Teachers on the Dis

[Kitty 34]

Does a substitute teacher for 23 years count??

I graduated with an elementary teaching degree but opted to sub all these years. I marked Middle School on your poll, tho as that's my favorite age group and my comfort zone in most teaching lessons.

Right now I have been a long term sub (since the 2nd week in Sept) in a 7th grade Language Arts class.

 

[Marseeya]

I have my early childhood degree. I'm licensed to teach pre-k to 3 grade. I'm almost afraid to post to this poll with some of the anti-teacher posting that has been going on.

I know what you mean. I posted this poll because I suspected that the majority of the teachers on the dis teach younger grades -- and they're the ones who seem to take most of the flak for the entire profession.

What gets me is this broad brush that a lot of people want to paint teachers with. We're all aware of the bad apples out there, giving the rest a bad name, but some people just want to label everyone in education the same way.

Hats off to all of you!

 

[Marseeya]

What about administrators? We're still teachers, aren't we? I have pre-K through 5th grade in my school.

I knew I was forgetting something! After I posted the poll, I realized a few positions I left out. Good thing for that "obligatory other" option.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Special Ed should NOT be its own category b/c it does not give you the break down age levels of students that I assume you were trying to find. It could be sped/ele and sped/ middle/ sped/high. You have someone like me lumped in with a highschool teacher. Plus sped teachers are very touchy about being differentiated from their grade distinction.

 

[swilphil]

I have my teaching license to teach grade school or high school English. I haven't taught in a very long time.

Peg--Where did you teach? I know you lived in Kansas City for a long while. I taught high school English in Shawnee Mission and Kansas City, Kansas.

 

[Marseeya]

Special Ed should NOT be its own category b/c it does not give you the break down age levels of students that I assume you were trying to find. It could be sped/ele and sped/ middle/ sped/high. You have someone like me lumped in with a highschool teacher. Plus sped teachers are very touchy about being differentiated from their grade distinction.

So, why not choose sped AND your grade level? I made it a multiple choice poll for just that reason. That way the music/art/phys ed teachers (oh, and I also forgot home ec, and other specialties!) could chose whether it's elementary, middle, or high schools.

I think I needed more choices for my poll!

 

[wdwgirl03]

I don't exactly teach yet (well, I have a little actually!), but I'm studying to be an elementary teacher, preferably 1st or 2nd grade!

 

[heimlichfan]

I teach 4th grade and love it! (for the most part )

DH is a middle school dean - YIKES! He's a brave, brave man...

 

[vettechick99]

Special Ed should NOT be its own category b/c it does not give you the break down age levels of students that I assume you were trying to find. It could be sped/ele and sped/ middle/ sped/high. You have someone like me lumped in with a highschool teacher. Plus sped teachers are very touchy about being differentiated from their grade distinction.

Not touchy here! We have a half dozen sped teachers in our school (K-5) and we all band together. No one understands the everyday trials like another sped teacher!

I teach 5th grade special ed (and co-teach 5th grade regular ed), so I chose both. I'll be certified for both Elementary Ed and Special Ed by summer.

 

[SandiH]

I teach elementary school special education. Right now I have K - 3rd grade students with High Functioning Autism. I have taught middle school resource and birth to age 3.

 

[Talking Hands]

Temporary teacher (sub) for high school and elementary most of the time in special ed. Work a lot with deaf and autistic. working on changing to interpreting and working with deaf fulltime.

 

[mouseclick1]

Fifth grade teacher here. I've also taught 2nd grade, kindergarten, and preschool in previous years.

 

[Sonya]

High school French here.

 

[Marseeya]

High school French here.

I forgot languages too! Doh!

 

[Simba's Mom]

I feel unique-I'm the first one of the type of teacher I am. I teach Adult GED (high school equivalency) at a local non-profit. We teach those adults who dropped out of high school maybe 5, 10, even 20 years ago, thinking "what do I need this s- for?", but now they have a family to support and they know why they need it. Most of them are single mothers, some have been in trouble with the law, all are low income, and it's the most rewarding teaching I've ever done! I've taught high school, middle school, community college, substituted in special education, and never had a job I enjoyed so much or paid so little!

 

[jimmiej]

I'm a middle school band director (23 years). I taught high school band for the first 12 years of my career. I'm also certified to teach History.

 

[DisneyCP2002]

I'm working on getting my teaching degree. Would prefer elementary

 

[SRUAlmn]

I'm working on getting my teaching degree. Would prefer elementary

A word of advice...
If you happen to really have your heart set on teaching K-2 get a specialization, minor, double major, extra certification or something in early childhood ed. Most states are requiring it now to teach below 2nd grade. I'm so glad I added it (even though I had to go to college for 5 years.) My sister just graduated straight elementary ed. and she is having a really hard time because she wants primary and she can't do it without ECE. I just did it because I liked the age, but she didn't want the extra schooling. As soon as she graduated, states starting making this move, and she really wished someone would have told her. Just thought I'd pass on the info to you or anyone else currently in a teacher ed program

 

[dale_e_jr_fan_8]

I am a student teacher in the early childhood group. I plan to teach between prek and 2nd grades. I am doing my residency this semester hafl in the third grade and the other half in the first grade.

 

[dale_e_jr_fan_8]

I have a question that I posted on another thread that I would like you guys to give me feed back on please. I have really been bothered by this since I moved from the third grade to the first grade. Thanks.