Teacher Criticisms...(rant)

TeeferTiger

I've not read all 11 pages...

I'm not a teacher, but when I see parents complaining about how they can't wait for the holidays to end and their kids to go back to school then I think "And you've got the cheek to moan about the teachers when your little "angel" drives you up the wall after a week?!". The teacher has to deal with up to 30 of these "angels" for about 6 hours a day, they can't discipline them for fear of recrimination etc and they have to keep all 30 minds of varying abilities interested in a subject that might not be all that entertaining.

Yes there are some good, and some bad teachers. But hats off to them for putting up with the kids! Remembering back to when I was at school, we were by no means bad kids, but even some kids in our class were hard work and we were considered a "good" school. I dread to think what the teachers in "bad" schools had to put up with.

chanstriste13

My boyfriend is a teacher, and I see how hard he works. Aside from teaching his normal classes every day, grading and prepping for those classes, he does a ton more. He volunteers to tutor after school...VOLUNTEER, unpaid. He does Freshman Recovery so kids who failed classes their freshman year get caught up and graduate on time....UNPAID. He is the NHS coach, unpaid. He teaches a hip hop class after school to keep kids off the streets, unpaid. He brings in school supplies, like pens and pencils because parents don't give them to their kids or the kids just don't bring them...unreimbursed. He runs the academic decathlon and coaches the kids on other subjects aside from History (he's a history teacher).

I could keep going, but I think you get the point.

this sounds like my husband - history teacher and everything. we're lucky ladies! :flowerforyou:

hillm12345

Yep, I'm lazy and I'm an overpaid babysitter.....oh wait, you sent your kid to school sick so I'm also the nurse. Your child didn't eat, so I'm also a chef. Your child had an accident in his pants so I'm also a laundress. Your child has no school supplies, so I'm also an office depot. Your child doesn't know right from wrong, so I'm also a parent.......I'm sure there are others, but you're right I'm overpaid.

I couldn't agree with this statement MORE. I teach in a title one low income school and you would not BELIEVE how many students rely on us to provide a moral compass. It's actually quite sad.

VegesaurusRex

Really?!?!?!?!?!? WTH, Kids that live in bad neighborhoods can't be educated? Get a clue. Some of the most motivated kids I've ever seen have come from the worst situations.

Okay, we have an interesting situation here we have two teachers, one of whom made the above comment. The other said that kids in poor neighborhoods are only in school to get a hot meal.

Now I do not know which one is right and which one is wrong, but it would seem they both can't be right. Unfortunately, when I brought this up both teachers avoided the subject and went on to something else. I would be delighted to have an answer as to which picture is accurate. And if there are highly motivated inner city kids, why are the records of districts like Hartford so dismal. Also, if this were true, what is wrong with taking these kids out of the inner city and using vouchers to send them to good schools in the suburbs?

I think both statements are true. It depends on the student. There is no way to generalize about the kids in bad neighborhoods. I never said that ALL students from bad neighborhoods are motivated. I simply said that I've had many students who are extremely motivated that come from very bad neighborhoods. To say that none of them can learn is ridiculous (which is what prompted my response). I don't agree with vouchers because you are taking money away from schools that are already struggling. Just because you get a voucher does not mean that your parents are going to be able to pay for a private school. It's not that simple. I'm not going to get into that debate right now.

As far as the entitlement comment, that's been my experience (for better or worse). I'm glad that the OP didn't behave that way, It's not a generalization when that's my experience with almost all kids I've taught in a private school environment.

What is the problem with taking away money from a school that is just flushing it down the toilet? Get the good kids out and turn the place into a glorified day care center, which is pretty much what it is anyway. Ironically, most liberal blacks want vouchers, but the liberal whites don't want to give them to them. Mostly, again we have the evil NEA, the most anti-education establishment in the USA.

VegesaurusRex

I

We do see things differently, and I kind of wish I could wrap my mind around your point of view, but our experiences are so radically different, I can't. I am very seriously thinking of writing a book about my homeschooling eperiences. (One of our local homeschoolers already did - I think it's called "But What about the Prom?." ) I will certainly admit that the problems I faced educating my kids and in teaching homeschool Latin are very likely radically different from those faced by teachers in, for example, inner city schools. I have no solution to how to educate a starving, beaten down kid who lives in a neighborhood where guns and killing are normal. To be honest with you, I don't think they can be educated. I certainly don't think that if I lived in such a neighborhood, I would be interested in anything but staying alive. The only solution may be to live long enough to join the Service.

Here is the post about not being able to learn.

That was in reference to a post by Chantriste13. She said they were only interested in the free meal.

KimmieBrie

As far as the entitlement comment, that's been my experience (for better or worse). I'm glad that the OP didn't behave that way, It's not a generalization when that's my experience with almost all kids I've taught in a private school environment.

When you say "I don't think I could handle teaching in a private school environment." I assume you did not teach in a private school environment, if you have, great. Luckily my school wasn't like that. No one had a famous name except one family in the oil business who you've probably never heard of because it was local. Many private schools are filled with students like myself. My parents just didn't like or trust the public school system and did what they could to keep me out of it. I'm sure schools like Phillips Academy have a different crowd.

chanstriste13

I am not making an "argument on a technicality," I am trying to understand the facts. One teacher paints a very dismal picture of starving children, and another implies that there are at least some highly motivated students in that population. Assuming both are correct as you are now implying, it would seem then number of highly motivated ones is very low. Why not take them out of their dismal environment then, and use vouchers to put them in an environment where they can thrive?

And yes, I get that the inner city population is different from the population I have taught.

ooohhh...understanding the facts. good luck. i can't understand the facts either, and i don't think anyone truly does. there are just so many facets involved with every school and every student - you'll never get the same picture twice.

as for moving students from their dismal environment...well, that's complicated. that dismal environment is their home, where their friends and families are. it can be hard for a very bright and motivated child to leave that behind because they are young and impressionable, and often feel like they are betraying their loved ones, even if it is a destructive environment.

also, i know the private schools in my area don't offer transportation, so many of the students would have no way to get to school. it's really just a sloppy mess.

raven56706

Here is my criticisms with the teachers...


THE UNIONS!!!

The unions are the problem. They are main problems with what is wrong with teaching. Here's an example: my wife has her masters, and is about to get her doctorate from a good school(not a school who is a diploma online school) but an actual really good school.. yet she cant get a better position because someone who is doing a sh#$%y job is still there.

Unions protect the bad employees... you cant fire them and they are just moved to another school. Thats a big joke.. hey how about the ones alleged for doing a bad job or messing with students. They just move them to the board with pay... WITH PAY? how will they learn?

This is the biggest farce with the problem. Yes, its hard to do a merit pay with kids but there has to be another way to get teachers motivated.

I mean hell Mister Joe Clark did it with a bat and stern fist.

oh and there are teachers that get paid the whole year.... that i know for a fact. Also teachers dont get paid full for their masters... know that for a fact too..

iuangina

Really?!?!?!?!?!? WTH, Kids that live in bad neighborhoods can't be educated? Get a clue. Some of the most motivated kids I've ever seen have come from the worst situations.

Okay, we have an interesting situation here we have two teachers, one of whom made the above comment. The other said that kids in poor neighborhoods are only in school to get a hot meal.

Now I do not know which one is right and which one is wrong, but it would seem they both can't be right. Unfortunately, when I brought this up both teachers avoided the subject and went on to something else. I would be delighted to have an answer as to which picture is accurate. And if there are highly motivated inner city kids, why are the records of districts like Hartford so dismal. Also, if this were true, what is wrong with taking these kids out of the inner city and using vouchers to send them to good schools in the suburbs?

*sigh*

you and your blanket mentality. there is no such thing as all or none, so i'm not sure why you are making arguments on technicalities. i never said that all kids in poor neighborhoods are in for a free lunch, though many of them are. my point in that statement was that you would find your teaching experience drastically different if you had some of those types of students.

edited to add: ps ~ please enlighten me on the topic of yours that i have avoided...

I am not making an "argument on a technicality," I am trying to understand the facts. One teacher paints a very dismal picture of starving children, and another implies that there are at least some highly motivated students in that population. Assuming both are correct as you are now implying, it would seem then number of highly motivated ones is very low. Why not take them out of their dismal environment then, and use vouchers to put them in an environment where they can thrive?

And yes, I get that the inner city population is different from the population I have taught.

I would argue that it's not the school that is the reason they are not successful. In some cases, the school is failing and something needs to be done. In my area, the schools are not the problem. There's a problem with parents believing that learning begins and ends at the school house door. How do you fix that issue? Moving the students to another school where there are the same state standards that have to be met will not fix the issues at home. Motivation comes from many different places, so there are some children who have support at home and that's why they are motivated. There are some children who are motivated because they want to get out of their homes. It just depends.

chanstriste13

What is the problem with taking away money from a school that is just flushing it down the toilet? Get the good kids out and turn the place into a glorified day care center, which is pretty much what it is anyway.

:noway:
gah. you're killing me!

this is coming from the fella that has never taught in a public institution.

why don't you take some of your homeschool teaching experience and volunteer to tutor at a low income school so you can get some actual perspective?

raven56706

To all those who say you are a office depot and a nurse and blah blah blah...


good.. good that you see that you have done everything you can to help a child... and you deserve the pay for it.... oppps... nope you dont deserve it... you deserve the same pay as the teacher in room 103 that is doing a crappy job and not giving two craps because they have tenure...

Good teachers deserve it... but unfortunately, bad teachers get the same pay.... see where im going with this?

iuangina

As far as the entitlement comment, that's been my experience (for better or worse). I'm glad that the OP didn't behave that way, It's not a generalization when that's my experience with almost all kids I've taught in a private school environment.

When you say "I don't think I could handle teaching in a private school environment." I assume you did not teach in a private school environment, if you have, great. Luckily my school wasn't like that. No one had a famous name except one family in the oil business who you've probably never heard of because it was local. Many private schools are filled with students like myself. My parents just didn't like or trust the public school system and did what they could to keep me out of it. I'm sure schools like Phillips Academy have a different crowd.

I worked as a SAT tutor for private school kids. It was the worst experience I've ever had as an educator. Not to mention all of the horror stories I've heard from my friends who teach in private schools.

dragonfly74

I'm not complaining. I actually really like my job. My response was about the difference between the types of schools. I don't think I could handle teaching in a private school environment. I don't like working with children who feel they are entitled to everything just because of their family name.

This comment really bothers me and I take offense at this broad statement. My kids are at a private school not because of their last name and no they do NOT feel "entitled" to ANYTHING. We feel having them brought up with a Christian education helps them to realize this (unfortunately God had to be removed in the public schools) and be thankful for what they have. My kids help with the food pantry and pick Christmas angels every year to help make a kid's Christams a bit more special. I find it a shame that a teacher would speak the way you have. Don't lump everyone into the same category.

the_journeyman

Anybody that generalizes that teachers are lazy or don't earn their pay needs to do something. Go volunteer at your local middle school. Hormones + new environment + surrounded by new kids creates a very challenging environment. I enjoy teaching middle school, but some days can be very challenging.

JM

iuangina

I'm not complaining. I actually really like my job. My response was about the difference between the types of schools. I don't think I could handle teaching in a private school environment. I don't like working with children who feel they are entitled to everything just because of their family name.

This comment really bothers me and I take offense at this broad statement. My kids are at a private school not because of their last name and no they do NOT feel "entitled" to ANYTHING. We feel having them brought up with a Christian education helps them to realize this (unfortunately God had to be removed in the public schools) and be thankful for what they have. My kids help with the food pantry and pick Christmas angels every year to help make a kid's Christams a bit more special. I find it a shame that a teacher would speak the way you have. Don't lump everyone into the same category.

But it's ok to lump all teachers in the same category or all kids from low income families....come on. Again, I'm glad your kids aren't like that, but my experience is where I get that statement from. I know that not all of the kids in private school act this way, but there are enough that it is not something that I would want to deal with everyday. That's all.

chanstriste13

As far as the entitlement comment, that's been my experience (for better or worse). I'm glad that the OP didn't behave that way, It's not a generalization when that's my experience with almost all kids I've taught in a private school environment.

When you say "I don't think I could handle teaching in a private school environment." I assume you did not teach in a private school environment, if you have, great. Luckily my school wasn't like that. No one had a famous name except one family in the oil business who you've probably never heard of because it was local. Many private schools are filled with students like myself. My parents just didn't like or trust the public school system and did what they could to keep me out of it. I'm sure schools like Phillips Academy have a different crowd.

I worked as a SAT tutor for private school kids. It was the worst experience I've ever had as an educator.

i'm working as a tutor for a private school family right now, and they are awesome. but they are definitely and exception at their school. the mom is a lawyer now, but used to be a teacher, and the father currently works in the tech. department for the school system, so they have done a great job keeping their kids level-headed and nice. i was a nanny for two families that go to the same school during a couple of summers a few years ago, and they were pretty scary. this is the only private school that i have really interacted with, but it fits the bill on the enablement/who's-your-daddy culture.

yep, in case anyone is wondering why i'm here typing all day instead of teaching - lost my job due to art cutbacks. so much for job security. or maybe it was just because i was such a bad teacher...

raven56706

Private schools have entitled kids????? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

hold on.... wait... bwahahahaahahhaah


My parents worked hard to send us to private schools. My dad cleaned crap from public housing complexes as a plumber and my mom worked nights just so I didn’t have to go to a public school which was 2 blocks down. My parents weren’t rich… we were middle class… thank god for it.

I thank my parents everyday. To be called entitled is the funniest most ridiculous statement ever! That’s exactly what the problem is with this whole teaching issue.

KimmieBrie

As far as the entitlement comment, that's been my experience (for better or worse). I'm glad that the OP didn't behave that way, It's not a generalization when that's my experience with almost all kids I've taught in a private school environment.

When you say "I don't think I could handle teaching in a private school environment." I assume you did not teach in a private school environment, if you have, great. Luckily my school wasn't like that. No one had a famous name except one family in the oil business who you've probably never heard of because it was local. Many private schools are filled with students like myself. My parents just didn't like or trust the public school system and did what they could to keep me out of it. I'm sure schools like Phillips Academy have a different crowd.

I worked as a SAT tutor for private school kids. It was the worst experience I've ever had as an educator. Not to mention all of the horror stories I've heard from my friends who teach in private schools.

Yes well there are plenty of horror stories from public school as well and I'm sure from any school. I never used a tutor, so I wouldn't know how much a tutor is paid or what's expected of them in return. I credit my private school for providing me with what I needed to pass and get accepted to the college I desired with no need for outside tutoring.

chanstriste13

Private schools have entitled kids????? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

hold on.... wait... bwahahahaahahhaah


My parents worked hard to send us to private schools. My dad cleaned crap from public housing complexes as a plumber and my mom worked nights just so I didn’t have to go to a public school which was 2 blocks down. My parents weren’t rich… we were middle class… thank god for it.

I thank my parents everyday. To be called entitled is the funniest most ridiculous statement ever! That’s exactly what the problem is with this whole teaching issue.

this is a silly can of worms we have opened.

just because you weren't entitled doesn't mean that there aren't children who are. just because your parents had to scrounge money to send you there doesn't mean that other parents couldn't just wipe their bum with the tuition bill and let everyone know it.

my experience doens't cancel out yours or vice versa.

sheesh, we'll be at this forever.

KimmieBrie

Private schools have entitled kids????? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA

hold on.... wait... bwahahahaahahhaah


My parents worked hard to send us to private schools. My dad cleaned crap from public housing complexes as a plumber and my mom worked nights just so I didn’t have to go to a public school which was 2 blocks down. My parents weren’t rich… we were middle class… thank god for it.

I thank my parents everyday. To be called entitled is the funniest most ridiculous statement ever! That’s exactly what the problem is with this whole teaching issue.

Agree. My dad worked 7 days a week and my mom full time. We went without so many things, as did they. Sacrifice and hard work paid for my private school. There was no entitlement.