Almost a Second-Year ( and kids who feel entitled)
** all ideas and opinions expressed in this article are held by the author, who does not claim to represent the wider view of the program's many illustrious members **
First and second nine weeks were about getting by, third nine weeks was about learning how to do a little more than that, and fourth nine weeks, it would appear, is about making some tough decisions.
We know the schools need us now. We see the incompetence all around and realize that probably, no matter how bad we were to start off with, we're doing better than the average Joe by improving and possibly even more important simply by TRYING. Not a single last one of us hasn't made an effort, say what you will.
And now that we know, we have power. And now that we've run the gauntlet, some of us want to get out. Most of us have seen a few things that worked and a multitude of things that didn't, most have realized by now how sad the system is and that the newest teachers get the worst deals and the least support, that once you're in you get smaller classes, fewer preps, better pay, and more support, that once you know the people who have the same preps as you your job gets a little easier, that once you've made allies you get a little less flack for not having all your ducks in a row ...
This is sad because we do have a teacher shortage, because you're worsening the conditions for your most at-risk teacher population (1-5 years), and because most teachers quit because conditions are already bad enough. You shouldn't be tested with fire your first year, the hardest classes shouldn't be DUMPED on first-year teachers, and you shouldn't have a hundred percent yearly turnover for your state-tested, high-stakes courses.
A lot of things shouldn't happen, in fact, and it's a lot easier to see that now and it's a lot easier to see ways out.
We saw white bratty high school students at wendy's this weekend and we were kind of disgusted, we see clinton kids with their long hair and their parents' credit cards and we hate them a little bit, but their schools have enough toilet paper in the bathroom and their schools don't run out of lunch food before the last block and their schools probably start class on time.
And, just guessing, we kind of assume that at their schools if you cuss a teacher out you get some consequences for it.
And we think these things and we kind of want to be at their schools.
But if we're at our schools next year, if we stay and decide to fight the good fight one last time, things are changing, because now we know. We're entitled too, now, and we're not new and we're not getting screwed a second time. WE are not teaching four preps next year, we are not having class sizes over the legal limit, we are going to be subject to ridiculous expectations and mounds of paperwork and incompetent administrators and inconsistent enforcement of school policies but we AREN'T coming in without a say.
We're not great yet, but we're trying. We will work hard, we have improved, and if our school districts want the best for their students they will make minimal accommodations and keep us where we're needed most. But none of us are going through that again.
First and second nine weeks were about getting by, third nine weeks was about learning how to do a little more than that, and fourth nine weeks, it would appear, is about making some tough decisions.
We know the schools need us now. We see the incompetence all around and realize that probably, no matter how bad we were to start off with, we're doing better than the average Joe by improving and possibly even more important simply by TRYING. Not a single last one of us hasn't made an effort, say what you will.
And now that we know, we have power. And now that we've run the gauntlet, some of us want to get out. Most of us have seen a few things that worked and a multitude of things that didn't, most have realized by now how sad the system is and that the newest teachers get the worst deals and the least support, that once you're in you get smaller classes, fewer preps, better pay, and more support, that once you know the people who have the same preps as you your job gets a little easier, that once you've made allies you get a little less flack for not having all your ducks in a row ...
This is sad because we do have a teacher shortage, because you're worsening the conditions for your most at-risk teacher population (1-5 years), and because most teachers quit because conditions are already bad enough. You shouldn't be tested with fire your first year, the hardest classes shouldn't be DUMPED on first-year teachers, and you shouldn't have a hundred percent yearly turnover for your state-tested, high-stakes courses.
A lot of things shouldn't happen, in fact, and it's a lot easier to see that now and it's a lot easier to see ways out.
We saw white bratty high school students at wendy's this weekend and we were kind of disgusted, we see clinton kids with their long hair and their parents' credit cards and we hate them a little bit, but their schools have enough toilet paper in the bathroom and their schools don't run out of lunch food before the last block and their schools probably start class on time.
And, just guessing, we kind of assume that at their schools if you cuss a teacher out you get some consequences for it.
And we think these things and we kind of want to be at their schools.
But if we're at our schools next year, if we stay and decide to fight the good fight one last time, things are changing, because now we know. We're entitled too, now, and we're not new and we're not getting screwed a second time. WE are not teaching four preps next year, we are not having class sizes over the legal limit, we are going to be subject to ridiculous expectations and mounds of paperwork and incompetent administrators and inconsistent enforcement of school policies but we AREN'T coming in without a say.
We're not great yet, but we're trying. We will work hard, we have improved, and if our school districts want the best for their students they will make minimal accommodations and keep us where we're needed most. But none of us are going through that again.
posted by Miss Marshwater at 4:04 PM
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