Unhappy with my career choice? Long....sorry

[Katie's Butterflies]

It sounds like you had a very tough time. However, not all teaching experiences are like that. Back 10 years ago, my dad had several student teaching experiences. The first was horrible. He, like you, had a co-student-teacher who did nothing. He would have to do all the prep work and do all the grading. Then, the supervising teacher gave the other student teacher a great review and him an average one! The program he was in though, had the students do more than one teaching experience. His following ones were great and he loved teaching. If he had quit after that first horrible experience, he would have missed out on several years of teaching.

If I were you, I’d apply at other schools and give it another shot. If you still hate it after several more tries, then I’d look into something else.

Good luck

 

[SDFgirl]

Don't give up!

While I had a fine student teaching experience, my first year as a teacher was less-than-stellar. I was anxious and doubted myself all the time. I made my husband promise me that I could quit if I truly hated it.

It's a really tough job, but for the right person, is also very rewarding. It takes *at least* a year (and sometimes more) to get on your feet, to feel confident, and to not want to run out of the school building every day!!

After awhile, I thought less and less about quitting, and more about what fun lesson I was going to try the next day, or how to get through to that difficult child. Now I really, really love it.

Just give it some time, don't make a decision based on student teaching. Heck, don't make a decision based on your first year, either! If you still hate it after 2 years, then maybe think about something else.

Good luck!!

 

[Cindy B]

Cindy, have you ever considered getting a PA cert? If you're willing to drive 100 miles, and have student taught in Camden, then maybe you might be able to get a job in Philadelphia. My understanding is that they have recently pulled the residency requirement (but check it out for sure). They are always hiring. I have a friend who got a job there a couple of months ago.

Sorry OP, for hijacking the thread.

I would do it but it entails taking different Praxis exams and coursework than NJ requirements. I'm at a point where I can't afford to take courses/Praxis exams just in case I don't get a job-- you know what I mean? I too had heard about the residency requirement and well-- I like living on the other side of the river better! I am glad to know that is lifted.

My current full time job with the Federal Government has many ex-teachers. In fact in my training class, there were three ex school employees. One was a former Philadelphia city school psychologist, one Philly school teacher and myself (NJ teacher).

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Thanks everyone for your kind words and thoughts. I don't really want to "throw the towel in" yet, but at the same time I wonder if I would even be able tp find anything. Some people are subbing for 2-3 years around here and not getting anything. I feel so torn, I keep telling my mom that maybe I shouldn't have even went to college. I shoudl have worked F/T and we'd have a nice chunk of change in our savings and we would be married b/c we would have been able to afford a wedding.
Now what should I do about the subbing? I actually have to go pick up the certificate at the school before I can go and put myself in another district to sub. I handed in my paperwork and money for my sub cert. about a year ago. I was told it woudl take time. When I when back to the school in sept to do student teaching (b/c I put into sub when I was doing jr. practicum there) I asked about my sub cert. and the secretary said she did not receive it yet. Went back a month later...still no cert. Asked again she said she forgot to send it out!!! So she sent it out 2 weeks before I finished and it just came in. So what do I say when I go to pick it up? I dont want to sub there.

I just hope I could "do this". I always think of the worse case scenerios, like what if two students start fighting, what if someone has a seizure, what if someone wets their pants...I always think of weird things like that.

I also have no idea how to do a plan book. Yes...no clue. I had to type my lessons out in detail (I had like 4 paged lesson plans!!!) as to what I would be doing, questions I would be asking, it was crazy! I never "prepped" before, I sat with the kids in their specials, when asked if I could prep a big graph I was planning for the next day the co-op teacher said "Oh I think the other teacher needs your help"

Thinking about all of this just depresses me more!

Ok.....Rant over, today just is not one of the good days I guess.

 

[Mary•Poppins]

From one fellow teacher to another ... I really learned to teach when I substituted ... and then when I taught my first year.

The subbing taught me classroom control and my first year taught me "how to teach". You will be surprised how much you will learn from your mentor teacher .. and fellow colleagues during your first year. The hardest part of student teaching is dealing with your co-op teacher. But then, I hate to tell you, the work you put in during your first year will make student teaching look easy (I don't mean to make you feel bad, but you do need to know this.)

If teaching is really in your heart, perhaps you should sub for a while and see if you really like it.

I have been really lucky ... I am in my 22nd year of teaching. I still love it!

Good luck with your situation. I would pick up my subbing certificate and move on to another district!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Don't give up--I don't know much about student teaching--but I do know that the real world is far different from college and the land of "interning" which I guess, student teaching is sort of like.

Just remember the experience later in your career if you ever have a student teacher that you are mentoring.

As far as jobs--don't stay hyper focused on a local area if you can help it. Expand your horizons and you will find more opportunities.

 

[Imzadi]

I'm going to go through what you said:

when I was teaching they would sit in the corner and talk, and in the end I actually had an altercation of sorts with my supervisor (that's another long story that I won't go into, but it was more like a he said/she said thing, it was a mess). My cop-op teacher never let me prep (which is why I was probably up so late every night), I had to go to all the specials with the kids. I felt a lot of pressure with timing with my lessons(running over a lot, or finishing the lesson feeling as though there was a few that may not have gotten it fully).

Can you go back and read and see that your negative experiences had to do withother people? Either the teacher & the supervisor didn't support your. You had an altercation with the Super. The co-op teacher didn't let you prep, practice and be at your best. That emotional experience you had is all balled together and may be tainting all your feelings right now because of the situation with these other people. Sometimes, that's hard to separate out of the whole picture, in the moment.

And right now, you lack the on the job experience to figure out the timing and be able to also hone in on the students who may not have gotten it. But, you were aware that there may be students who didn't get it. That stuff can be fixed with more training & experience.

But, if you separate out what you enjoyed & what you hope for:

But I did enjoy the kids, I also worked with a small special ed group, they were older and I enjoyed them and the curriculum. I also thought I would come out of this experience feeling more confident, and I don't feel that way at all.

Can you see that these experiences are more under your direct control. You were able to work right with the kids. You know what age level you really like teaching and interacting with. The confidence will come with time, the proper setting & circumstances and more training.

I agree with Emer (below) who said teaching will be way different when you have your own classroom & the skills under you. You will be in control and you will have those one-on-one interactions with them that you love. You WILL be able to take time with those students who don't quite get it, because you will be able to adapt the teaching that day, add a few more minutes here & there, cut out other stuff, as YOU find fit. Not according to some imposed lesson plan structure someone else placed on you that you didn't get to prepare or get to adapt as necessary.

It's so different to have your own classroom, and to build relationships and bond with students. That's the best part of teaching. My students are so important to me and they make me look forward to going in to work everyday. I really feel blessed to have this job.

 

[MM27]

I just hope I could "do this". I always think of the worse case scenerios, like what if two students start fighting, what if someone has a seizure, what if someone wets their pants...I always think of weird things like that.

I also have no idea how to do a plan book.

Students fighting...yep had that
seizures...yep had that
wetting pants...yep had that
and plenty of other things that you would never imagine.

Your fears are natural but you have to realize that none of us went in knowing how to take care of all of these things. I posted here last year about being nervous about using an EPI-PEN because I have a student this year that has a severe peanut allergy. It was an honest question because in my 10 years of teaching I've never had to deal with one. I just wanted some info and reassurance because our nurse kept talking about "training" so I thought it would be some difficult thing. Most people were helpful in their responses.

My student teaching was in an upper middle class suburb in 1st grade. I was hired the summer after I graduated in an inner city/urban school district teaching 4th grade. That first year was an eye opener and a huge learning experience for me. Things that they don't teach you in college.

 

[iwrbnd]

Hugs from one teacher to another. When I was teaching and had a bad day I remembered what the teacher said to me while I was student teaching. She said "Somedays I feel like what I do is just all fun and games and other days I feel like I have the hardest job in the world!" Teaching is definately ups and downs. You've just gotten all your "downs" in one experience. So sorry! It can only go up from here! Keep trying for that job. You'll be a great teacher!