Baby Steps - the workshop model

Dear Bloggers,

As an in-class support teacher, I am lucky in the fact that I get to see the variety of instruction that happens in various classrooms. Additionally, I can also act as a bridge between different teachers. Being in my particular counter part’s classroom, I begin to take for granted just how hard “flipping” your classroom can be. She makes it look so easy and transitions are almost seamless. It’s almost hard to believe that when we began our training it seemed nearly impossible and utterly overwhelming. However, in small, calculated steps, with careful planning, the classroom almost seems to run itself. She is the quintessential “highly effective” educator on the Danielson Model.


With that being said, it’s not necessarily for everyone, nor does a more traditional classroom model take away from another’s effective status. In fact, it’s such a rare skill to implement such techniques so seamlessly and effectively that it really ISN’T for everyone. I’ve just sort of accepted that different teachers have different styles. Yes, my other classes have cooperative grouping, and I do have the opportunity to work with small groups and 1:1, but it is a very different environment, because ultimately each student works on the same standard and the same objective.

I was recently reminded about how overwhelming the whole workshop model seemed when we first began. I was reminded of this when I found one of my 8th grade student’s reader’s notebooks in my 7th grade classroom last year. I started paging through it and showed it to the other teacher. This prompted a bunch of questions, with each answer leading to more questions.

How do you motivate your students to read independently? How do you keep up with individual goals? How do you build up your classroom library? How do you know all of their levels? Where do the students get their reading levels? All of these questions can snowball like an avalanche burying a teacher - and student - in doubt and frustration.


My advice to you is, breath!…. Relax! It takes time. And if rules and regulations are not clearly outlined and demonstrated before attempting to implement them, you will not be able to watch it take form. The key is the slow and steady setup, where eventually it becomes second nature for both the teacher and the students. What I’ve learned is that the most important factor is not to take for granted that your students, no matter how old, have the common knowledge, nor stamina to independently work and analyze text. If you want it done right demonstrate it first and give various options.

And remember one size does not fit all. Some of our student prefer the traditional notebook and post-it methods of tracking their thinking. Some keep a digital "writer's notebook", while others fill their independent reading books with post-it's. Whatever the method allow it to be their own, as long as there is evidence of critical thinking taking place.

Yours truly,



The (not so) frustrated teacher

Connotations of Teaching

Dear Bloggers,

As any teacher knows there are a lot of feelings associated with the word “teacher”. If you have ever been in a gathering where you are introduced to corporate types, you may catch the tone shift when you are introduced as only a teacher. Or in the summer, when being a teacher brings the phrase “must be nice” because the attitude that you don’t have to wake up for work the next day sums up the entirety of our year. I don’t know if the eye roll was as prevalent when I first entered this career over a decade ago - before we were painted as public enemy number one by politicians and the media. But that’s not what this post is about. It’s about the simple nuances within the daily lives of teachers.

The word “child” holds a different feeling when I am talking about the children in my class versus a “child” in the food store. I don’t think of them in the same way. You’ll often hear a teacher speak of their students as “my kids” because that’s just what they are. They are ours. Each child that passes through our classrooms holds a very special place in our hearts for all of eternity. They are ours. We feel a sense of responsibility that no other profession could understand over the lives or human beings that we encounter on a daily basis.

One of the most important words to me in the English language is “sister”. Wrapped up in that word is a whole other level of love and family and best friend that only someone with a sister can truly understand. It is much the same as the word “student”. And even more meaningful “my student”. I always tell my kids that once I am their teacher, I will always be there teacher. And every so often there is a kid that really gets that. They may reach out after graduation to say hi, shoot me an email, or share an educational victory.

When you are my student I celebrate your accomplishments alongside of you, and I hurt when I see that your are hurting. “My student” is up there with one of the most meaningful phrases in the English language, because as a teacher I feel a crushing responsibility to help you realize that you are young and that you have so much ahead of you. The possibilities are endless if you begin to realize your potential. I know that our time together as teacher and student is limited, and I am in a race against time to help you achieve and hopefully help you to find your niche, or plant a seed that will grow and blossom as you yourself grow and blossom.

Now, although there are perfectly acceptable synonyms to student, such as scholar. (My new "fearless leader" is insisting we call our kids this.) They don't like this and neither do I. It doesn’t have the same connotation of love, respect, and responsibility. Scholar is cold. It feels like a statistic, or a point on a graph. It feels sarcastic and doesn’t do justice to how we work tirelessly together to help you improve. It feels that the “scholar” is taking part in an independent study and does not have a teacher to guide them or care for them.

By calling you a “scholar” it removes that bond we share. It implies that you no longer need your teachers. It doesn’t raise the bar, the expectations I set for my students raise the bar. I could decide to call the school a ship, but that doesn’t make us sailors - It’s just a word.

There are many simple words - meaningful words that shouldn’t be stricken from our vocabulary… like please, and thank you, and you WILL use such words in my classroom. Even if this is the only place you do.


Sincerely,


The Frustrated Teacher

Is this a life?

Dear Bloggers,

It’s after 8 p.m. and my alarm went off over an hour ago to stop working… Yes I set an alarm for when I need to stop working - or at least begin to wrap things up for the evening. Over the summer I began reading a book which that has been sitting on my nightstand, haunting me unfinished since I realize that my goal of finishing all my classes novels was growing less realistic if I didn’t strictly read school related materials. So, in an effort not to be such a work-aholic I decided I was going to make some time for adult literature again. However, I'm so overly stressed right now that I decided to use this time to vent as the “frustrated teacher”.

I’ve been realizing that my quality of life has been slowly deteriorating over the past few years. At first I made an excuse that it was from changing districts. Then my next year it was from changing placements, and last year it was due to a change in curriculum and administration. Well, this year we have yet another new curriculum to follow. (This will be my third in this district in four years). This year I have been making notations on my calendar how many hours I have been spending in the building and additional hours that I spent working at home. My intentions were to figure out my hourly wage. (I’m really not sure why I want to depress myself and do that math).  Now of course this couldn’t include the countless hours I spent this past summer. Tonight I'm frustrated because it’s only Wednesday and I’ve already worked more than a 40 hour work week.


Let me take you through what has been a typical week thus far:

Sunday - I meet with my co-teacher, alternating houses where we will plan for the upcoming week and make ourselves checklists. We begin about 2 and have been going until 8 or 9 pm. Last week we met on a Saturday for over 14 hours until we began falling asleep at her dining room table. (This was a horrible choice because I still spent all day Sunday working somehow). And did I mention, I spend the whole morning preparing food for the upcoming week or I end up eating soup straight out of the can for dinner and school lunch?

Our parking situation is horrible, so I must arrive by 7:05 if I want a spot in the lot, and remotely near my room. This is essential since I lug a bag with three large teacher’s editions; and a second with a chromebook, papers to grade, any other materials I may need, my coffee (which I inevitably spill on myself), breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner. Mondays we have meetings until 4. I run back up to my classroom to tie up loose ends and check my email. I’ve been leaving the building about 5:30/6 and go home to let the dog out and if I have time, throw some food in my face. I leave almost immediately to go tutor and don’t get home until close to 8. If I didn’t get a chance to eat - I’ll stop for a pint of white rice (quickest thing I know to get) and eat it in the car on the way home. Then I may do another hour of work or so if it’s my week to grade the weekend reading assignments or simply crash.

Tuesday is my late day. I stay until everything is completed, and I don’t leave until 6 or 6:30. I go home, eat, and get to work. This is when I make my screencasts for flipping lessons, or videos for independent practice. Usually there is a question or two from a parent or child needing homework help. So I’m multi-tasking. I try to be off the computer and heading towards bed by 8pm.

Wednesday repeat, but I try to leave the building by 5:50. This is ideal traffic time. This is the day that I grade. So depending how much I have it could take an hour, it could take three.

Thursday I try to start outlining what I will need to accomplish for the next week and get a jump on any graphic organizers or vocabulary so I’m ready for the weekend planning sessions. I also list the skills we will be addressing for the upcoming week. I try to leave by 4:15 and mainly work from home. (It’s still a 9 hour day) but by 7 I like to be in bed to catch up on the DVR and make sure there’s space for the amazing Thursday night line-up.

Now Friday comes! We often try not to work through lunch and generally don’t allow kids to hang out in our classrooms. Sometimes we’ll order out. I stay after school and plan with one of my co-teachers. We usually stay until 6 or 6:30 to complete our weekly agendas, lesson plans, and divide the tasks of mini-lessons, graphic organizers to be completed, and any other assignment that may need to be created or found. I come home exhausted and veg on the couch watching my Thursday night line-up. Often I will fall asleep before 8 or 9, but if I don’t I’ll get back to work and attempt to tackle some of my to-do list.

Saturday I wake super early - since I usually fall asleep before 11. I try to get my weekend cleaning completed before noon so I have a few hours to lounge. I put the DVR on and get to town. I try not to work on Saturday, but often do. Saturdays are quite during the evening here and usually a good time to record screencasts without the stomping feet of my upstairs neighbors. But sometimes, I’ll go back to bed and watch all of the TV I didn’t get to or stopped paying attention to while cleaning.


And then Sunday, it starts all over.

I really can’t keep this pace up. Every year, I say this will be the last. I convince myself that next year will be better. There’s always an excuse why my workload is nearly unbearable, but it never changes.


Sincerely,


Another Frustrated Teacher

Coteaching

Dear Bloggers,

Years ago, I was asked to make a list of my roles and responsibilities in my in-class support classes. An administrator was unable to "see" my role in a classroom during an observation. So I jotted down what I did, and then presented the list to my colleagues, who each added an idea or two of their own. That year, I supported seven different courses for six different teachers. So, clearly the list was extensive since no two classes nor teaching personalities were the same. This actually served to hurt me since the administration told me it looked as though I took the list from a "how to co-teach" textbook. Looking back on that, it was a backhanded compliment.

In a traditional notes and lecture classroom I supplied students with guided notes. Slower students received cloze notes, disorganized students with Cornell note taking sheets with various levels of support, while visually impaired students or kids who really struggled had a hard copy of the PowerPoint in front of them to copy. I circulated keeping kids on track, supplying highlighters, and adding to notes. I whispered questions, rephrased and restated questions, and asked questions for understanding. That year, I wasn't a very active participant during class, but behind the scenes, I modified tests; made study guides, created interactive games, utilized Quizlets for key vocabulary, and tirelessly updated parents. At future observation of this, the same administrator loved this. This was true support at it's best, but is it co-teaching? There was no common planning time. I did not prepare lessons, as many classes were out of my subject area certification and expertise. No, this was NOT TRUE co-teaching.

In a project based environment, there's a great deal of prep work that goes into the success of the support model. I need a clear objective and product. I need to make checklists and benchmark checks, sometimes calendars, and examples. If there's research involved I may create a LiveBinder to help organize and limit resources so students don't get overwhelmed. I am a strong believer in presenting students with a rubric and setting expectations before hand. I often look for apps and web extensions to further assist students.

When a teacher changes lessons unexpectedly I need to be ready. Unfortunately this seemed to happen all too often in one of my former classes. No matter how much prep work or planning I did, it's ultimately someone else's classroom, so flexibility and thinking on my toes are imperative for the in-class support position. Trust me, there are times I just feel like crossing my arms and pouting, and sitting in the back of the room because all my hard work was for naught. But that is not why I'm there, I'm there for my students. Sometimes my heart breaks knowing that if I'm caught off guard by the next lesson, what must my classified students feel like?

In many classes I constantly felt like I was trying to claw my way to the status of a “real teacher” in the eyes of the students. There was little buy in when I presented a strategy. The classified students knew these were ultimately meant to help them, and they resisted- not wanting to be “different”. The general education students pushed back because they knew they weren’t classified. There was clearly a division of roles, and I was “the other teacher” or the “helper teacher”.

I was once described by an older colleague in one of my early years of teaching as having the “work ethic of a baby boomer”. This complement has always stayed with me being a child of two extremely hard-working baby boomers. But, although the way I may have been working back then was hard… it wasn’t smart. I was trying to anticipate any situation and preemptively plan for any possible lesson. There was a thick line in the sand between “my students” and “their students”. I knew it, and the kids knew it. This was not co-teaching.

Fast forward to the present. Now, I feel as if I’ve paid my dues, the stars have aligned and I’m in the utopia of my teaching career. No, life isn’t perfect, I still work hard and insanely long hours. But I have found my true co-teaching counterparts. Not just in some of my classes, but my entire day is actually right out of the co-teaching handbook once and for all.

I actually have common planning time earmarked within the school day for common planning time. Although, this time is usually spent on reflection and student achievement or performance. I am blessed to be pared up with amazing educators that share my philosophy of teaching, my passion and dedication, as well as my “baby boomer” work ethic. There are hours carved out during the week for lesson planning (outside of our school day). We share the responsibilities of assessments, modifications, grading, feedback, and instruction. At any given point all of our classes may be grouped heterogeneously or homogeneously. I may be leading a larger class discussion, or working with small groups. I’m finally working smarter! With shared responsibilities the impact is truly obvious and the students are reaping the benefits. There’s more one on one time and more small group instruction. Both parents and students alike consider BOTH of us their teachers.


Sincerely,


Another Frustrated Teacher

Oh so dreaded lesson plans

Dear Bloggers,

I was recently visiting with a friend from an unnamed district that has been taken over by our all knowing state. Let’s call her Amanda. When I went to Amanda’s house, her dining room table looked much like any teacher’s dining room table on a Sunday… covered with piles of papers to grade, textbooks, teacher’s editions, red pens, post-its, stickers, and endless to-do lists. She was stressed to say the least (who wouldn’t be?). She was making piles of student work and stapling evidence of reteaching, graphing data, plotting students on pointless charts, and then going back into her lesson plans to record this progress. I watched, horrified, knowing that she had been at this for several hours, and would continue to do this well after I left. This was not the end of the marking period crunch time, this was a weekly occurrence. She is not a novice teacher either, one who doesn’t have her groove yet.

I left thinking about how some all knowing bureaucrat who may never have stepped foot in a classroom thought that this endless paperwork to hold these poor overworked teachers “accountable” was the preverbal magic wand to “fix” the broken system. All this did was leave her overworked and lacking the time and energy to really and truly “plan” new and innovative lessons.

Lesson plans may take on many forms. Many teachers keep a paper and pencil plan book, some teachers may have a shared Doc, some districts have online plan books, some districts may have gotten away from this antiquated practice and require teachers to keep updated websites. (I personally think in this age of technology and transparency that this is the way to go.) But whatever the practice, the purpose is clear. Lesson plans are a plan, a simple outline to keep a teacher on track with the district's approved curriculum, and to keep us accountable.

We are no longer the college students that spent hours upon hours on one lesson, detailing to the minute how you spend your time. Back then we were required to include detailed standards, anticipatory sets, essential questions (or whatever they were called back then), both formal and informal assessments, description of modeling, independent practice, modifications, and so on and so on... Imagine if this mini dissertation was required for every day and every lesson? There would be no time for investigation into various methods of presenting content. There would not be time to look into different technology to use. Parent contact? Ha! No time for that. Grading, tracking progress, collaboration with colleagues? That would all take a back seat to filling out pages upon pages of lesson plans.

Best practices of teaching indicate greater success when students are actively engaged in their own learning. The new buzzwords in education include; flipping your classroom, blended learning, integration of technology, differentiated learning, and gradual release of responsibility. Now, picture documenting each of these practices into daily lesson plans? Would you have time to do anything but lesson plans? Especially the poor elementary teacher that teaches reading, writing, math, spelling, science and social studies all in a single day! There are districts, that in an effort to improve student performance, will ask (force) teachers to document all of this - EVERY DAY!

How is it possible to improve teaching when less time is given to do so? Rather than adding paperwork, add professional development. Give teachers more time for self improvement. If administrators are looking to "see" this gradual release of responsibility let them come and see it in person. Please don't waist my time with endless paperwork and meaningless data sheets. The real data, the meaningful data, comes from when I interact with my students. So let me interact with them.

If my student is struggling with writing, let me conference with them, give them resources for self improvement. Let me document this my own way if you want to see proof. It may be in a folder, it may be in a conference sheet, sometimes a bunch of notes may be written in my student’s notebooks as a conversation overtime to apply strategies, or possibly kept in the comments of a Google Doc. Whatever works for that student on that given assignment is what I will do. 

Unlike poor Amanda, we don't make our students write a first draft, a revision, and a final copy. (She needs this evidence for bi-weekly bulletin boards) This wastes time, paper, and makes many novice writers frustrated with school and the writing process. This is not real life either. When was the last time any adult began outlining on blank paper, drafting on yellow, using various colored pens or pencils to make revisions, and recopying the whole thing on pristine white lined paper? (You haven’t done this since school when you yourself may have dreaded the "writing process").

Isn't the point of school to prepare students for real life? This is not real life! Technology is real life! Spell check and right clicking are life skills! If you didn't know how to spell a word the first time, chances are, you won't notice the error the second... This is why the developers of typing programs created those little red lines you see scrawled across your paper. Students need to be taught to pay attention to those lines and how to fix their errors. If they are not utilizing such technologies, they will never learn how to do so.

I can show growth if you let me take advantage of the technology that's out there. Leave me more time to know where my lesson is going and guide my students through that learning process.

So unlike poor Amanda, I have technology at my fingertips. I make the time to know how to implement it in my classroom. I am lucky to have the support of my administration (at least some of my administration) to be able to do this, but it’s not like that everywhere. We are constantly told to differentiate for students, yet, teachers must conform to fit into a box… you know, the little lesson plan box that must be submitted weekly. I get that lesson plans are a part of this profession. Honestly, I’d outline my life anyway even if I wasn’t being required to do so. But why not allow teachers to use the tools available to them to do this in the way that works for their classroom and their students?


Truly yours,


Another Frustrated Teacher

Dear Fellow teachers,

Parent involvement is paramount to the overall success of a child. The burden seems to rest solely upon the teacher’s shoulders. However, if you break it down, we really only get to see our children a very small percentage of their day -especially at the middle school level. So how can we get busy, overworked and overwhelmed parents involved?

• Be sure to make the time for positive phone calls. Best advice I ever followed. 
• Use the free Remind app for parents - this also limits hearing “I didn’t know” 
• You may want to look into Class DoJo for additional communication. Parents can log in and see how kids are doing during the day. 
• It’s really important to constantly keep an updated gradebooks & I find it additionally helpful to pass out bi-weekly(ish) grade updates. For our middle schoolers we encourage them to check their grades through the parent portal… often giving them time in class. This fosters independence and limits surprises at the end of a marking period. It may even spark a conversation leading to self-improvement. 
• Routines!!!! If the kids know what to expect everyday then they aren’t going home confused and complaining about you. Share these routines with the parents. 
• Keep a class calendar online. Often you can link these to lesson plans. Post important due dates in advance such as tests, projects, and remind parents and students a week before progress reports and report cards go home. 
• Keep your website updated. I myself updated it at least weekly. No later than Monday morning, outlining the week for each class. As the week progresses I add materials presented in class. They know that if they're absent, they should be on my website. 

From,


The (not so) frustrated teacher

New Teacher Orientation

Dear Bloggers,

Here we go! About to commence a new school year! The exciting fresh new start with a new crew entering our classrooms. I am so excited. The smell of new paint, that smell the gym has after the floor has just been lacquered, the piles of new books ready to be opened, new supplies… it’s like Christmas (although our orders haven’t come in yet and we start in less than a week). I am ready to get back to the day-to-day of lesson planning, grading, and work-life routine. (Remind me of this in October when I feel as if summer was a life-time away.)

For the past several weeks, a group of teachers have been diligently preparing training materials for the annual new teacher orientation. I’ve been lending some help along the way. I, along with a few other veterans of the district were asked to present various aspects of our school. My role: the resident Googler setting up new teachers with their accounts and introducing them to our new Chromebooks and Apps accounts.

This year we have a very eclectic crew ranging from seasoned teachers to rookies, special educators, to subject specific, elementary and middle school teachers alike. It’s sad that statistically speaking many of them won’t be back next year, and many may not even continue in this profession. There are even a few that look down right terrified! They are overwhelmed and stressed. We did our best to set them at ease, but just navigating our HUGE building is overwhelming for many at this point. I remember that, and totally understand.


Although many of the aspects of our training went well, there were many parts that the “frustrated” teacher in me came out. You have a small group of teachers that worked their butts off this summer to create an organized, comprehensive, and manageable training - and then you have our new administration come in and flush weeks of hard work down the drain!


First, our principal is late (as he always is)! And we were told not to start without him. So we waited, and waited, and waited while the training leads rearranged their agenda. Then, when he finally graced us with his presence, he begins to ramble on relentlessly about… well, nothing. He must have said over a dozen times that “this [long drawn out lectures] is not what we want you to do in the classroom”. (Do as I say and not as I do.) Then he presented this new lesson plan format that consisted of PAGES of details that caught the veterans completely by surprise. And then continues to ramble on about this new program they will be getting training on later that day. (Which by the way, was NOT in the original agenda) Frustrating? Yep - but that’s only just the beginning.


So next we have our first VP - the disciplinarian. He then, too, rambles on about discipline giving us yet another new policy that the returning staff was unaware of such changes. And never completely finishing a thought saying they’ll learn about this at first day for staff. (My thoughts: so then why bring it up now?) This new policy of his consists burying us in further paperwork. 5 pages of documentation before you can send the kid out of the room. So basically… if a kid curses a teacher out we just have to deal?!?! Ummmm, that’s NOT OK! Not that I’ve ever been cursed out, nor do I really send kids out, but that’s just not fair to the teachers, nor to the other students that have to deal with disruption in their classes, robbing them of a good education. This all in an effort to eliminate suspensions.

Training then commences, at a faster pace than originally anticipated because the new administrators took up half the morning with nonsense. Clearly these teachers were getting overwhelmed so we printed a bunch of how-to’s for later reference, gave them a tour of the building for a break, and sent them on their way to lunch early while we began to regroup.

Now, in the afternoon session, the principal returns to present this new program. One I will not name because we are the only district in the state using it. It is, by far, the LEAST USER FRIENDLY program I have ever seen in my entire life! In fact, when I did the initial training last year, and began to practice using it, I literally had night terrors over it. Basically, it is a tracking system for the student on how they meet the new standards across the board. I personally think it is to track the teachers. (Oh did I mention they used the money for math and literacy coaches to purchase this program for over a hundred thousand dollars the previous year?? - an almost nobody used it!)


After this, the new teachers were more overwhelmed and visibly stressed with this. And hey, none of the returning teachers could blame them.

Next enters the next VP - the head of curriculum. Who proceeds to tell the newbies not to worry about half of the things the principal said and not to worry about this new program or new lesson plan format. Ummmm…. Way to be organized and show a united front administration!


So now what do you listen to? I - being the teacher that follows every rule am having a private anxiety attack and inwardly thinking of where I can send my resume. *&%$# This is going to be a horrible school year with this group of clowns running the building.


Immensely frustrated,

Another Frustrated Teacher

Summer Work

Dear Bloggers,

This is directed towards the general public who thinks that summer is a time for beaches and shenanigans for all teachers. While yes, this may be true for many, it is generally not true to the extent that I think the general population thinks.

I myself have been writing curriculum since we've gotten a new language arts program. It's only mid-July and I have already spent multiple days of sitting at my computer reading, researching, creating videos, making a new website, etc... from early morning until long after the sun goes down.

Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining (just informing)- I'd rather be prepared for the upcoming year because that makes my life easier. I'm just frustrated.

This post was sparked by a group of teachers trying to plan an outing and failing to find time that we could all get together. This is not because of our extensive social lives, but a direct result of most of us having to have a second job. Weekend nights were out because a few of us cater and that's how we feed our families over the summer months when we don't get paid. Our little group also has a make-up artist that works getting bridal parties ready during the day on weekends. Then we have the house painter; the barista, the summer school teacher, the plethora of camp councilors, the adjunct professor, the S.A.T. coach, the retail specialist, the life guard, and the bartender. All of these teachers just trying to make a living and support themselves and their families over what America views as "vacation". Don't get me wrong - this 20-40 hour work week is much better than the 24/7 life style we usually live, and there's no way we wouldn't be burnt out or able to prep for the upcoming year without hitting the "reset button" each July and August.

So we finally settled on a day that the majority of our group could get together. A Tuesday night for Karaoke at a local dive. For a few of the group it was the first interaction they've had with adults on a social level since school let out. So we got rides and Ubers and let loose! We were only met with a barrage of "it must be nice" and such comments.

Granted, my group of dedicated colleagues may be the exception to the rule - but this is the life I live:

Last week I spent 4 days in professional development, driving an hour and a half each way with two of my colleagues only to be given "homework" and spend additional time to each of these 6 and a half our sessions reading and following up on the tasks given. I then continued to make my way through the new units I will be working on with my students and trying to read the total of six class novels I will be reading with my classes in this next year. I am also working with my technology supervisor to write and rewrite school policies for acceptable internet use and develop training materials to move us to a Google Apps school. (This aspect at least I'm getting paid for). These need to be ready to present to the board by the end of the month for approval and then the next phase - getting ready for new teacher orientation. Yes, I'm getting tan, but it's a terrible farmer's tan from sitting on my deck with my laptop. I will also be taking two grad-school "power classes" each of 13 1/2 hours to renew a certification that will be expiring this month. (These are not cheap and my district doesn't offer tuition reimbursement so I had to charge it).

So let me ask you America: Does this sound as nice as you thought it is to have your summers "off"?

As you are all about to call it quits for the workweek, I am getting ready for my weekend job where I will not be able to attend a family BBQ because I have to work Friday night, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday. Just so I don't go into crushing credit card debt that will take me until next summer when I am "off" again to pay back.


Sincerely,

Yet Another Frustrated Teacher

My first post from the frustrated teacher

Dear Bloggers,


I decided to start this blog simply because I have so many un-posted blogs entries in my archives that I simply cannot post unless I do so anonymously. As I was looking for a new name I couldn't believe how many versions of "frustrated teacher" there were, and so I had to settle on "Yet another frustrated teacher" - this to me is sad.


I have been in education for over fifteen years and teaching is (and always has been) my passion. Although I love the kids, I love my job, I love my colleagues, the atmosphere is, well, dreary. And it only seems to be growing worse with each passing year. There are so many negative views about education and teachers as a whole. It kills me to watch good teachers become jaded and leave.


I know many of us - no matter how dedicated - think of something else. Many look at articles or blogs on the scary statistics of how many teachers leave and why they do. I don't want to be a statistic, but I fear that I may be one. I believe that this will be my last year in education.


Recently we've had an administration change in my district. I fear that I will not survive this transition. Why? Simply because new administrators are looking to bring in their own people and I am the only nontenured faculty member in my department. So I guess the next school year will make or break my career and time will tell.


When I began this district, I made a promise to myself that this would be my last teaching job - one way or another. Not that I'm necessarily looking to retire here, but I after I leave, I will be retiring from teaching in general.


A very wise colleague told me that we would "out grow this district" and I've always known she was right. One day we will move on to bigger and better things. This life style is simply not sustainable. The hours I work, the events I opt out of (because I either cannot afford to attend or am stuck home grading papers or planning lessons), and the relationships that have suffered over this "calling" flood my memories with every repeated account. It is becoming less worth it each year. I've dedicated my entire adult life to the field of education and almost half of my life to teaching. And in the process I've given up so much, and lost so much more.


Sincerely,


Yet Another Frustrated Teacher