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

[lillygator]

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.

her mom is an idiot imo. I would have gone to the police and had their behinds in slings. What a shame. Is your VP a man?

 

[goofyernmost]

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.

Yup, I kind of expected that response. And since you came at me with both barrels (i.e."let me educate you). Let me inform you that, and don't look so shocked, so do the rest of us. Teachers do not have a monopoly on work that needs to be done at home, or meetings that go beyond regular work hours. We all have that to deal with. Those that are salary are sometimes expected to work 10 to 20 hours per week above 40 hours with no additional pay whatsoever. I used to do payroll for a school district and ANY additional hours were paid additional, separate pay. Wish that were the case in the private sector but unless one is a major screw up in the banking and finance field there are no bonus's offered anymore.

Again, I would like to try and stop this from becoming a "Goofy hates teachers debate". I do not hate anyone, and I especially respect educators, I just believe in being honest. With all the pressures faced by teachers there are also a bunch of perks. You've earned them, but they exist and you shouldn't down play them like they don't exist.

 

[HelenePA]

Our kids had Saxon math and phonics and I LOVED that they got a little homework each night. It prepared them well for middle school and high school homework. It isn't about keeping them out of trouble, it is about instilling good work habits. If you REALLY have an issue with the 15 minutes it takes the kid to do a couple worksheets you are in for a LONG school career with your kids.

Now that our kids are in high school I am SO THANKFUL they had homework in elementary school. Last year we were concerned because our then 8th graders didn't seem to have much homework and their friends were complaining about the hours of homework they had. We talked to their homeroom teacher about this and he basically said that there are two types of students, those that use their time wisely and those that don't. The kids that were complaining about having so much homework were also the ones that were writing notes to their friends or chatting instead of using time in class to get work done. Those same kids are the ones that have the tv on, listening to their IPOD while texting their friends trying to get homework done.

Our kids were in a different district for elementary school so their classmates didn't really have much homework in elementary school so it was "new" to them in middle school. Our twins are in all honors classes, no study halls, and they still only have about an hour of homework each night. Their friends are STILL complaining about their hours and hours of homework yet they seem to have plenty of time to be on facebook while doing that homework. .

I dont mind the little each night but I do mind it over long breaks.. come on give the kid a break is it really going to kill them not to give it over the holidays? Mine are straight A students one is student of the month this month I think there has been ONE day she did not have homework this year..

 

[Ceila]

Let me be the first to educate teachers by letting them know ...

And since you came at me with both barrels (i.e."let me educate you)...

Just for the record, you "came at [teachers] with both barrels" first.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

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

I can't speak for others, but in my school it is an automatic call home and a trip to the recovery room or principal. I have one student who is aggressive to others, we keep him completely separated and keep an adult with him all times. We definitely take aggression towards other students seriously.

Of course, most of kids won't hurt the other students, they save it for me or my paras. I have had desks and chairs flipped, stuff thrown at me, I've been bitten, hit, kicked, punched, choked, had my hair pulled. You name it. But then, I teach special ed. For anything major, we call home (with the exception of the student for whom this is every day, then I send home a detailed report). You have to be restraint trained to work in my room. We do everything we can, and I'd much rather a student attack me than another student.

 

[torinsmom]

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!

Wow! Maybe I need to move to NY. Teachers here start at around $30,000 and are lucky to be making $50,000 when they retire after 30 years.

Marsha

 

[Had2stopLurking]

When we took my niece to Disney with us last year, she had a TON of homework to do. I don't blame the teacher for wanting her to keep up on it; break or not. She did quite a bit before we left, but some had to be done while we had her with us. 30 minutes of reading each day, then writing in her journal about what she read. (2nd grade)

She also had to write in her journal about what we did each day and I had to compare the words to her spelling list for the year/week and see if it was something she already should know. I personally think that is WONDERFUL!

As a college professor who tells the students AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER that they will have a paper due at such and such time, I would MUCH rather have students that have been exposed to homework (even on breaks) than the ones that haven't. Breaks don't mean laziness in the real world. My husband and I both have to check in to see if something is pressing that we need to address on vacation.

I think that homework during breaks is teaching children to cope in the future. Have you ever known a college student that wrote the papers due at the end of the break that wasn't working on it last minute?

 

[goldwest]

I used to do payroll for a school district and ANY additional hours were paid additional, separate pay. Wish that were the case in the private sector but unless one is a major screw up in the banking and finance field there are no bonus's offered anymore.

I have 20 years teaching experience in Canada. This post is really opening my eyes! One of the real benefits of the net in my opinion – expands my understanding of what can be true. I had never heard of teachers being given overtime - very interesting concept. Since teaching is a job that expands to any amount of available time, I wonder how they decide how much overtime a teacher can put in for. When I think of the extra hours put into researching lesson ideas, coaching, planning field trips etc ( Never mind the hours mulling over what new strategy might better support that troubled student!) - I could have so many more trips to DW

 

[HelenePA]

I think that homework during breaks is teaching children to cope in the future. Have you ever known a college student that wrote the papers due at the end of the break that wasn't working on it last minute?

future? ah come on they are 6,7,8 yr olds I'm talking about! Then we wonder why kids these days grow up too fasts... its because we force they too! My girls just did their homework. Thankfully no prek homework for my son this year I know its coming for Kindergarten though...

 

[Sparx]

When we took my niece to Disney with us last year, she had a TON of homework to do. I don't blame the teacher for wanting her to keep up on it; break or not. She did quite a bit before we left, but some had to be done while we had her with us. 30 minutes of reading each day, then writing in her journal about what she read. (2nd grade)

She also had to write in her journal about what we did each day and I had to compare the words to her spelling list for the year/week and see if it was something she already should know. I personally think that is WONDERFUL!

As a college professor who tells the students AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER that they will have a paper due at such and such time, I would MUCH rather have students that have been exposed to homework (even on breaks) than the ones that haven't. Breaks don't mean laziness in the real world. My husband and I both have to check in to see if something is pressing that we need to address on vacation.

I think that homework during breaks is teaching children to cope in the future. Have you ever known a college student that wrote the papers due at the end of the break that wasn't working on it last minute?

Um. Yeah. Me. My spring break was march 8-14. I had a paper due on march 16, but our drop box was open at the beginning of break. I turned it in on the 14th. I didn't want to spend my break working on it, so I managed my time accordingly. Don't lump everyone into one pile of procrastinators.

 

[golfgal]

I dont mind the little each night but I do mind it over long breaks.. come on give the kid a break is it really going to kill them not to give it over the holidays? Mine are straight A students one is student of the month this month I think there has been ONE day she did not have homework this year..

Again, is that 15 minutes over a 2 week break really hurting her? My kids do their homework on the first day of a school break and never worry about it again. The Saxon program is designed for repetition. I don't think there has been a single day my kids haven't had some homework either, so what, they are in school, that is their "job".

 

[Had2stopLurking]

Um. Yeah. Me. My spring break was march 8-14. I had a paper due on march 16, but our drop box was open at the beginning of break. I turned it in on the 14th. I didn't want to spend my break working on it, so I managed my time accordingly. Don't lump everyone into one pile of procrastinators.

please come and take one of my courses then!! I would LOVE to have a student that did this.

You must admit though, that is NOT the norm. I, like you, was a time management person, so I apologize if I came off differently in my post. Usually my mail box is FILLED with papers (not to mention my email filled with questions) when students are on break. As you know, they have an entire semester to prepare/ask questions, ect, yet they wait until a day before it's due to email or ask me.

I will admit, fall semester is worse than spring. At least in the spring, the break falls in the middle. At the fall semester, it doesn't come until Thanksgiving. I dread fall semesters (as do most students I assume), lol.

 

[SnowWhite607]

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.

This.

Let me "educate" all the teacher bashers about how much I make. I teach kindergarten at a private school. I bring home 616.00 every 2 weeks. Yes folks, that equals out to 1232.00 per month for 10 months out of the year for a grand total of 12,320.00 annually!!! For this I get to work from 830-230 daily and attend meetings at night and training on weekends. I get to attend a 2 day training retreat before school starts in the summertime and also a 3 hour health and safety course and a 2 hour CPR course every year.

I get to make lesson plans on the weekends and at night, I get to plan fun projects and cut out 200 constuction paper patterns of bears or elephant heads or whatever.

Do I do it for the money? Absolutely not. But please do not try to discount what I do. I provide a VERY important service and I take much pride in my job. I do it well and am always striving to do it better.

Are there a bunch of perks? You betcha! But dont try to make it sound like "well we all work at nights, weekends and holidays" cause I know that is not the truth. You think a dentist has to bring work home to do at night and on the weekends? A bank teller? (who probably makes more than I do, LOL!) A waitress at Sonic? No they dont. It really p##### me off when I hear people say that teachers work from 8-3 and thats it. If only that were the truth............... I wont even start on my DH's schedule. He teaches and is a football and softball coach.

Until you have walked a mile in my sneakers, dont judge teachers. Everyone is who or what they are today because of a teacher.

 

[torinsmom]

I used to do payroll for a school district and ANY additional hours were paid additional, separate pay. Wish that were the case in the private sector but unless one is a major screw up in the banking and finance field there are no bonus's offered anymore.

I have 20 years teaching experience in Canada. This post is really opening my eyes! One of the real benefits of the net in my opinion – expands my understanding of what can be true. I had never heard of teachers being given overtime - very interesting concept. Since teaching is a job that expands to any amount of available time, I wonder how they decide how much overtime a teacher can put in for. When I think of the extra hours put into researching lesson ideas, coaching, planning field trips etc ( Never mind the hours mulling over what new strategy might better support that troubled student!) - I could have so many more trips to DW

I sure don't get paid for overtime. I am a salaried employee, as are most teachers. If we attend something like an parent education night, we can use the time as comp time, and maybe leave early on a teacher workday.

Marsha

 

[disfan07]

Originally Posted by aprilgail2 View Post
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!

Depends on where in NY they are.

On Long Island, teachers can make more than my dad does as an engineer (he makes about $140,000/year)
My cousin teaches in Brooklyn as a kindergarten teacher (shes in her 3rd year) and she makes more than the teachers do in fairfax county, va (where I used to live)
She's trying to get a job on long island (she grew up there) but they are basically impossible to come by....You either have to know someone or have at least 5 years on teh job already before you can even hope for a job there.

Teachers salaries, just liek every other job, can differ greatly state from state or even county to county but overall, teachers are grossly underpaid for what they do.

 

[goofyernmost]

Just for the record, you "came at [teachers] with both barrels" first.

You are absolutely correct and I apologize. I had forgotten that I worded it that way, but I can see that there really is no other way to interpret what I did write other than in that way. My intent was an attempt to be cute and play on words, but as I said I can now see that I was wrong to put it that way. Sorry!

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

Do I do it for the money? Absolutely not. But please do not try to discount what I do. I provide a VERY important service and I take much pride in my job. I do it well and am always striving to do it better.

Most working individuals provide very important services.

Are there a bunch of perks? You betcha! But dont try to make it sound like "well we all work at nights, weekends and holidays" cause I know that is not the truth. You think a dentist has to bring work home to do at night and on the weekends? A bank teller? (who probably makes more than I do, LOL!) A waitress at Sonic? No they dont. It really p##### me off when I hear people say that teachers work from 8-3 and thats it. If only that were the truth............... I wont even start on my DH's schedule. He teaches and is a football and softball coach.

You're wrong on both counts as far as bank tellers go.

Until you have walked a mile in my sneakers, dont judge teachers. Everyone is who or what they are today because of a teacher.

I STRONGLY disagree with that. I am who I am because of the love and support of my family. I may KNOW things because of a teacher, but I am NOT who I am because of one. I'm sure that's true with a lot of people, but not everyone.

Here's the thing... we're not judging teachers as a group. I'm judging the ones who contributed to an article that makes the entire profession look like a group of whiny snobs. Be mad at them, not us.

 

[lillygator]

This.

Let me "educate" all the teacher bashers about how much I make. I teach kindergarten at a private school. I bring home 616.00 every 2 weeks. Yes folks, that equals out to 1232.00 per month for 10 months out of the year for a grand total of 12,320.00 annually!!! For this I get to work from 830-230 daily and attend meetings at night and training on weekends. I get to attend a 2 day training retreat before school starts in the summertime and also a 3 hour health and safety course and a 2 hour CPR course every year.

I get to make lesson plans on the weekends and at night, I get to plan fun projects and cut out 200 constuction paper patterns of bears or elephant heads or whatever.

Do I do it for the money? Absolutely not. But please do not try to discount what I do. I provide a VERY important service and I take much pride in my job. I do it well and am always striving to do it better.

Are there a bunch of perks? You betcha! But dont try to make it sound like "well we all work at nights, weekends and holidays" cause I know that is not the truth. You think a dentist has to bring work home to do at night and on the weekends? A bank teller? (who probably makes more than I do, LOL!) A waitress at Sonic? No they dont. It really p##### me off when I hear people say that teachers work from 8-3 and thats it. If only that were the truth............... I wont even start on my DH's schedule. He teaches and is a football and softball coach.

Until you have walked a mile in my sneakers, dont judge teachers. Everyone is who or what they are today because of a teacher.

so is that after deductions or what you "actually" make?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

This.

Let me "educate" all the teacher bashers about how much I make. I teach kindergarten at a private school. I bring home 616.00 every 2 weeks. Yes folks, that equals out to 1232.00 per month for 10 months out of the year for a grand total of 12,320.00 annually!!! For this I get to work from 830-230 daily and attend meetings at night and training on weekends. I get to attend a 2 day training retreat before school starts in the summertime and also a 3 hour health and safety course and a 2 hour CPR course every year.

I get to make lesson plans on the weekends and at night, I get to plan fun projects and cut out 200 constuction paper patterns of bears or elephant heads or whatever.

Do I do it for the money? Absolutely not. But please do not try to discount what I do. I provide a VERY important service and I take much pride in my job. I do it well and am always striving to do it better.

Are there a bunch of perks? You betcha! But dont try to make it sound like "well we all work at nights, weekends and holidays" cause I know that is not the truth. You think a dentist has to bring work home to do at night and on the weekends? A bank teller? (who probably makes more than I do, LOL!) A waitress at Sonic? No they dont. It really p##### me off when I hear people say that teachers work from 8-3 and thats it. If only that were the truth............... I wont even start on my DH's schedule. He teaches and is a football and softball coach.

Until you have walked a mile in my sneakers, dont judge teachers. Everyone is who or what they are today because of a teacher.

Most of the K teachers in our district make about $80,000 a year. Some more some less. I can tell you since I worked as a bank teller briefly (worst job of my life!) that I didn't make anywhere near that and never would in that position. As for your DH coaching- teachers here get paid extra to do that. They even pay other staff extra to keep score and time of the game. There are plenty of jobs that require work that is done at home. I know my own DH can be doing work at home after he already put in a 10 hour day. He is not the only person that I know that takes work home. In fact, most people I know have to do work from home that they don't get paid any extra for. It is simply expected of them. That is part of their job.
I also am not who I am today because of a teacher. I am who I am because of my family. Sure I had some great teachers along the way but they have nothing to do with who I am as a person.
FTR- I think having a great teacher is worth the money they get paid here.

 

[lillygator]

Everyone is who or what they are today because of a teacher.

sorry, no, this is not correct and pretty darn presumptious. wow.