Frustrated...Any new teachers out there?

[lucigo]

I'm going to be the one to say it doesn't get better. DH taught his first full year last year. He worked for $32K a year at an A rated school. Two weeks into the school year all of the classes were juggled and the tenured teacher was given all of the honors classes. (About the time they started talking about pay being based on test performance). He worked his rear end off, stayed late every night, started a club (astronomy), worked with a peer teacher, tutored 5 nights a week for free. End of the year he was admonished for having lower FCAT scores than the tenured teacher (school still did well), and he was laid off along with a ton of other first year teachers due to the district having to cut 11 million from their budget.

Life sucks, and he has a job interview with the post office on Tuesday and a prison on Thursday. At least if he gets one of them he will have set hours. Substituting pays a whopping $85 a week more than unemployment, which in Florida is less than $250 a week.

 

[Debbie]

My official workday is from 7:15 am until 3:15 pm, which is 8 hours. I don't get a lunch break, I spend 20 min in the cafeteria surrounded by students. My planning pd is not free time. And I know few teachers who work just those hours.

We aren't the only professionals who do those things, but we are among the few who do it while constantly being told that we are lucky to make such great money for working part time. You don't have a clue....

That's it in a nutshell. Thank you!

OP, I just started my 15th year as a teacher, and I had to learn this lesson the hard way this morning. After over 10 yrs of being seizure free, I collapsed in the kitchen this morning, and my dd11 found me in the middle of a seizure. I have a knot on my head, a sore chin (I think I hit the high chair on the way down) and I bit my tongue and it hurts so bad! I moved from high school to 7th grade this year, and I've been working from 7am until 5pm at school, then staying up as late as 1am grading papers and planning lessons. My 50 min planning pd has been used for meetings 7 of the 9 school days, and I've had afterschool meetings almost every day. Even my principal told me to stop working so hard. My body forced me to agree to that today.

I have to take a breath and find balance. I won't be bringing work home from this point on. I will be staying from 7 until 4:30, and what doesn't get done won't get done. The meetings should be calming down now, and I am getting more comfortable with the 7th grade curriculum and the kids.

Yes, taking care of ourselves so we can care for our families (and our students) is vital! I am glad that you are doing that, december. And when something doesn't get done, it is rarely the end of the world. One of the most important words in teaching is flexibility. You get experience with that when you have to think on your feet because something isn't done!

As for the white boards, a cheaper, lighter alternative is to take card stock, stick it in a page protector, add a sheet of graph paper to the back for math, stick a piece of felt (cut up a yard into pieces) in it, and add a dry erase marker. 30 of those won't cost much, but as a pp said, splurge on the markers. The cheap ones are cheap for a reason....

Oooooh! That reminds me of what my teaching partners do. They have those things in a page protector. The front has a border of a Smartboard, and that's what they call the package. "Take our your student Smartboard." Having something for each student to do-being engaged in their own learning- is a real help with classroom management.

 

[Debbie]

I'm going to be the one to say it doesn't get better. DH taught his first full year last year. He worked for $32K a year at an A rated school. Two weeks into the school year all of the classes were juggled and the tenured teacher was given all of the honors classes. (About the time they started talking about pay being based on test performance). He worked his rear end off, stayed late every night, started a club (astronomy), worked with a peer teacher, tutored 5 nights a week for free. End of the year he was admonished for having lower FCAT scores than the tenured teacher (school still did well), and he was laid off along with a ton of other first year teachers due to the district having to cut 11 million from their budget.

Life sucks, and he has a job interview with the post office on Tuesday and a prison on Thursday. At least if he gets one of them he will have set hours. Substituting pays a whopping $85 a week more than unemployment, which in Florida is less than $250 a week.

Lucigo, I am sorry that you and your hubby are going through this. I don't pretend to know what the teachers in your State are going through. I know that when pay = test performance, there is something wrong with the system. There are just too many unknowns with our kids, and things we can't change. Budget cuts suck, that's for sure. Good luck to your DH, and, hopefully, if teaching is his heart's desire, he'll see it again.

 

[okeydokey]

I'm going to be the one to say it doesn't get better. DH taught his first full year last year. He worked for $32K a year at an A rated school. Two weeks into the school year all of the classes were juggled and the tenured teacher was given all of the honors classes. (About the time they started talking about pay being based on test performance). He worked his rear end off, stayed late every night, started a club (astronomy), worked with a peer teacher, tutored 5 nights a week for free. End of the year he was admonished for having lower FCAT scores than the tenured teacher (school still did well), and he was laid off along with a ton of other first year teachers due to the district having to cut 11 million from their budget.

Life sucks, and he has a job interview with the post office on Tuesday and a prison on Thursday. At least if he gets one of them he will have set hours. Substituting pays a whopping $85 a week more than unemployment, which in Florida is less than $250 a week.

I'm so sorry about your husbands experience. I live in FL and it is not a happy place to be or work right now.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I'm going to be the one to say it doesn't get better. DH taught his first full year last year. He worked for $32K a year at an A rated school. Two weeks into the school year all of the classes were juggled and the tenured teacher was given all of the honors classes. (About the time they started talking about pay being based on test performance). He worked his rear end off, stayed late every night, started a club (astronomy), worked with a peer teacher, tutored 5 nights a week for free. End of the year he was admonished for having lower FCAT scores than the tenured teacher (school still did well), and he was laid off along with a ton of other first year teachers due to the district having to cut 11 million from their budget.

Life sucks, and he has a job interview with the post office on Tuesday and a prison on Thursday. At least if he gets one of them he will have set hours. Substituting pays a whopping $85 a week more than unemployment, which in Florida is less than $250 a week.

and you forgot to add in that now you collect for half of the time you use to on unemployment.. didn't Scott cut it to 12 weeks..
you are right about the loss of tenure for any teacher now not already with it here in FL.. but I didn't think OP was from here so I didn't go into that. I didn't see the need to upset her about our bull crap.. however on the same token, we should warn all who are considering a move here to FL.. not to! The system stinks for anyone new in the Education System.. as you have just shown them! I have just talked my youngest DD out of going into Secondary Ed.. and into Radiology! She is entering her 2nd year of college this coming week. Thank God she's switching majors now.. it is early enough in the game for her...

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Lucigo, I am sorry that you and your hubby are going through this. I don't pretend to know what the teachers in your State are going through. I know that when pay = test performance, there is something wrong with the system. There are just too many unknowns with our kids, and things we can't change. Budget cuts suck, that's for sure. Good luck to your DH, and, hopefully, if teaching is his heart's desire, he'll see it again.

You are so right.. pay should never = what is done on testing.. but here in Sunny FLA it is.. and that is called our Merit Pay.. Our system has gone down the tubes.. not a good place for any teacher to move to anymore.. I am not a teacher, but an assistant. I have gone to college for teaching and left with having only one year to get my degree (that was back in 1980). I never felt the need to do it. I worked in the business world, made more money, had my kids then decided to work in the school system only so I could be home when they were. I love what I do, I do not have the headaches that the teachers do. I have been asked by the district several times to go back and finish (on their dime) and I have not done so. I have a better shot at keeping my job this way! I may not make as much, but I don't have to work at home, I don't have to stay 1-3 hours longer each day.. and I don't have to answer to why Johnny isn't doing better on his FCAT scores, or why his homework is not done. Florida has forgotten that parents are responsible for their children's education to a certain degree and have placed all of it upon the teachers. Florida is no State for a Teacher..or a student for that matter.. Teachers are told to teach to the test..

 

[TW27]

I have been teaching science for 9 years and I have to tell you, the first year is the worst! I promise you, with time it will get better.

Even now, I have days where I struggle with the time management. No matter what, you will always have those days that seem never to end and you have paper-monster that you think that you think you have no chance of taming. Or that it is a full moon because the kids are driving you nuts. However, I have a few things that have helped me and maybe, they will help you.

- One name: Harry Wong. I have found that he has been a godsend in terms of classroom management. His book has amazing ideas (For example, don't set classroom rules, instead set expectations. Why? Well, expectations are made to be met, while rules are made to be broken.) If you can't find the book (or aren't sure that it would work), I would check out teachers.net and look at his column that he has over there with his wife.

- Procedures are your friend. I find that most of the problems that come up in my classroom are due to lack of procedures. I have found that kids love routines and as a result, I have set up procedures for them regarding anything they might want to do. Go to bathroom? There's a procedure for that. Sharpen a pencil? There's a procedure for that. Need a tissue? Handing in late work? Have trouble with a problem? Procedure, procedure, procedure. If you Google "aft procedure pfd" a great worksheet for working out your classroom procedures will come up. Spend a little time figuring out what the procedure is for each of those items (your school might have something in place already). Then, review this with your students over and over again. I actually quiz my students on this a couple times during the first quarter. A little time spent on this will make a much smoother running classroom.

- Time management is key so you don't go on overload and burn out. I have tried a few things in place so I don't go too crazy. For starters, I never ever bring papers home to be graded. Instead, I try to get to school 45 minutes early and use the time before school to grade. Additionally, I take 15-30 minutes before I go home to set up for the next day. (That way, in the event that I get stuck in traffic or I'm out sick, everything is set up and ready to go.) I also try to get all my work outfits together on Sunday (clean, ironed) so I don't have to worry about that in the morning during the week. I also get up early on Saturday (like a work day) and use this time to plan and make handouts (or find them on the Internet). This 'plan at home, grade at work" model really has helped me big time. I also use Google calendar to help me plan everything out and I share it with my family - so I don't plan big school things around big family things and vice versa.

- Avoid negative people - this might even mean avoiding the teachers' lounge. Usually when I am around negative people, they make me negative and become a big energy suck. If I stay positive, I am much more productive and in a much better teacher for my students.

- People have mentioned a lot of great websites. Check out enchanted learning (you might have to pay, but they have ideas). As my mentor told me - beg, borrow, or steal great teaching lessons/ideas. Also, realize that not every lesson is going to be wonderful. Many, many will be duds. It will not be like the movies. If you can create one great lesson every year, by the end of your career you will have 40 weeks of wonderful lessons! (Assuming you are 22 and teach until you are 62)

- Take time for yourself. Even if you are only getting your nails done once a week, having a special date night with hubby, or going to the gym - do something for yourself so you aren't one of the 50% of those who leave the teaching profession in the first 5 years.

Good luck. I promise - it does get better.

 

[StephMK]

I have been teaching science for 9 years and I have to tell you, the first year is the worst! I promise you, with time it will get better.

Even now, I have days where I struggle with the time management. No matter what, you will always have those days that seem never to end and you have paper-monster that you think that you think you have no chance of taming. Or that it is a full moon because the kids are driving you nuts. However, I have a few things that have helped me and maybe, they will help you.

- One name: Harry Wong. I have found that he has been a godsend in terms of classroom management. His book has amazing ideas (For example, don't set classroom rules, instead set expectations. Why? Well, expectations are made to be met, while rules are made to be broken.) If you can't find the book (or aren't sure that it would work), I would check out teachers.net and look at his column that he has over there with his wife.

- Procedures are your friend. I find that most of the problems that come up in my classroom are due to lack of procedures. I have found that kids love routines and as a result, I have set up procedures for them regarding anything they might want to do. Go to bathroom? There's a procedure for that. Sharpen a pencil? There's a procedure for that. Need a tissue? Handing in late work? Have trouble with a problem? Procedure, procedure, procedure. If you Google "aft procedure pfd" a great worksheet for working out your classroom procedures will come up. Spend a little time figuring out what the procedure is for each of those items (your school might have something in place already). Then, review this with your students over and over again. I actually quiz my students on this a couple times during the first quarter. A little time spent on this will make a much smoother running classroom.

- Time management is key so you don't go on overload and burn out. I have tried a few things in place so I don't go too crazy. For starters, I never ever bring papers home to be graded. Instead, I try to get to school 45 minutes early and use the time before school to grade. Additionally, I take 15-30 minutes before I go home to set up for the next day. (That way, in the event that I get stuck in traffic or I'm out sick, everything is set up and ready to go.) I also try to get all my work outfits together on Sunday (clean, ironed) so I don't have to worry about that in the morning during the week. I also get up early on Saturday (like a work day) and use this time to plan and make handouts (or find them on the Internet). This 'plan at home, grade at work" model really has helped me big time. I also use Google calendar to help me plan everything out and I share it with my family - so I don't plan big school things around big family things and vice versa.

- Avoid negative people - this might even mean avoiding the teachers' lounge. Usually when I am around negative people, they make me negative and become a big energy suck. If I stay positive, I am much more productive and in a much better teacher for my students.

- People have mentioned a lot of great websites. Check out enchanted learning (you might have to pay, but they have ideas). As my mentor told me - beg, borrow, or steal great teaching lessons/ideas. Also, realize that not every lesson is going to be wonderful. Many, many will be duds. It will not be like the movies. If you can create one great lesson every year, by the end of your career you will have 40 weeks of wonderful lessons! (Assuming you are 22 and teach until you are 62)

- Take time for yourself. Even if you are only getting your nails done once a week, having a special date night with hubby, or going to the gym - do something for yourself so you aren't one of the 50% of those who leave the teaching profession in the first 5 years.

Good luck. I promise - it does get better.

Great tips! I am getting ready to read Wong & have read Love & Logic, The First Six Weeks and First Year Survival Guide. Did you have any past practicum teachers that you could call on to help you? Do you have friends from school that you can talk to & share ideas?

Tips from past teachers that I am using are to set up folders for each subject so when kids turn stuff in, they put it in the right folder. There is also a checklist on the front that they mark when they submit something. I have folders set up for each day of the week. All the handouts, notes, etc. go in that day's folder and the whole week is ready to go. It also helps if there is ever a last minute sub.

Hang in there. Try to take a whole day off on the weekend and get away from the job. Get some sleep, relax, then prepare to look at it fresh the next day.

 

[StitchBuddy]

Don't give up!! It gets easier with time. Also, be sure you get some rest. I have been teaching for 20 plus years. The first year is by far the hardest. Just take a step back and concentrate on the core subjects first. No one expects perfection. Just do the best you can. Try and get some support from your team of teachers. Keep your chin up!

 

[decaff38]

I've been teaching for 25 years. The first year I think I cried every night. Felt like a failure but survived!! This too shall pass. You have the heart and can see your hard work. You will be a great teacher. Be patient with yourself! You must stop the thoughts of making things perfect. Your grade level team mates are a fabulous resource. Find one that is open to helping and pick their brains and give them chocolate!! A website that I found that has good plans and info is TeachersPayTeachers.com It is just that. Teachers post some of their ideas and plans(lessons). Some are free, some are minimal cost. The $ goes to the teacher who posted it. Enchanted Learning is good too. Hang in there! It will be Christmas before you know it!

 

[2SiameseCats]

This is my 20th year teaching, and every start of the school year is rough. It will get better. There is alot of good advice so far--being organized and having good classroom management will make your day go so much smoother. Make that T chart--what the expectation sounds like, looks like and feels like. It works wonders. The best advice I can give you is to make friends with a really good teacher at your grade level and learn, learn, learn. It takes awhile to figure out your niche. Once you do, you will soar! Hang in there!

 

[Sandi S]

First of all, there is a lot of good advice on this thread - take it!

I've been teaching for 17 years now and I will echo others' comments that it does get easier.

Try to get a buddy teacher to plan with. That might save your sanity a little.

Finally, don't let anyone blow sunshine up your behind about how good teachers have it. Until they have walked a few days in your shoes, they have no idea.

Hang in there!

 

[nicki.momof3]

I have been teaching for 16 years.

I remember when I first started it was so hard. There are challenges are neer expect to confront. Stick with it. In the end you will be so happy you did. I love being a teacher and the schedule is perfect for being a working mom.

Staying at home would be better but if you have to work, there is no better job.

My advice is find another new teacher to connect with. If nothing else it is great to have someone to vent to that knows exactly what you are dealing with. My best friend to date is the women in the classroom next to mine that also started teaching the say year I did.

 

[MindyDean]

Your post brings back memories. As a first year teacher, I wanted to quit every single day. Finances at the time prohibited me from just walking away from teaching. So glad I stuck it out. I am embarking on my 23rd year and it does get easier as you gain experience. Hang in there-you might actually find that you like going to work. When all else fails, get on the DIS board and dream about Disney.

 

[Mary•Poppins]

Teacher for 24 years here And I PROMISE it gets better! However, keep in mind, every new year is a bump and offers high stress levels just because everything is new ... kids, subjects, teachers, new policies, curriculum, etc. (I am in my 2nd day with children and am exhausted!)

Now as a working Mom of teenagers, I am SO thankful I never quit ( ... I wanted to when my children were little.) It truly is the perfect job and enables me to be available to my family and work in a profession I LOVE.

There is a lot of great advice here. I would suggest what one poster said, find a teacher that is good AND respected in the building by others. This is the teacher that can help you and guide you through the tricky waters you will experience (with children, parents and fellow colleagues). Ask, ask, ask lots of questions when you are not sure.

Hang in there!

 

[roadtripper]

Some great advice here! I am going into teaching year 22 on Monday, and even though I teach high school, here are some of my favorite teaching tips; I hope they help you, too. Best of luck!

-when disciplining a student, make sure you are close to them and speaking in a quiet but firm voice. Yelling across a classroom forces a student to "save face" by continuing their behavior. If possible, ask them to go into the hall with you for a chat. No kid wants to do that, but they no longer have an audience

-one on one conferencing with students to check comprehension is more effective/less time consuming than correcting a set of worksheets. As an added bonus, students who can tell you what they know actually know it--they didn't copy someone else's assignment.

-differentiate instruction when possible. Giving students a choice of how to present what they know gives them ownership and demonstrates comprehension. Less complaints that 'this is boring!' since they chose how to show what they know. Added bonus--this technique usually complies with IEPs, so students with learning differences can show what they know in their preferred learning style. This helps with student success, which decreases behavioral issues.

Trying not to get political, but those of you who think teachers are well paid should compare us with people with similar educations and experience. And you're welcome to join us at any time, since most teachers leave within 3-5 years. I wonder why that is, since it's such a well paid gig with so much time off? Back to lesson planning now...

 

[MrsPete]

Teacher for 24 years here And I PROMISE it gets better! However, keep in mind, every new year is a bump and offers high stress levels just because everything is new ... kids, subjects, teachers, new policies, curriculum, etc. (I am in my 2nd day with children and am exhausted!)

Now as a working Mom of teenagers, I am SO thankful I never quit ( ... I wanted to when my children were little.) It truly is the perfect job and enables me to be available to my family and work in a profession I LOVE.

There is a lot of great advice here. I would suggest what one poster said, find a teacher that is good AND respected in the building by others. This is the teacher that can help you and guide you through the tricky waters you will experience (with children, parents and fellow colleagues). Ask, ask, ask lots of questions when you are not sure.

Hang in there!

I'll second this. We've just started school this past week, and even with 20 years behind me, no start is easy. I don't yet know the kids' names, don't yet have a handle on who's really on top of things and who is going to lag behind. No matter how many times you've done it, the first few weeks are hard.

I agree that I'm glad I didn't quit when my kids were little. It seems that it's harder to adjust to going back to work if you take time off, and with college approaching all too fast, I like that I'm moving up on the pay scale, and that I'm on the "downhill side" of my 30 years.

Some great advice here! I am going into teaching year 22 on Monday, and even though I teach high school, here are some of my favorite teaching tips; I hope they help you, too. Best of luck!

-when disciplining a student, make sure you are close to them and speaking in a quiet but firm voice. Yelling across a classroom forces a student to "save face" by continuing their behavior. If possible, ask them to go into the hall with you for a chat. No kid wants to do that, but they no longer have an audience

-one on one conferencing with students to check comprehension is more effective/less time consuming than correcting a set of worksheets. As an added bonus, students who can tell you what they know actually know it--they didn't copy someone else's assignment.

-differentiate instruction when possible. Giving students a choice of how to present what they know gives them ownership and demonstrates comprehension. Less complaints that 'this is boring!' since they chose how to show what they know. Added bonus--this technique usually complies with IEPs, so students with learning differences can show what they know in their preferred learning style. This helps with student success, which decreases behavioral issues.

Trying not to get political, but those of you who think teachers are well paid should compare us with people with similar educations and experience. And you're welcome to join us at any time, since most teachers leave within 3-5 years. I wonder why that is, since it's such a well paid gig with so much time off? Back to lesson planning now...

Those are good pieces of advice, and they're the type of thing that you learn as you gain experience in the classroom. Here are a few others:

Always orient your body towards the middle of the classroom. For example, when you go to a student's desk to help him, walk around to the far side so that as you help him, you have a view of the rest of the class beyond his desk.

If a kid is rude, always send him out into the hallway and make him wait a minute before you follow. You said that this removes his audience /removes his need to show off. It also gives him a chance to calm down, and that often helps a kid realize that he's in the wrong.

Today's kids have very short attention spans, so incorporating movement into your class helps them tremendously. It might not be the most efficient way to handle things, but having them ALL get up and fetch a book from the shelf, or having them ALL bring their papers to your desk when they're finished gives them just a moment of movement and prevents misbehavior later.

Follow the school rules and always be consistant. If your school rule is that you're to confiscate phones being used in class, do it -- even if you don't agree with the rule. Not following school rules creates problems for teachers in all the other classes. Worst of all, however, would be taking the phone from one student and ignoring another student who's doing the same thing. That will come back to haunt you in a hurry.

Don't be afraid to demand that students work hard and behave well. Never ask students to be good -- tell them in a friendly but firm and unwaivering way exactly what they are to do.

It really does get easier.

 

[S'sMom]

I am a first year teacher and I am extremely frustrated and ready to quit. I am making almost $49,000 a year so the money is great , but I can not handle the stress (the students and the workload). I am just looking for some words of encouragement.

for all the teachers out there.

I also remember my first year. It was hard and I remember contemplating quitting about every week . Once I got my own rhythm down, I got the hang of it. I see further down that you teach forth grade. My dd is in the 4th, and I have to say that you get . That is such a time where they start to learn everything and actually start of apply it. You have a great job

Do not get me wrong, I understand the stress and with budget cuts, and so many changes, it is hard to imagine an end to the madness in sight. But I promise it is coming. I taught high school for 10 years, and now I am an middle school librarian, so I promise, it will get better. Once you get the hang of everything.

Remember that there is no need to teach "the test". Teach them based on the curriculum and if there is a different fun way to teach them that skill, do it. I always taught outside the box and that made it fun for me, so they enjoyed it too (at least that is what they told me LOL )

 

[njmom47]

- Vary your instruction. You may love reading plays out loud and having the kids do cross-word puzzles, but if you do those specific activities every week they'll become stale. So do those one week, but then the next week have the kids act out scenes from the play or make posters to share with the class, and then have them do a creative writing activity. Mix it up.

QUOTE]

I am not a teacher, I started to become one (another story), but as a parent, I appreciate this advice. Not every child learns the same way and varying instruction methods could give each child a turn to "shine" (learn the way they learn best and be proud of their accomplishment, which in turn helps their self-esteem).

 

[TarHeel Minnie]

I'm a first year teacher, too...3 weeks in and it's been a crazy/stressful experience. 2 different teachers and my principal have given me "Tools for Teaching" by Fred Jones. I have the Harry Wong book, but I like the Fred Jones book better... it has described my first three weeks perfectly and seems to be offering really good suggestions to correct the problems that I'm facing (wandering around, talking out, not doing work, not paying attention, not caring). Hope your year gets better soon!