Teacher Vent Thread - *SUPPORT ONLY!*

[leggeks]

My vent:
Why are we the only profession where we are expected to do more work and not be compensated for it??? i.e. staying late for parent conferences- making sure we offer these parents late times (6:50 p.m.) so they can come to a conference, math nights, literacy nights, PTA nights, etc. We're told that in our 1 page contract that it's up to the principal on what is required. (I haven't found that in my contract yet, but I'm reminded of it!) What's to stop a principle from saying, "you know, I think it's a good idea we hold a faculty meetings on Sundays." For some reason, Mon- Friday is fair game to require me to do anything after school! UGH!!!

I'm doing math night tonight and I am so bitter that we have already been furloughed and now we are still expected to give up our personal time to do these parent nights. I'm also over being told to be "flexible." If I get any more flexible I could join Cirque du Soleil and be one of those pretzel people! Why are teachers always told to be flexible? I can't recall any time when someone else had to accommodate my schedule or my needs!!Not one. Not even people within the school accommodate anything for regular classroom teachers.

okay done. Thanks for letting me unload!

[fabae]

^ Good question. It bugs me, too. And if you say that to someone outside of the career, they'll say something stupid like, "Well, you DO get off work at 3:30 or 4:00" as if that MEANS I should take home another 2-3 hours of work.

[CCfor C]

Originally Posted by fabae

I had cafeteria duty today. I apparently missed a noodle-throwing incident, but the principal didn't. I heard him walk over to the table and say in his sternest voice, "Who threw that noodle?!" I wanted to fall on the floor laughing. (I didn't. I think that would have looked bad.) For some juvenile reason, I find the word "noodle" funny to begin with, but to hear him so seriously demanding to know who threw the noodle...... That, and can you imagine how many men would have the patience to spend their day asking questions like that? It must be nearing the end of the week if I'm laughing at stuff like that.

I found this extremely funny, but it's been a long day!!!

[Yoora]

I'm actually a 1st year high school teacher..11th & 12th
There is this boy in my 2nd period class(11th grade)..
he gets along with no one in the class.
Disrupts ALL THE TIME, Leaves to the bathroom for 20 minutes (not everyday). comes back and disrupts some more. I've already had to write up a student for punching him. although he was provoked for talking about his mother..He also Called a girl stupid and told her she has ugly feet. I mean seriously!? Its only the 2nd month of school.

I've set up a meeting with myself, the counselor and his parent(s).

Thank god he's my only trouble maker...for now.. Haha!

[ash14vwb]

^ I love when they leave for more than 20 minutes because it constitutes a cut, and I do get a small bit of pleasure in writing students up when they break a rule. Then they are in ISS for one day and OUT of my classroom. I've found that the students who decide to cut class are the ones who disrupt it when they're there, anyway.

On another note, we have off this week for Election Day & Teacher's Convention, thank goodness!!!!

[amy.rachele]

Originally Posted by leggeks

My vent: Why are we the only profession where we are expected to do more work and not be compensated for it??? i.e. staying late for parent conferences- making sure we offer these parents late times (6:50 p.m.) so they can come to a conference, math nights, literacy nights, PTA nights, etc. We're told that in our 1 page contract that it's up to the principal on what is required. (I haven't found that in my contract yet, but I'm reminded of it!) What's to stop a principle from saying, "you know, I think it's a good idea we hold a faculty meetings on Sundays." For some reason, Mon- Friday is fair game to require me to do anything after school! UGH!!! I'm doing math night tonight and I am so bitter that we have already been furloughed and now we are still expected to give up our personal time to do these parent nights. I'm also over being told to be "flexible." If I get any more flexible I could join Cirque du Soleil and be one of those pretzel people! Why are teachers always told to be flexible? I can't recall any time when someone else had to accommodate my schedule or my needs!!Not one. Not even people within the school accommodate anything for regular classroom teachers. okay done. Thanks for letting me unload!

Although you have some valid points and I sympathise with teachers who have to take on additional tasks at "unfriendly" time of the day/night, I wouldn't say you are the ONLY profession where you are considered to do more work afterhours/be flexible without additional pay. A prime example would be doctors who have to write reports, referrals, look at patient results, be on call through the night at a hospital and are still expected to see patients from 9am-6pm as part of their "day job". I have family members who are teachers and although I agree that teachers are certainly expected to do too much afterhours with only a salary pay I have to state that there are MANY professions where people are required to put in time during their "personal time" without receiving additional money. I don't agree with this but sometimes it helps the world go round.

[fabae]

Originally Posted by amy.rachele

Although you have some valid points and I sympathise with teachers who have to take on additional tasks at "unfriendly" time of the day/night, I wouldn't say you are the ONLY profession where you are considered to do more work afterhours/be flexible without additional pay. A prime example would be doctors who have to write reports, referrals, look at patient results, be on call through the night at a hospital and are still expected to see patients from 9am-6pm as part of their "day job". I have family members who are teachers and although I agree that teachers are certainly expected to do too much afterhours with only a salary pay I have to state that there are MANY professions where people are required to put in time during their "personal time" without receiving additional money. I don't agree with this but sometimes it helps the world go round.

Support, please. It's a vent thread.

[blah956]

Originally Posted by amy.rachele

Although you have some valid points and I sympathise with teachers who have to take on additional tasks at "unfriendly" time of the day/night, I wouldn't say you are the ONLY profession where you are considered to do more work afterhours/be flexible without additional pay. A prime example would be doctors who have to write reports, referrals, look at patient results, be on call through the night at a hospital and are still expected to see patients from 9am-6pm as part of their "day job". I have family members who are teachers and although I agree that teachers are certainly expected to do too much afterhours with only a salary pay I have to state that there are MANY professions where people are required to put in time during their "personal time" without receiving additional money. I don't agree with this but sometimes it helps the world go round.

doctors and medical professionals who are on call are paid for their time of being "on call", even if they don't get called in.

[carousel eyes]

Hi all! I'm new here. I'm an elementary/special ed major! I'm currently doing a field placement in a special needs classroom of 3rd-5th graders in the suburbs of MA. I'm loving it so much! Sometimes it's a challenge, but very rewarding! I love all the children so much. I started at the end of September and, unfortunately, only assist on Wednesdays! =[

Has anyone read "Among Schoolchildren"? I'm reading it for my Intro to Education class, and it deals with a lot of the things I've been reading in here! It's about a 5th grade teacher in a racially mixed school within a poor community in Holyoke, MA. It might be a good read for some of you. =]

[fabae]

I had an encounter with the nastiest woman (a parent, obviously) today. I don't even want to go into details because I'm trying to get over it, but she was so rude I find it hard to believe that anyone can speak to another person that way, much less the to the woman who is with your child for 7 hours a day. Hello? And, if that wasn't bad enough, she was completely nasty to another student of mine, in front of my entire class! And he's only a second grader! Pretty much making fun of him for having his shoes untied and because he falls down a lot (and he's phyisically impaired!) It was like watching a train wreck. Fuming, can I tell you? I was just fuming!

[lurkernomore]

OMG! I have school Monday and Tuesday, Parent-teacher conferences Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, and then I have to cook for 13 on Thursday! I just got back from food shopping, but will have to go back on Wednesday in the afternoon for the perishables. Today I have to wrap all of the gifts for my husband's family so I can send them home with their presents on Thursday! (my husband is cleaning up the yard and will barbque dinner today). And I am surfing TPF! I fell in love with a MBMJ bag yesterday (I think it is the grape juice Hellier?) at Nordstrom while I was supposed to be Christmas shopping, and I can't stop thinking about it! Ahhhhhhh!