Re: Why is it so bad? And what can be done?

Denise

Posted on 9/28/10

More | Report Post

I laughed out loud at your horror story about taking the kids
outside for a lab! I'm sure you laugh at it now, too, but I'm
sure it wasn't so funny at the time!

I agree with just about everything that you said. I forgot
that I had to use a curriculum that she had written, i.e.
worksheets, readings, etc. but I was to create new lesson plans
that incorporated them. This was nearly impossible as I did
not understand how she wanted them taught. I had to have
lesson plans in two weeks ahead, and I had 3 preps. She would
go over my plans each Tuesday, the same day she knew I had 5
hours of class following school, and would expect the rewritten
plans the next day. I don't know how I did it. She would
rarely say my ideas were poor, but she couldn't just say, "Hey,
I think you are on to something here!" So she would pick out a
word choice and demand I change it. Just enough to remind me
who was in charge.

I know that many teachers are fantastic mentors. I just wish
that mine would have been more patient with me. As I began,
she told me she expected me to take on one class each week, but
by my 2nd week, she pushed me to teach all day. It's
definitely better being a teacher!

On 9/28/10, Catsister wrote:
> I also had a horrid experience, and this was back in the
> Compuserve days! I had no other stories of mean CT's.
> Fortunately, I was backed up by my college (they were
> annoyed when she demanded to read the "Private diary"
> section of my ST looseleaf and demanded I take out anything
> negative about her.) I got my revenge when I didn't invite
> her to the dinner at the end of the year. Fifteen years
> later, she wouldn't say "hello" to me when I had an
> interview at the school. To this day, if I see her around
> town, I feel sick.
>
> So I guess the bigger question is: why does ST go wrong so
> often? My hypotheses: 1. Conflicting expectations. ST wants
> a mentor, CT wants a personal assistant, and many women
> (usually) attack personal assistants when they can't please
> them perfectly enough.
>
> 2. College ed depts. and real schools have very different
> ideas about teaching. I heard nothing but brainstorming,
> coop learning, etc. for years n grad school--but none of
> this existed at this time in the real world. My CT did
> nothing but make the kids copy overheads. Creativity was
> not welcome.
>
> 3. No interview process. There's no attempt to match anyone
> with someone they'd be compatible with. Even if my CT's
> nickname weren't "The Bitch," we would not be a good match.
>
> 4. Discipline. Kids know the ST is temporary, and will not
> take discipline from them like they will a "real" teacher.
> Little kids may not know the difference, but by middle
> school or high school--fugetaboutit! Even if she is well-
> meaning, an ST does not have classroom management
> experience and will experience problems. It's inevitable,
> unless you're in a class of angels. A good CT will
> understand that some problems will occur and not
> overdramatize them. A bad one will make a federal case out
> of every bad kid.
>
> 5. Control. A ST will not have any say over grading
> policies and even some assignments. You're forced to do
> stuff you wouldn't do otherwise.
>
> I was swamped when my CT made me grade every little thing.
> When I was a real teacher, I cut down on the assignments
> and never graded homework. I almost broke down from all the
> grading. Also, I had an incident where I had to take the
> kids outside to do ecology projects. While I was there, one
> girl started smoking, one flirted with some guy and a
> deranged kid who was cutting class started screaming at me,
> saying I had a fat ass. The smoking/ flirting/derangement
> never would have happened with their regular teacher, who
> everyone feared. I never would have taken the kids out of
> the building, though.

Posts on this thread, including this one