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  • greysweatshirt
    greysweatshirt Posts: 411
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    Ahhh... that is uncool.

    I can't offer too much help, I was told that other teachers don't think my courses matter and have no bearing in life. :sad:

    Yeah, cause Brit Lit made me a stellar person. :grumble:

    UGH! I feel the same way a lot of times..when I taught High School choir..I got a lot of the "blow off" class thing. Or, "you're job is sooo easy" trust me, it's NOT. And now teaching elementary music, it's REALLY not!!
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    Ahhh... that is uncool.

    I can't offer too much help, I was told that other teachers don't think my courses matter and have no bearing in life. :sad:

    Yeah, cause Brit Lit made me a stellar person. :grumble:

    UGH! I feel the same way a lot of times..when I taught High School choir..I got a lot of the "blow off" class thing. Or, "you're job is sooo easy" trust me, it's NOT. And now teaching elementary music, it's REALLY not!!

    I loved music!
    Our high school choir teacher acts kinda nutty....maybe that's cause of the same issue you had (I mean he could just be crazy too). I think the electives can be tough....cause we get a lot of the "problem" kids....and usually all dumped into the same class.

    Which oddly enough, very few really are a "problem."
  • Mickie17
    Mickie17 Posts: 559 Member
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    That stinks! You would think most teachers would be open-minded and sensitive toward each other. You know, we're ALL in a tough boat to row, regardless of what we teach.

    I guess my frustration is when I'm fighting for us at committees to help things be better, and some of my coworkers refuse to see that some change can be positive....I certainly don't see them at these meetings on their freetime trying to lobby for for the better. UGH! I just can't let this go....these are the same people that stress me out in the lunch room, it's just drama, drama, drama....mountains out of molehills . I can't stand it...but I love my job and I like my boss! You know what's sad...I've lost almost 10 pounds since I stopped eating in the lunchroom everyday....I don't stress eat if I eat in my room...I can actually think about my food, think about being full and I rarely pig out at work anymore. (Heavy sigh).....:ohwell: Got any thoughts on how to handle this without alienating myself from the tachers I am friends with?
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    r32fp.jpg
    Sorry was still stuck on fruit.
  • jhacker
    jhacker Posts: 301 Member
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    That's the cutest thing ever! I love it...Fresh apples.

    Oh yeah...Jhacker, it was my birthday weekend too, but I think I went overboard. I have just had a really hard time cutting out the sweets. For the first time in my life I have been craving chocolate. Has this ever happened to anyone else? I've never really "craved" any particular type of food. Any suggestions? I especially crave it in the mid morning and after school is over.

    Happy Birthday!:flowerforyou: I had to write because I have also been craving chocolate and there is still some in the building! Maybe its part of our horoscope!! :laugh: I just can't seem to walk by it or turn it down!!:ohwell:

    And Mickie17- I know exactly how you feel about putting all the effort in and those who don't have something to say!!:mad: So frustrating! Just wanted you to know I feel your pain!

    My motto for those people is to "kill them with kindness." They seemed to be annoyed when I stay all positive with them! Hang in there! You are making a difference!!:flowerforyou:
  • ChubbyBunny
    ChubbyBunny Posts: 3,523 Member
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    Alright.... my kindergarten teaching brothers and sisters.... do not be offended....but I am soooooo ticked off at my tiny-mites teacher (who also is a family friend).

    My kiddo comes home FRANTIC today, trying to gather up $5.... I was like, weird....but just figured she was playing. Well, I was digging around in her stuff and found "homework" which was a book in a plastic bag, with a note saying the kids had to read it and return it tomorrow....if it was lost the child owed $5 to replace it. WAIT, what!?! They are sending books home (that my kid doesn't need....cause....hello teacher... I live for books) and WHEN my most disorganized and flightly 6 yearold loses it she has to pay!
    So, I asked my kiddo why she needed the $5, to replace a previous book, according to her (that I never saw)! Why didn't the teacher send a note home about the current fine? Instead of freaking out my tiny... who spent all afternoon (as I later discovered) trying to get money out of her piggy bank to pay off her "debt."

    I don't know about you....but I am not the American government will billions layin around.... or millions to bleed dry. Heck, I barely have enough to squeak by at the end of the month as a single parent-teacher... but to add THIS.... an unnecessary expense and stress for us. :explode: Why isn't it optional? I swear I have never seen a "book-in-a-bag" come into this house.

    Okay....mini rant over.....
    Love my elementary ed people.... minus the testing. :wink:
  • Mickie17
    Mickie17 Posts: 559 Member
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    [/quote]

    And Mickie17- I know exactly how you feel about putting all the effort in and those who don't have something to say!!:mad: So frustrating! Just wanted you to know I feel your pain!

    My motto for those people is to "kill them with kindness." They seemed to be annoyed when I stay all positive with them! Hang in there! You are making a difference!!:flowerforyou:
    [/quote]

    Thank you! While the situation stinks, it's nice to know someone understands. I appreciate your supportive words!:smile: I've been trying to do the kindess thing with them since day one, it's just me...but they have me actually so upset I don't want to even associate with them anymore....I mean, I have never done a mean thing to them ever! I don't understand why they are so quick to attack in defensiveness...especially over a positive change, that would help us as teachers. UGH! All I ever wanted to do when I transferred to that school was "fit in" but two of them do everything in their power to make sure that doesn't happen. I just count my blessings that I have a fabulous family and a fantastic network of true friends outside of work....not to mention my MFP buddies!!!!:happy:

    Boy am I glad we are all networking too...it's nice to feel like you can vent your frustrations & SUCCESSES to people who understand where you're coming from. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • LifesPilgrim
    LifesPilgrim Posts: 498 Member
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    maybe you should just forget them and start hanging out with a more positive or like-minded group. When I find the moaner and groaners at school, I try to put as much distance as possible between me and them. Some times that has meant sitting by myself at staff meetings, but oh well. I don't want to be grouped together with people like that.

    Anybody got any great plans for this weekend?

    I'm going hiking with my sons' boy scout troop. 12 - 16 miles with a 35 pound pack.

    Have I lost my mind????
  • Mickie17
    Mickie17 Posts: 559 Member
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    maybe you should just forget them and start hanging out with a more positive or like-minded group. When I find the moaner and groaners at school, I try to put as much distance as possible between me and them. Some times that has meant sitting by myself at staff meetings, but oh well. I don't want to be grouped together with people like that.

    Anybody got any great plans for this weekend?

    I'm going hiking with my sons' boy scout troop. 12 - 16 miles with a 35 pound pack.

    Have I lost my mind????

    Thanks!!! Great advice to live by. Actually, a couple of them came to see me today and apologized...I'm pretty sure one of my co-worker friends told them how I was feeling. Both said they were just venting, and didn't mean for it to seem directed at me. (One of them sure made it feel that way...but whatever, I was just impressed that I received an apology...it actually made me feel better to know the the two of them cared enough to take the time to do that)! Anyway...enough of that! It's been a long hard week for me and many others...so it's time to focus on positive things!!!:smile:

    This weekend!!! Pruning everything we can while the weather is nice tomorrow, and going to my son's basketball game. Went to the other one's volleyball game tonight...first one of the season and they won!!! HOORAY! Also, one of the foster puppies we have is getting adopted this weekend...it will be bittersweet, but we couldn't have asked for a better home for her to go to! Other than that, i just plan to move up to Level 3 on The Shred and brace for the huge storm that's supposed to hit Sunday.

    PS: I don't think you've lost your mind...yet! Hiking is sooooooooooo much fun, and the kids make us grown ups feel like kids again! :happy: (I hope I can get in a good hike i the morning with my 8yr old lab...she's been feeling neglected since we've been fostering the little puppies).
  • sailgal
    sailgal Posts: 22
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    nn
  • purpleparadox
    purpleparadox Posts: 40
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    Can I jump in on this group even though I'm not officially a teacher yet? I'm doing pre-student teaching observations this semester, and student teaching in the fall... so I'm getting there! :D
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
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    mickie- I totally can commiserate with you. Our small school desperately needs to change to survive, & some just think what they're doing is fine. They think the rest of us are the problem, & it's really dividing us.

    As for the lost book- I have taught primary grades & dislike having to send books home because some families don't have enough books & some families don't care enough to take care of the books & some don't ever read the notes that explain the reading program so they know the books are important to read with their kids & it's just a no-win situation. If I were you I'd call the teacher & let her know what a panic your child experienced & ask about the book. It's probably there somewhere, but let her know you had no idea the books would be coming home. Maybe she needs to communicate a little better up front.
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
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    :grumble:
  • Mickie17
    Mickie17 Posts: 559 Member
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    Georg---you nailed it, you really did. I mean teachers are not going to go into meetings and fight for things to change, unless it's beneficial. Change CAN be good. This sort of stuff really confirms who the people are that are open-minded and are trying to build a better education system, and those who are afraid to admit that "their way" isn't the end all-be all, ya know? I truly believe that as society evolves, education must evolve too. Some things work, and some things don't, whether it's curriculum or the was we report grades or the way we conference with parents, etc...I think that if we don't continue to try to "build a better mousetrap" then we become stagnant and we, as teachers, may find ourselves NOT growing as individuals. My thing is, I ask my students to try new things everyday...so if I'm going to ask that of them, shouldn't I model it myself?

    Okay...I'm getting of my soapbox now! :wink: :laugh:
  • LifesPilgrim
    LifesPilgrim Posts: 498 Member
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    I SURVIVED!!!! :bigsmile: We ended up hiking 16 miles, twelve of them Saturday. It was Great, but boy am I sore!!!! Friday night was 27 degrees which is REALLY cold for us. I couldn't feel my feet at about 4:00 in the morning. Thank Goodness for Therma Wraps, they make awesome foot warmers.

    Mickie, I am glad to hear about the apologies, but treat them with caution. I really hope they were truly sincere
  • Mickie17
    Mickie17 Posts: 559 Member
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    I SURVIVED!!!! :bigsmile: We ended up hiking 16 miles, twelve of them Saturday. It was Great, but boy am I sore!!!! Friday night was 27 degrees which is REALLY cold for us. I couldn't feel my feet at about 4:00 in the morning. Thank Goodness for Therma Wraps, they make awesome foot warmers.

    Mickie, I am glad to hear about the apologies, but treat them with caution. I really hope they were truly sincere

    WOW!!! Sounds like an excellent trip! Was it in FL? Because that sounds really cold for FL...actually, we were there one time on a cruise and when we got back hit one of that state's rare cold snaps...I remember the farmers were worried about losing their citrus crops. Good thinking on the thermal wraps! :smile:

    I will TOTALLY proceed with caution, based on the way I've been treated in the past....being sorry for one incident doesn't make up for the multitude of others. Why are some groups so cliquey?

    Does anyone else work at a "cliquey campus?" If so, how do you deal with it?
  • LifesPilgrim
    LifesPilgrim Posts: 498 Member
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    We live in the West Palm Beach area. We actually were in Ocala National Park for our trip this month. And yes, that is very cold for us. My sleeping bag is actually rated to 30 degrees, hence the need for the therma wraps. We also had them on hand in case any of the boys became hypothermic.

    The REALLY cool part was that I could eat anything I wanted and still ate about half of my exercise calories over the weekend. Back to counting today though.:ohwell:
  • Chele615
    Chele615 Posts: 11 Member
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    I would love to join in too! I teach high school special education (mainly kids with learning disabilities) and have been for 8 years now. I teach a couple Resource Algebra 1 courses and have Academic Support courses where we work on remediating skills to get the kids ready for all the wonderful standardized testing they have to take. Between retakes, retests, and the next grade's first time taking the test, we have MCAS tests basically every month from now until June. Fun ;)

    School was actually what got me started on my weight loss stuff to begin with. Around this time last year (March 08), one of the other teachers set up a "Biggest Loser" competition and I was on my way. I ended up coming in third place and missed out on second place by less than 1%! haha
  • LifesPilgrim
    LifesPilgrim Posts: 498 Member
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    Your more than welcome to join and benefit from our experiences . . . I just hope we don't scare you away from teaching:tongue:
  • Smiley1010
    Smiley1010 Posts: 82
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    Sounds like a lot of us are preparing for standardized tests right now... yuck! We have math tests coming up (elementary), and I teach kids with special needs who still need to take them. Not fun.

    Mickie17 - a while ago you mentioned fruit salad to teach fractions. I think I get the idea of it, but do you have specifics that worked really well? I wouldn't mind borrowing your ideas... my kids are nervous about fractions. Thanks!

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