Blowout Teachers' Lounge

[carlo16]

Originally Posted by ssilva872

What grade would people suggest to start with for first time potential teachers?

And what subject?

3/4th Grade and it's not even close.

[marl1220]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Everyone needs a great 1st grade teacher. I still remember the praise and encouragement I received from mine.

I do what I can to make things as fun as possible. I turn word problems (math) into stories about my dog (Chewie). He has a job, drives his own car, and has friends (other animals) over for parties all the time. The kids love it. Some of them roll their eyes at me. Others ask if the story is true after I'm done. Either way, they remember the lesson and the content, and they had fun learning. A few other teachers think I'm odd but making a fool out of myself is worth it if I made a difference in a six year old child's life.

[babyfaceposey]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...ld/ar-AA1a4TO9

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

Everyone needs a great 1st grade teacher. I still remember the praise and encouragement I received from mine.

My bother (who is a middle school teacher) and I recently had a discussion about our first grade teacher.

He ran into her at a funeral (not hers) and found out she is the MIL of one of his current colleagues.

She physically choked him once because he was talking in class. She flipped my desk upside down and made me clean it all up because it was too messy.

She’s was barely over 5’ and probably 105 lbs. I’ll never forget that woman.

[DontToewsMeBro]

Originally Posted by JeremyNick

My bother (who is a middle school teacher) and I recently had a discussion about our first grade teacher.

He ran into her at a funeral (not hers) and found out she is the MIL of one of his current colleagues.

She physically choked him once because he was talking in class. She flipped my desk upside down and made me clean it all up because it was too messy.

She’s was barely over 5’ and probably 105 lbs. I’ll never forget that woman.

Reminds me of the Nuns we had until grade 2 when regular people took over after the gov't ended full religious publically funded schools.

Our Nuns were the "Grey Sisters of St. Goretti" but we called them the Sisters of No Mercy

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by DontToewsMeBro

"Grey Sisters of St. Goretti"

Great horror flick title.

[JeremyNick]

Originally Posted by DontToewsMeBro

Reminds me of the Nuns we had until grade 2 when regular people took over after the gov't ended full religious publically funded schools.

Our Nuns were the "Grey Sisters of St. Goretti" but we called them the Sisters of No Mercy

She wasn’t even a nun.

[Ray27Ray52]

Currently sitting at a PD wishing I was dead. I had to dance today ya'll. It was not fun. I'm just trying to hang out with the kids having fun while learning, not hanging with my coworkers team-building through embarrassment.

[TheFrenzy]

Originally Posted by Ray27Ray52

Currently sitting at a PD wishing I was dead. I had to dance today ya'll. It was not fun. I'm just trying to hang out with the kids having fun while learning, not hanging with my coworkers team-building through embarrassment.

"Team Building"

[TheHeel]

Originally Posted by Ray27Ray52

Currently sitting at a PD wishing I was dead. I had to dance today ya'll. It was not fun. I'm just trying to hang out with the kids having fun while learning, not hanging with my coworkers team-building through embarrassment.

They hit you up with the "We're family" spiel?

[ssilva872]

Originally Posted by TheFrenzy

8th grade algebra. Middle schoolers are the most well-behaved and easiest to teach. Plus it's not a super important subject and they can easily learn any concepts they miss in high school.

(The above is 100% false and said in jest. 8th grade algebra might be the single most important class K-12 students take.)

LOL.

8th grade algebra was the worst! My poor teacher Mrs. Lonnie Martin got called out her name so often... I didn't like her much either but damn other kids were vicious. I still remember this one girl Crystal almost getting in a fist fight with her...

I really couldn't deal with that. So bless anyone who has to!

As for middle school apparently being the worst that sucks. I liked 7th and 8th grade. I still remember some of those teachers very fondly.

Also what is a PD?

[TheHeel]

Originally Posted by ssilva872

LOL.

8th grade algebra was the worst! My poor teacher Mrs. Lonnie Martin got called out her name so often... I didn't like her much either but damn other kids were vicious. I still remember this one girl Crystal almost getting in a fist fight with her...

I really couldn't deal with that. So bless anyone who has to!

As for middle school apparently being the worst that sucks. I liked 7th and 8th grade. I still remember some of those teachers very fondly.

Also what is a PD?

Crystal, a traditional troubled youth name.

PD is professional development.

[ssilva872]

Originally Posted by TheHeel

Crystal, a traditional troubled youth name.

PD is professional development.

Ok thanks.

And yes she was very troubled...

[rocketfan86]

I am beyond ready for the semester to be finished... have 2 more weeks to go but tons of self-inflicted grading to do

.

[babyfaceposey]

Originally Posted by Ray27Ray52

Currently sitting at a PD wishing I was dead. I had to dance today ya'll. It was not fun. I'm just trying to hang out with the kids having fun while learning, not hanging with my coworkers team-building through embarrassment.

Tiktok teachers now?

[IndyKMB]

Recognized this week at our schoolboard meeting as one with 20 years in the district. Other levels honored were 25,30,35,40, and 45 years.

I have about 7.5 years left before I can retire with full pension.
Can't get here quick enough.

I still love teaching and -most- of the kids, but so much has changed in the last 20 years, and most of it involves the parents.

[rocketfan86]

Originally Posted by IndyKMB

Recognized this week at our schoolboard meeting as one with 20 years in the district. Other levels honored were 25,30,35,40, and 45 years.

I have about 7.5 years left before I can retire with full pension.
Can't get here quick enough.

I still love teaching and -most- of the kids, but so much has changed in the last 20 years, and most of it involves the parents.

Congratulations on the milestone!

We are trying to bring back tenure at our college before the state legislature abolishes tenure in higher education.

One of the concerns that our administration is pushing for is conversion of all 16-week semester courses into 8-week terms.

I am ok with having a few of these offerings across the different academic courses while leaving majority 16-week semester-long.

The concern I have is that the college will become just us being forced to push/rush students to fulfill completion goals for a certificate/degree without them being prepared for their future academic/career goals.

[TheHeel]

Originally Posted by rocketfan86

Congratulations on the milestone!

We are trying to bring back tenure at our college before the state legislature abolishes tenure in higher education.

One of the concerns that our administration is pushing for is conversion of all 16-week semester courses into 8-week terms.

I am ok with having a few of these offerings across the different academic courses while leaving majority 16-week semester-long.

The concern I have is that the college will become just us being forced to push/rush students to fulfill completion goals for a certificate/degree without them being prepared for their future academic/career goals.

It's all about the money for these businesses....I mean schools.

[discodanman45]

Final grades in and now I am "off" until late August. Have a bunch of curriculum stuff I am working on and I am teaching a new class in the Fall, so I will be busy one day a week until then.

The great thing about being the only person in my department is I don't have to deal with anyone. I just teach classes, work on curriculum, and do fun curriculum development and projects with NASA/SETI. Maunea Kea and the IRTF will be a blast this summer.

[DontToewsMeBro]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

Final grades in and now I am "off" until late August. Have a bunch of curriculum stuff I am working on and I am teaching a new class in the Fall, so I will be busy one day a week until then.

The great thing about being the only person in my department is I don't have to deal with anyone. I just teach classes, work on curriculum, and do fun curriculum development and projects with NASA/SETI. Maunea Kea and the IRTF will be a blast this summer.

Have fun. Nice to see someone love what they do. Instead of all the whining, bitching, and moaning.

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by DontToewsMeBro

Have fun. Nice to see someone love what they do. Instead of all the whining, bitching, and moaning.

I think all of the whining, bitching, and moaning is because we want all students to be successful and 40% of them don't give a crap. I spend 50% of my time on the 10% of the students who cheat and could care less. It is frustrating, but as time goes on, I just stop dealing with those 10%.

At the end of the semester, the only emails I got were students bitching about their grades or the students thanking me for an amazing semester. I just have an autoreply to those students who earned a D or F in the class and spend my time emailing the students who thanked me and give them encouraging remarks on how well they did in my class and how I appreciated all their hard work.

It wasn't until I got a tenure position that I could act this way. Dealing with administration was a nightmare, as they would take the side of the student in every case. Treating the student as a customer is always right mentality. Having tenure and knowing I have it, made teaching so much easier and enjoyable.

[TheHeel]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

Final grades in and now I am "off" until late August. Have a bunch of curriculum stuff I am working on and I am teaching a new class in the Fall, so I will be busy one day a week until then.

The great thing about being the only person in my department is I don't have to deal with anyone. I just teach classes, work on curriculum, and do fun curriculum development and projects with NASA/SETI. Maunea Kea and the IRTF will be a blast this summer.

Have you ever attended a PD at the JPL? I was fortunate to attend a 3 day event in 2007.

[hairysasquatch]

Just had my Fall sabbatical approved. Spent year on fellowship- taught one course - won't teach again until January 2024.

Suck it, OldMoldy!

[DontToewsMeBro]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

I think all of the whining, bitching, and moaning is because we want all students to be successful and 40% of them don't give a crap. I spend 50% of my time on the 10% of the students who cheat and could care less. It is frustrating, but as time goes on, I just stop dealing with those 10%.

At the end of the semester, the only emails I got were students bitching about their grades or the students thanking me for an amazing semester. I just have an autoreply to those students who earned a D or F in the class and spend my time emailing the students who thanked me and give them encouraging remarks on how well they did in my class and how I appreciated all their hard work.

It wasn't until I got a tenure position that I could act this way. Dealing with administration was a nightmare, as they would take the side of the student in every case. Treating the student as a customer is always right mentality. Having tenure and knowing I have it, made teaching so much easier and enjoyable.

Understandable. The sense of entitlement for many in society in general is staggering. I can only imagine what it is like in higher education.

[rocketfan86]

Done for the semester... had to help out with commencement ceremonies yesterday and ended up being one of the worst experiences I've had in a while.

Get to have a 2-3 week reprieve but have summer classes to teach (Anatomy & Physiology I lecture/lab, Anatomy & Physiology II lecture/lab, and Allied Health Microbiology lecture/lab).