A recent article from education innovation highlights similarities between the work conditions of teachers, students, and prisoners. Though the table’s a bit exaggerated, they do have a point…
One huge gripe I have against teaching is the constant workload. There’s always something that needs to be done. During the school day, I’m grinding non-stop from the [...]
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Posted in Higher Ed, Struggles on Dec 11th, 2008 No Comments »
I come into an office in the morning. I get a paycheck every two weeks. Weekly meetings. Performance evaluations. 20 page research paper.
[beat]
One of those things didn’t happen last year.
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Teaching continues to be up and down for me. This week, Monday made the other side greener than ever. Grass freshly cut and sparkling. Tuesday and Wednesday were up. Way up. I was happy with my lessons. They were engaging. I was liking my students, despite all the little antics. Hey man, they’re high schoolers [...]
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Teaching geometry during my first year felt like one long trial run. It was my first time teaching content, my first time encountering common misconceptions, my first time exploring what kind of lessons would be most engaging and effective. It was difficult to anticipate where we’d take a wrong turn, to pinpoint what works and [...]
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Posted in First-Year, Struggles on Nov 11th, 2008 2 Comments »
There’s always something to grade, something to plan, something to analyze, something to improve, something school related that I should be doing at every moment of the day. Or, at least that is what it feels like. Though (for my own mental and emotional health) I make time for myself and for loved ones, I [...]
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Posted in First-Year, Struggles on Oct 22nd, 2008 1 Comment »
PROGRESS REPORTS ARE DUE ON FRIDAY AND I DON’T HAVE ALL MY GRADES IN!
I HAVE TO WRITE A QUIZ FOR FRIDAY!
I HAVE TO PLAN FOR MY CULINARY ARTS ELECTIVE ON FRIDAY!
I HAVE A FRIEND FROM BERKELEY WHO IS FLYING IN TO NY TO STAY WITH ME FOR THE WEEKEND. I MUST BE HER TOUR GUIDE [...]
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October is not a good month for new teachers. October is the month you lose that initial adrenaline of “wow, I’m a teacher. I’m going to change lives” October is the month your ‘honeymoon’ period with students fades away. October is the month when students start to test you. Me: “Alright, you guys got that? [...]
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One major gripe I have with teaching is that it simply takes over. Of course, this is also a good thing. Our work brings purpose far greater than anything we’ve seen, requiring that we extend ourselves to heights we once never conceived. But at this moment, I’m bitter. From Monday to Friday, I’m none other [...]
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Posted in Struggles on Oct 2nd, 2008 1 Comment »
I’ve been at my placement for a little over a month now. Since then I’ve taught solo lessons and subbed several full days in the class, so I figured “This isn’t so bad. I’m starting to get the hang of this!” (It’s always thoughts like that or phrases like “Clear sailing all the way” when [...]
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I had to keep two students after school today so that we could have a discussion on respect and cooperation. Why do the worst moments of my day always happen in the last 10 minutes of class? Is there some scientific formula to this madness?
He called her, “Idiot.” She yelled and screamed at him first.
Or [...]
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