Teachers - how do you do it?

[DizBelle]

without going crazy that is.....

You've got I don't know how many students, many of which have individual requirements you have to adhere to - making it more and more difficult to ensure that everyone gets a good education. You have to spend so much time on only a few students that many could easily get "left behind". Then, you have to work extra hard and long to ensure that doesn't happen.

You've got parents that aren't cooperative. They blame you when their child does something wrong or incorrectly. They make it difficult for you to provide a quality education for the kids. They question your every move and question the validity of the assignments and work you give the student. Why don't they realize that you wouldn't waste your time on something that isn't worthwhile to the education of the children? Just because they can't see the worth in it doesn't mean it has none.

Sheesh... I don't know how or why you do it but I'm glad you do because I think I'd go insane if I had to. It must be a true labor of love.

 

[castleview]

I've been thanking DD's first grade teacher as much as I can because there are some loony moms she has to deal with. I can't say enough wonderful things about this woman. The comments she writes to the kids on all their papers are informative, motivating and funny. I know many great teachers who don't do this.

DD is in a challenge group with some other kids (not mandated, but the teacher thought it would be beneficial to them) and some of the moms think it's too much. The teacher told them the kids could leave the challenge group, but NOOOOOOO - the parents want it both ways.

I dread birthday parties, because all they do is talk about the teacher. They have no idea how good they have it this year.

 

[december]

Well, sometimes on my planning pd is sneak in a visit to the disboards . That seems to help! I think teaching is a calling, and not everyone is cut out for it. You have to be thick skinned-no way to teach and carry your heart on your sleeve. The kids are great-the parents can be horrible (just read a few recent threads). We vent to each other alot-you have to so you don't take it all home with you. But at the end of the day you know you are making a difference, to at least some of them. After the 1st few years you realize you can't save them all. And I love keeping the same hours as my own kids.

 

[emma'smom]

What are you talking about? Teachers are just glorified babysitters!

Anyone who has ever been in school can teach!

Don't you know that most of society's problems are the fault of teachers?

 

[breezy1077]

without going crazy that is.....

You've got I don't know how many students, many of which have individual requirements you have to adhere to - making it more and more difficult to ensure that everyone gets a good education. You have to spend so much time on only a few students that many could easily get "left behind". Then, you have to work extra hard and long to ensure that doesn't happen.
.

Is that a slam on children with IEPs?

 

[Sonya]

Well, sometimes on my planning pd is sneak in a visit to the disboards . That seems to help! I think teaching is a calling, and not everyone is cut out for it. You have to be thick skinned-no way to teach and carry your heart on your sleeve. The kids are great-the parents can be horrible (just read a few recent threads). We vent to each other alot-you have to so you don't take it all home with you. But at the end of the day you know you are making a difference, to at least some of them. After the 1st few years you realize you can't save them all. And I love keeping the same hours as my own kids.

It took a few years for this to sink in. But I love what I do.

Is that a slam on children with IEPs?

please don't be so defensive.

 

[Laz]

without going crazy that is.....

You've got I don't know how many students, many of which have individual requirements you have to adhere to - making it more and more difficult to ensure that everyone gets a good education. You have to spend so much time on only a few students that many could easily get "left behind". Then, you have to work extra hard and long to ensure that doesn't happen.

You've got parents that aren't cooperative. They blame you when their child does something wrong or incorrectly. They make it difficult for you to provide a quality education for the kids. They question your every move and question the validity of the assignments and work you give the student. Why don't they realize that you wouldn't waste your time on something that isn't worthwhile to the education of the children? Just because they can't see the worth in it doesn't mean it has none.

Sheesh... I don't know how or why you do it but I'm glad you do because I think I'd go insane if I had to. It must be a true labor of love.

As a High school teacher, I thank you for your support! I would write more, but I have grading to do before the next bunch of hoodlums-er- students come in

 

[BelleMcNally]

Is that a slam on children with IEPs?

I think it would be a far, paranoid stretch to interpret that as a slam.

 

[breezy1077]

It took a few years for this to sink in. But I love what I do.



please don't be so defensive.

Not defensive, just pointing out that there's blame being placed in that post on kids with IEPs IMO. So, I wanted clarification from the OP that that's not what they meant. If it is what they meant - then that's sad IMO.

 

[breezy1077]

I think it would be a far, paranoid stretch to interpret that as a slam.

Well, it would be an interpretation - calling me paranoid is one as well. Except that one's personal.

 

[BelleMcNally]

Well, it would be an interpretation - calling me paranoid is one as well. Except that one's personal.

By your own admission, you were just asking for clarification, not actually getting angry at a slam. So, as it stands, no one's actually paranoid, right?

 

[breezy1077]

By your own admission, you were just asking for clarification, not actually getting angry at a slam. So, as it stands, no one's actually paranoid, right?

Well, I guess that would be for you to decide

 

[BelleMcNally]

You've got I don't know how many students, many of which have individual requirements you have to adhere to - making it more and more difficult to ensure that everyone gets a good education. You have to spend so much time on only a few students that many could easily get "left behind". Then, you have to work extra hard and long to ensure that doesn't happen.

Seriously, though.

Is it wrong to state that the more individual plans and demands you have to address, the more work it's going to end up being for you as a teacher? That's not saying that it's not appropriate to make those plans and adhere to them, just that it takes more time and effort.

That simply seems to be a statement of fact, not a value judgment.

 

[Cindyluwho]

There are some amazing teachers out there!! My friends and I were just talking about it the other day, everyone has a favorite teacher that went above and beyond and made a difference in their lives.
Heck, I'm even gonna name names!
Mr. Osterman - my high school history teacher
Mr. Wainamo - high school science
Phi Ho Lee - DD's 4the grade math teacher
Linda Turner - DD's 5th grade math teacher
I could go on and on!!
Teachers ROCK!!

 

[DizBelle]

Is that a slam on children with IEPs?

No slam intended. But let's do a little math.

Based on the information I could find from the U.S. Department of Education, the average percentage of students that have IEPs are about 12.4 percent.

For a 7th grade teacher that has 6 classes each with 25 students, that's 18.6 students for which the teacher has to do individualized planning. Plus the plan for the balance of the students in his/her classes. So, on any given day (where the teacher has to plan for classes), the average teacher (with 6 classes of 25 students each) has to prepare 18.6 + 6 plans = 24.6 plans. 75% of the teacher's effort is spent for 12.5% of the students. 87.5% of the students get 25% of the teacher's effort. Add to this the amount of overhead in managing the work needed to teach and plan for so many students diffrently, it stands to reason that the overall quality of education is going to decrease.

I'm not going to argue law or rights or anything like that. I'm just going to point out math and logic.

 

[breezy1077]

Seriously, though.

Is it wrong to state that the more individual plans and demands you have to address, the more work it's going to end up being for you as a teacher? That's not saying that it's not appropriate to make those plans and adhere to them, just that it takes more time and effort.

That simply seems to be a statement of fact, not a value judgment.

In the post, the blame was placed on those students if any of the other students fall behind.

 

[breezy1077]

No slam intended. But let's do a little math.

Based on the information I could find from the U.S. Department of Education, the average percentage of students that have IEPs are about 12.4 percent.

For a 7th grade teacher that has 6 classes each with 25 students, that's 18.6 students for which the teacher has to do individualized planning. Plus the plan for the balance of the students in his/her classes. So, on any given day (where the teacher has to plan for classes), the average teacher (with 6 classes of 25 students each) has to prepare 18.6 + 6 plans = 24.6 plans. 75% of the teacher's effort is spent for 12.5% of the students. 87.5% of the students get 25% of the teacher's effort. Add to this the amount of overhead in managing the work needed to teach and plan for so many students diffrently, it stands to reason that the overall quality of education is going to decrease.

I'm not going to argue law or rights or anything like that. I'm just going to point out math and logic.

So you are against inclusion. I get that now.

 

[Mkaz]

Is that a slam on children with IEPs?

My son has an IEP, and I honestly don't think that's what the OP meant. Teaching is a very difficult job by itself. Then throw in overcrowded classrooms, kids that have parents that don't give a flip, helicopter parents, etc. I honestly don't know how they do it either.

Having a child with a learning disability just plain sucks, and it's hard not to get defensive about it. However, sometimes you just have to lean back and try not to read between the lines because 99% of the time there is nothing there to read.

 

[DizBelle]

So you are against inclusion. I get that now.

Please tell me where I stated such a thing.....

I only performed some math and logic.

 

[shelly3girls]

No slam intended. But let's do a little math.

Based on the information I could find from the U.S. Department of Education, the average percentage of students that have IEPs are about 12.4 percent.

For a 7th grade teacher that has 6 classes each with 25 students, that's 18.6 students for which the teacher has to do individualized planning. Plus the plan for the balance of the students in his/her classes. So, on any given day (where the teacher has to plan for classes), the average teacher (with 6 classes of 25 students each) has to prepare 18.6 + 6 plans = 24.6 plans. 75% of the teacher's effort is spent for 12.5% of the students. 87.5% of the students get 25% of the teacher's effort. Add to this the amount of overhead in managing the work needed to teach and plan for so many students diffrently, it stands to reason that the overall quality of education is going to decrease.

I'm not going to argue law or rights or anything like that. I'm just going to point out math and logic.

In our district your math does not add up. We have full time aides in every classroom to accomodate the IEPs. In addition many plans do not require significant work for the teacher. So do, but not all. In my experience good teachers are able to handle different level students in a classroom. They can excellerate the high achievers, teach to the middle, and give extra support to those who need it. I acknowledge that this is a very difficult task which is why I support grouping children by ability. If schools were permitted to do this (in our area they are not) then teachers' jobs would be made easier.