When did teacher bashing become acceptable?

[aprilgail2]

Entitled? I think teachers are entitled to get pregnant, sure. That seems to be what you were most upset about in your original post.

The fact is that teachers are people just like you. They have families-- children, husbands, wives, moms, dads, pets. They have lives outside of the school building. True, they are supposed to do the best job they can during the school day, but sometimes life happens and they just have to take off work. I don't think that means tax dollars are going to waste.

In my daughters school 2 years ago TEN teachers were pregnant, including my daughters. She worked half the year then they got a permanant sub-which was fine she was very good and things continued fine once the kids all got used to her. Would I choose to have a pregnant teacher-nope, I would pick the one to teach my daughters class that wasn't but we don't always get that choice and its not the worst thing in the world. This year that same teacher is pregnant again, she is working the first 2 weeks of school and then going out on maternity leave, I think its nuts to get the kids all used to her for 2 weeks and then go out again but there must be some reason-like benefits or something-for that decision. This year in my daughters grade there is one horrible teacher, the kids love him because he fools around all day, plays on the computer, passes his cell phone around the class when it one of his friends birhtday so all the kids can wish him a happy birthday. More than half the kids in his class end up in tutorials the next year becuase they fall behind-why do the keep him?? He has tenure and no one wants to bother wit h everything they have to do to get him out of there. So, parents like myself all put in requests the year before for whatever reason they use-like "my child works better with a female teacher"-etc and his class ends up with all the "bad" kids and the kids who have parents that don't get involved with the PTA or the school making it even harder for the kids to learn anything.
My daughter has had one teacher so far that she has totally bonded with, even her 2nd grade teacher commented on the bond between her and her kindergarten teacher even two years later. I love this teacher, when we went to meet the teachers before kindergarten started she was the last choice I hoped my daughter would have, but first impressions are deceiving, she turned out to be the best thing for her, she was wonderful with her and 2 years later she even went as far as requesting that she and another child be split up because she thought my daughter had enough of the kid (they went to preschool -1st together and he was a monster) without me even asking her to. She turned out to be a big influence in my daughters life. Recently my daughter was doing a fundraiser for needy children and this same teacher read about it in the local paper and she came and dropped things off for her fundraiser at our house, it really made my daughters day. Some of the older grade teachers also came but it was her first teacher that made it so special for her.
I have nothing against teachers, as long as they do the right thing. Last year her teacher was out at least 1-2 times a week for hte last 4 months of school. It got to be a joke., my daughter would come home and I would say "who did you have for a teacher today?" because they never had the same sub more than one time a week-my daughter had a major problem with one of hte subs, she went as far as saying , I wish that lady had never been born, which is NOT normal for my daughter. I mentioned it to the regular teacher and asked if there was a problem and she said no and she talked to my daughter and then called me and let me knwo that she put in a request for that teacher to never sub for her class again. She said 'your duahgter is so easy going and gets along with everyone, so if she had a problem with the lady there must be a real issue and I will make sure she is not here again".

 

[SamIAm21]

I am a 2nd grade teacher that has been working in excess of 10 hours a day since school started back. I answer to the Federal, State, and County government as well as my school administration. I also answer to parents, aunts, grandparents, and all other taxpayers. I have a lot of bosses. I have not had a duty-free lunch yet this year. Monday I worked 9 1/2 hours without a break. I work at least 2-3 hours at home most nights. I spend hundreds of dollars of my own money to provide for my students. I am responsible for their test scores whether they are smart, disinterested, abused, excited, loved, or ignored.

I love my students. My skin tingles and my heart flutters when I hear a child say, "Oh, I get it!" or "I did it!" I always have a hug ready and a complement on my tongue when they arrive. My classroom is safe for all children. I don't care if they are poor, disabled, gifted, rich, sick, ADHD, depressed, pretty, or any other classification - they are MINE for 7 hours a day and I love them.

I do my best. My best is not always good enough. My best is not always good. I'm there though. I care enough to be there and I will continue to do everything I can. Help me, don't hate me. I am not perfect, and I shouldn't be expected to be. I am human. I am a teacher.

Thank you. I wanted to get that off of my chest.

If I lived in southeast Georgia, I would seek you out and put my child in your class. You sound like just the type of teacher I would want for my child! Ever thought of moving to Illinois? She's in 2nd grade this year!!

 

[Disney Ella]

This is quite a thread. OP, here's your answer about teacher bashing. No one's bashing, but it seems to me there are a lot of teachers roaming around these boards with thin skin. Because someone says, "My kid has 2 hours of homework per night. How in the world am I supposed to get that done," does not mean they are teacher bashing. Because someone calls into question a decision a teacher in their child's life has made, does not mean they hate teachers and think they are worthless. Some of your posts are martyrdom at its purist.

I have to agree with this. Just because someone complains about something one teacher does, it does not mean that they are somehow implying that they hate all teachers. The fact is that many people on these boards have children so the subject is going to come up more often. Sometimes these people are being unreasonable and sometimes I think their complaints are justified. (And sometimes, teachers themselves have complained about teachers that their own children have.) In either case, most of the time, the posters are complaining about one teacher and I do not know how or why that is then interpreted as bashing the entire teaching profession.

 

[poptoone]

After reading thur 10 pages I think if comes down to the "ole poor us" we teachers have it so much rougher than everyone else attitude. I won't generalize and say all teachers but the majority I know (probably 20) all display it.

 

[Sandy V.]

I'm not bashing teachers, but I'm an ATTORNEY and if you want to talk about a profession that gets bashed . . .

(And like any profession - including teachers - some of the lawyer bashing IS deserved.)

My biggest issue is with those in the teaching profession who seem to think that their profession is somehow "nobler" or that it's a higher calling than other professions. I think they're the minority, but it's a minority opinion espoused that you tend to remember VERY well.

 

[Kath2003]

We don't have it rougher than anyone else.

The difference is, we work with children, not adults.

If a child fails, it is us who are accountable.

If an employee doesn't do their job, it is not always their manager that is held responsible. You're dealing with people who are responsible for their own actions. Teachers are seen as responsible for the children's actions, a lot of the time. It's the equivalent of working in a private industry and being entirely and solely responsible for 30 employees. It's a hard job.

I don't have much experience but from what I've seen, it's a very small minority of parents who assume that their child can do no wrong that dishearten a lot of teachers. Dealing with these "difficult customers" is just customer service for us

I cannot WAIT to be a teacher.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

My twin sister and my father are both teachers. I work for a non-profit science center. Yes, my sister gets paid more than I do, but I could NEVER do what she does...I'd rather hang myself upside down by my toenails than be a teacher.

But seriously, my dad (he teaches special education) spent two days of our last vacation working on school work - something that wasn't just for him but for the entire district. One day was when we were at WDW! Would all teachers do this, no, but he did and he deserves credit for it. He is a very dedicated teacher (as is my twin) and it really bothers me when people bash teachers.

As far as working only 10 months a year, for my dad that is a laugh. He's at school nearly everyday, and if he's not at school he is working at home on schoolwork. When I say that, I'm not referring to extra things that he would get paid to do, I'm talking about his regular everyday things that need to get done. Last night, my mom was very happy because my dad came home from school for dinner. He was back at school right after dinner though and got home last night around 11pm when the school closed.

Soon another school year will begin and he will be at school morning, noon and night, no different than it was during the summer. Last winter, he had a mild heart attack which I have no doubt was brought on by the stress from school and some difficult parents that he had to deal with. No job (and I don't care what you do) should be that stressful.

My twin just finished her master's degree last summer and decided to relax this summer. Sadly, she's had some medical problems that would have prevented her from working doing summer school even if she had decided to do so. This past summer hasn't been a walk in the park for her and I know for a fact she is excited to get back to school and to teach again.

Like many posters have said, there are good people and bad people in every profession. It's too bad that most of the posters have focused on the bad ones instead of the good.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I'm not bashing teachers, but I'm an ATTORNEY and if you want to talk about a profession that gets bashed . . .

I'm right behind you, being a realtor.

 

[jrmasm]

I'm right behind you, being a realtor.

I'm a state worker.

 

[MM27]

In my daughters school 2 years ago TEN teachers were pregnant, including my daughters.

Do you know why that happens? Because if you get pregnant before you are tenured in many districts, you will not be given a new contract. So what people do is they wait until their tenure year and then start their families. So if you have several new teachers that started the same year, there is a baby boom in year 4. That's been going on in my school for the last couple of years.

 

[Banshee]

NJ teacher here.
Actually you have to work 25 years and be 55 years old to get the full retirement. Did you also know that police and firemen in NJ also get full benefits when they retire? Actually there are many similarities between these professions. Nobody seems to have an issue with them though.

As I said in a previous post, everyone that has an issue with teachers seems to have a personal issue that causes this hatred of teachers as I can see in your post.

Is it just the teachers you hate so much or is also the principals and superintendents? Because if you think we have these wonderful salaries and benefits, you should see what they get

Actually, it's the whole state in a nuttshell. If my family didn't have so many ties here we would have left already. But this isn't a debate about NJ. I have to say I respect teacher's I personally had a load of great teacher's that made an impact in my life. I will remember my 2nd grade teacher till the day I die that is how wonderful she was. My DS so far has had great teacher's!! His speech teacher for the past 2 year's is AWESOME to say the least. She truly loves her student's she has been a big part of my sons cheering sqaud. She was there for him when my dad passed away and during the whole hard process of him passing. The teacher's in our district do get paid well but I feel they deserve it they are doing a good job.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

I'm not bashing teachers, but I'm an ATTORNEY and if you want to talk about a profession that gets bashed . . .

(And like any profession - including teachers - some of the lawyer bashing IS deserved.)

My biggest issue is with those in the teaching profession who seem to think that their profession is somehow "nobler" or that it's a higher calling than other professions. I think they're the minority, but it's a minority opinion espoused that you tend to remember VERY well.

I am not a teacher - but I do think there IS something "nobler" about teachers. They have entered a profession whose entire purpose is to educate and nurture children. And they know they will not get rich doing it!

Nursing is another noble profession, hospice nurses especially.

 

[Sandy V.]

I am not a teacher - but I do think there IS something "nobler" about teachers. They have entered a profession whose entire purpose is to educate and nurture children. And they know they will not get rich doing it!

Nursing is another noble profession, hospice nurses especially.

And I respectfully disagree with you.

This country (and this world) "works" with the input and output of many professions. My kids have been blessed with some great teachers, but I still don't see it as a "nobler" profession.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

 

[ckay87]

And I respectfully disagree with you.

This country (and this world) "works" with the input and output of many professions. My kids have been blessed with some great teachers, but I still don't see it as a "nobler" profession.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one.

I, too, kind of disagree that teaching is a nobler profession. Good teachers are good teachers because they love what they do. It makes them happy to help children. I appreciate that, but...

I do some IT-type work for the poor, unfortunate souls around here who cannot do it for themselves. It makes ME happy to be able help them. I, too, won't get rich doing this. Nobody thinks I'm in a "noble" profession

I respect and admire GOOD teachers simply because it is, like many other jobs, quite difficult.

 

[Fitswimmer]

I have a great deal of regard for people who take many professions that I can't imagine doing myself: first responders, people who work in the medical field, the military, and others who do all sorts of jobs that we all take for granted-and teachers.

I'm thankful that a lot of people get up every day and go to work, if for no other reason that they are contributing to society in some way. My father has always said that there is a nobility in every job, it all depends on what you bring to it.

 

[daisax]

The poem was intended for teachers and something you could not understand unless you were one yourself.

Oh, we all understood it, some of us just thought it was sentimental slop.

I roomed with a very caring and dedicated teacher for several years in my 20s. I know how hard she worked and the stresses she had with administration, parents, other teachers, etc. I worked my 40 hour weeks and was home in the evenings when she went to her second job, and I watched her work summers and vacation weeks and bring home work on school nights, and take classes for her Master's. And I respect that she and others like her go into a job that I knew from childhood was never an option for me (I do believe it's a calling - she certainly felt it from childhood on).

On the other hand, please don't get snotty about how non-teachers couldn't possible understand sappy, feel-good boosterism anecdotes and poetry. (Yes, I'm sure a room full of adults started chanting "Blueberries! Blueberries!")

It's like those ridiculous emails I get every year or so outlining the REAL salary that a "housewife" would make in the real world, seeing as how she's a banker and a chauffer and a psychologist and a chef, etc., totally ignoring the fact that those of us who work and have no kids, or work and have kids ALSO go to the bank and clean our houses and run errands and don't expect a medal for it.

We had a scandal here about 10 years ago that exposed the sorry state of literacy of a large percentage of people entering the teaching profession -- here's a link that discusses it.

http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/Teachers/flunk.html

Almost 60% of the prospective teachers flunked a test that was designed to be passable by an intelligent 10th grader.

In 1997, the average combined S.A.T. score for all students was 1,016. But those hoping to become teachers scored only 964, 5.1 percent below the national average.

I don't know the current state of graduating Education students... I'm guessing the schools were so mortified that they have refused to offer the testing ever again. However, on the same page there's a 2004 story outlining how a third of Florida teachers failed certification testing at least once.

So when it comes to negative public images of the teaching profession, it's not all anecdotes about a parent remembering Mean Old Mrs. McGreavy, or Mr. Smith assigning too much homework to poor Billy -- there are valid signs that standards are slipping.

Here's a 2007 story showing that GRE scores for teachers are dismal.

http://www.nctq.org/nctq/jsp/list_s...rch_page=key_issues.jsp&issueTypeId=99991#868

With the notable exception of secondary school teachers, the large majority of teachers score at the bottom. Out of the 50 intended graduate majors ETS collected data on, seven of the lowest scoring 10 majors on the list are education fields. Only one field--social work--scored lower.

The most popular choice of graduate degrees for teachers with aspirations for school or district leadership is a degree in education administration. The average GRE score was 948, comparing poorly with the national average score of 1058 for all fields of study.

Teachers pursuing degrees in early childhood (915) came in second to last on the list, slightly losing to special education (933), student counseling (927) and elementary (968).

Test takers intending to major in secondary education (1063) beat the national average on the GRE--more evidence supporting the benefits of a content area degree for teachers.

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Personally, I don't think that having a high SAT score makes you a better teacher. My sister didn't score very high on the SAT's (we scored exactly the same thing...kinda funny since we're twins) and she is a highly respected teacher in her district who graduated from grad school with a 4.0 GPA.

Just because you test well on standardized tests doesn't make you a better teacher or professional overall.

 

[kinntj]

To answer the OP, bashing teachers as a whole is not acceptable. Like any other profession, you'll have problems with the individual, but not with the group in whole. I think parents, teachers, administrators should work as a team to get the students to succeed.

I've seen posts around here talking about teachers, supplies and the like, but I don't think it bashes the whole group. I think the OP was tired of seeing negative things posted or mentioned, but I do believe in that profession you have to be ready just ignore those and give yourself a pat on the back for being a great teacher.

Last year when I started going back to college, DH asked me if I would consider teaching. He was going into the summers off routine and I politely interrupted him and said "are you crazy"? I neither have the patience with the kids, let alone the parents you are involved with. I said have you looked around at our neighbors and even some of our friends. These are people you would have to deal with on a daily basis about their children. Not boats, cars, homes...but their children. Those children who could do no wrong.... I told him that he needs to get a clue and see me for who I really am.

He agreed with me that I belong in the Dental Hygiene program. I do well with cleaning the kids teeth and flossing them every day. If I get kids in my chair, they will be there for no longer than 1/2 hour to and hour. I can handle that.

 

[daisax]

Just because you test well on standardized tests doesn't make you a better teacher or professional overall.

Certainly not... but testing HORRIBLY and not being able to spell or write a paragraph in plain English is probably not a good sign for someone who's going to be correcting the work of impressionable children.

The Massachusetts test was given to GRADUATING College of Education students. 60% of them couldn't pass it. If you read the link you can see some of the writing examples tendered.

How could educated people fail to copy accurately what they had heard? It wasn't easy, but scores of applicants managed, recording broken sentences and curious new spellings like "improbally," "corupt," "integraty," "bouth" (meaning both), "bodyes" and "relif."

The writing test also required the candidates to read two extended passages. They were asked to write a summary of the first and to compose responses to the second, which was an essay on a controversial subject.

The casualties here included grammar, syntax, diction, spelling and logic. Neo-spellings included "belive," "refere," "bured" (burned), "survalence," "serching," "decress"(meaning reduce), "messures" and "invation."

I don't care how devoted a teacher you are -- if you can't spell the words listed in the above example, you're basically illiterate and have NO business teaching.

 

[Mrs.Reese]

Here is what I have experienced

1) Being stabbed in the arm with scissors by a student. Parents get angry with me for leaving to take care of the arm. I ended up with 10 stitches.

2) Being called a racist for retaining a child who did not meet state standards.

3) I have had a children who at five years are not potty trained. The expectation being that I will not only change diapers but potty train them.

I could go on. I love what I do. I wouldn't change it for anything.

To the poster who wondered why teacher GRE scores were low I have a theory. Women have more options today. We can be more than nurses and teachers if we choose. We choose to look for higher paying professions hence the "brain drain." Supply and demand, right?

If your upset with the system i.e standardized tests, fees, buying supplies, complain to the people in charge. I have absolutely nothing to do with what is provided in the classroom. I have nothing to do with NCLB.

Stepping down from my soapbox.

Dr. Reese, P.Hd, Curriculum Design in Elementary Grades Math