that he needs to stop and if he doesn't, he's going to be really shocked one day when someone hits him back. I can take things away from him, I can punish him in the classroom but if nobody else will support what's going on, I'm all for the victim giving it back to him. I would have to fill out an incident report, but I'd be sure to put in it that this kid has been doing this all year and the victim is tired of it.

 

[lillygator]

I'm right there with you on this one. I don't have kids, but if I did, I would tell them to let the teacher know and if nothing changed, to handle it the best they knew how.

I have a student this year that trips, hits, punches, pinches, you name it. I've called his mother several times and she is convinced that I make up these things about her son because guess what? He says he isn't doing anything. I've gotten the VP involved and still nothing. The other kids' parents have complained to me, the VP and the principal. I told the boy one day a few months ago that he needs to stop and if he doesn't, he's going to be really shocked one day when someone hits him back. I can take things away from him, I can punish him in the classroom but if nobody else will support what's going on, I'm all for the victim giving it back to him. I would have to fill out an incident report, but I'd be sure to put in it that this kid has been doing this all year and the victim is tired of it.

is that student on only child by chance?

there is one child at daycare who does this and the parents refuse to believe it is true since he never does it at home....well there are no other children at home so he has no need to fight for attention! Luckily he is in a different class than my dd.

 

[MM27]

No, he has 4 older siblings. I'm a youngest child in my family and I never did any of those things. I think sometimes parents believe that we make up stories about their kids. Believe me, I have enough things going on during that day that keep me busy. Making up stuff about your kid is not in my schedule and if it was, I'd make the story a lot better than that

 

[torinsmom]

Hmm, most of those wouldn't make my list of things I wish parents knew...

I would add:

- I don't want to test your child because I'm out to get them, want them labeled, or think they're dumb. I want to test them because I suspect something may be wrong and I want to know how to help them. A diagnosis, be it a visual processing delay to autism, does not make your child different from who they were before. They are the same child you love, only now I can take steps to ensure they are successful and their needs are met. I'm willing to put in the effort, you should be, too.

- Don't tell me about the holidays I get. Yes, I'm very lucky. Yes, I do get about three months off per year. I also work my butt off for hours each night when I'm not actually teaching, get paid less than other professionals, and if you think it's so easy and great, you should have gone into teaching.

- No, I won't prepare two weeks of work ahead of time because you're going on vacation. I think family vacations are wonderful, I hope you have a great time. But you do need to recognize that you child is missing school and that it's your choice to pull them out. My lessons are not about completing worksheets, and the consequence of missing school is that you're missing these lessons.

- Letting your child pick their nose and eat is is gross. No, it's not a healthy way to build up an immune system. And you're crazy. End of story.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. I am sick of hearing parents say they don't want their child "labeled". We want to find out what the problem is so we can work together to make the child successful. It is not a conspiracy to make your child or your family look bad. Some of the most successful people in the world have had learning disabilities.

I mean no disrespect for teachers and their rolls or the degree of hardship it contains to educate our little high energy spawns. It is a tough job. The only exception I take is the statement that "we only make about $51,000.00 per year where other occupations are much higher.

Let me be the first to educate teachers by letting them know that many, many people earn far less than that per year in jobs that are equally stressful or just downright physically exhausting and they have to do it in a 251 day year as opposed to 185 days a year.

Although I do not envy the job of a teacher and I celebrate and admire the profession they have chosen...there are far worse, lower paying careers out there.

LOL, I won't even make $51,000/year when I get my Masters and National Board certification! At that time, I will also have 12 years of experience too. That figure must be from a higher COL state than most. In our district, we also work 200 days during the school year, not to mention the days of inservice in the summer and time spent planning the curriculum. I am willing to bet I work as many hours as any 40 hour/weeker during the year.

I don't complain about what I make and I do love my job. Sometimes people(parents and students) drive me crazy and sometimes they are awesome, but that is the same with any job really. I don't believe that people here never complain about their jobs, LOL. Besides, noone here wrote that list.....

Marsha

 

[disneyjunkie]

I'm right there with you on this one. I don't have kids, but if I did, I would tell them to let the teacher know and if nothing changed, to handle it the best they knew how.

I have a student this year that trips, hits, punches, pinches, you name it. I've called his mother several times and she is convinced that I make up these things about her son because guess what? He says he isn't doing anything. I've gotten the VP involved and still nothing. The other kids' parents have complained to me, the VP and the principal. I told the boy one day a few months ago that he needs to stop and if he doesn't, he's going to be really shocked one day when someone hits him back. I can take things away from him, I can punish him in the classroom but if nobody else will support what's going on, I'm all for the victim giving it back to him. I would have to fill out an incident report, but I'd be sure to put in it that this kid has been doing this all year and the victim is tired of it.

I have one of those this year as well.

I Just found out on Friday that I may end up with 2 of them next fall. One is an equal opportunity hitter - he hits children and adults. Thursday he pinched his teacher. Two weeks ago he bit the assistant.

 

[lillygator]

I have one of those this year as well.

I Just found out on Friday that I may end up with 2 of them next fall. One is an equal opportunity hitter - he hits children and adults. Thursday he pinched his teacher. Two weeks ago he bit the assistant.

is this a special ed class? what is the school's role expected to be for children that hit?

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

This is such a pet peeve of mine:

Guys who dribble a ball for a couple of hours a game can make up to $20 million a year. We educate future leaders and make about $51,000 a year.

When athletes are paid with property taxes and teachers are paid with the revenue from thousands of people paying $50 and up to watch them teach each day and TV stations pay millions to broadcast from their classrooms then that arguement will make sense.

Yes!!!!

The who athlete thing ANNOYS me so much. Yes, some get paid $20 million per year but we're the ones paying them essentially. From the shirts, tickets, beer, etc. that we purchase, we're paying their salary.

And their paid whatever someone tells them their value is. ARod is paid as much because someone decided $20-something million a year was what they wanted to give him to play for NYY. Do you really think he should say no? I wouldn't.

Do you really think Kim Clijsters should have said, no thank you, to her 2009 US Open prize money of $1.5 million?

I don't mind though... I love to watch both baseball and tennis, let them have their money I say!

 

[torinsmom]

Oh- and just because you went to school to become a teacher doesn't make you an expert. It does make you very knowlegable about your field but that doesn't mean that someone else might have a better idea on how to do something. That doesn't mean the parents are telling you how to do your job. Perhaps you as the teacher aren't seeing that whatever you are doing isn't working and they are trying to be part of a solution. That happens in every environment.

It really depends on the way a parent approaches me. Suggestions are always good, but a note telling me that I NEED to teach your child to do addition is not going to go over well with me, especially since none of the work I send home for you to do with your child is coming back. Besided, if your child doesn't recognize 1-20, they are not ready for addition. This was a parent that we have only seen or heard from TWICE this school year.

 

[MM27]

is this a special ed class? what is the school's role expected to be for children that hit?

I'll tell you what happens in my school. The VP, at the end of the year, has to report to the Superintendent how many suspensions were handed out during the year. My VP brags every year how her suspension rates are the lowest in the district. Um, yeah, that's because you don't suspend anyone.

We had a few third grade boys one year that were sexually assaulting a girl in their class. They would come up behind her and put their hands up her skirt, they would grab at her chest and were saying some very inappropriate things to her. Their punishment was lunch detention. So the bunch of them that were on lunch detention got to sit together at the lunch detention table in the cafeteria. Sounds fair right?

Now, here's the kicker. Her punishment was that they moved her out of her classroom for the rest of the year (this happened at the end of May and school gets out in June) and put her in a self contained special ed classroom where she could sit alone and do her work. My VP convinced her mother not to go to the police with the problem like she originally was going to do and in exchange she promised her that the boys would not be in her class the following year and the mother could pick the girls teacher. The girl was in my class the next year. Sweetest little girl you could imagine. And she was treated like garbage because the VP doesn't want the school to look bad.

 

[aprilgail2]

I mean no disrespect for teachers and their rolls or the degree of hardship it contains to educate our little high energy spawns. It is a tough job. The only exception I take is the statement that "we only make about $51,000.00 per year where other occupations are much higher.

Let me be the first to educate teachers by letting them know that many, many people earn far less than that per year in jobs that are equally stressful or just downright physically exhausting and they have to do it in a 251 day year as opposed to 185 days a year.

Although I do not envy the job of a teacher and I celebrate and admire the profession they have chosen...there are far worse, lower paying careers out there.

It's not like the salaries are private. It is public knowledge (although where I live they get paid quite well). You know that parents and kids are part of the deal so that isn't a surprise. I don't get it. Why be annoyed?
Oh- and just because you went to school to become a teacher doesn't make you an expert. It does make you very knowlegable about your field but that doesn't mean that someone else might have a better idea on how to do something. That doesn't mean the parents are telling you how to do your job. Perhaps you as the teacher aren't seeing that whatever you are doing isn't working and they are trying to be part of a solution. That happens in every environment.
.

In ny you can find teachers salaries at www.seethroughny.net my daughters 4th grade teacher made 110,000. My brother made 101,000 and my neighbor made 96,000....so I really don't see how they can cry about being underpaid etc....even IF they had to work 10 hours a day for the 180 days of school its still pretty darn good!! My neighbor babysits for my daughters 2nd grade teacher and she would be dropping the kid off as the bus came in the morning and most days she beat my daughter home from school to pick up her kids!