CHATBOARD MAILRING LESSONS
TOP POSTS ALL POSTS SUBMIT POST
Share | Print | Report Post Mi Teachers Chatboard


Hot Now...
• May 2008 Gazette
• Harry Wong
• Teacher Tech Center
• The Lesson Bank
Most Popular
• Set Your Quick Links
• Chat Center
• All Chatboards
• Lesson Bank
• Teacher Mailrings
• Project Center
• Classified Ads
• Live Chat & Meetings
Select by
• State/Region
• Grade Level
• Curriculum
• Interest Group
• Teaching Method
Special Topics
• Technology
• Languages
• Hot Topics
• Career Center
• Distance Learning
• Fundraising
• Tutoring Center
• Teacher's Bookshelf
• Free Printables
• Classroom Photos
• Meeting Archive
• Teaching Articles
• Library
• Web Tools
• Webring
• Search
• Advertise
 

Re: to TICKED OFF!
Posted by Teacher on 3/10/08

    To TICKED OFF professional:

    Please tell me where I said teachers who want decent wages and
    things like that are not good at their job? Where did I say that I
    want volunteers teaching kids? Did you read my email? Why are you
    so defensive?

    All I said is we can whine all day long or we can act like
    professionals no matter what and advocate for the things we want.
    Obviously your rant does no favors for people like me who agree
    teachers should be respected and paid better. Part of the reason
    teacher don't get respect is they complain too much. I hear
    complaining a lot around teachers and it is boring and stupid. I'm
    a good teacher too and I believe in unions and I believe teacher
    deserve better, but my students don't care about these things. I
    teach for the students. There is a difference between complaining
    and advocating for better working conditions.
    Given two equally good teachers I would much rather have a teacher
    for my child who is in it for the students than a paycheck. I also
    tend to believe that teachers who are in it for the students are
    probably the better teachers anyway, but obviously this isn't 100%
    true.

    By the way, I consider myself a professional teacher because that is
    what i consider myself to be. It is not defined by how I am treated
    it is defined by how i act and carry myself regardless of working
    conditions.


    On 3/09/08, Ticked off PROFESSIONAL wrote:
    > On 3/08/08, Teacher wrote:
    >> We can talk about how teachers are
    >> not paid like professionals and all the stuff we have to put up
    >> with all night long....but the reason we choose this job is
    >> because we want to make a difference in the lives of kids.
    >
    > I absolutely hate this arguement. Its so flawed and full of crap!
    > How dare you presume to know why I, or anyone else, went into
    > teaching.
    >
    > In no profession is there a universal reason why everyone went
    > into the profession. This includes teaching. Some cops, for
    > instance, went into their field because they had an intrinsic,
    > altruistic motivation to help people and fight crime. Others went
    > in because they like uniforms and think carrying a gun is cool.
    > Now that doesn't mean that the uniform/gun guy isn't a great cop,
    > and that the "help people" guy is off the force in a year.
    >
    > Its the same thing in our field. Some went in for all the
    > intrinsic, "save-the-world" stuff, and some like me wanted a
    > steady job with decent pay, benefits, retirement, and summers off.
    >
    > Now guess what?? I'm a freaking great teacher! I've never had
    > anything under an "Excellent" evaluation, even on my first year.
    > I teach sped and have taken kids who at 15 can't read, can't even
    > start the Gates-MacGinitie, and taken them to reading at the 8th
    > grade level by the time they're 18. I've had parents cry in my
    > office in gratitude. Yeah, I've had my failures, but I'd take my
    > 8 years of teaching, stack it up against everyone else, and
    > guarantee you I'm well above average in the "making a difference"
    > catagory.
    >
    > Guess what? Many of the people who started with me who were going
    > to help every child and save the world are not teaching anymore!
    > They realized they can't save the world in a high school, and that
    > they can't impact every single kid, so they got frustrated and
    > left!
    >
    > Don't you dare say teachers who have the backbone to demand decent
    > treatment and wages aren't good at their job! Not wanting to
    > watch kids at lunch doesn't make us bad teachers! It makes us bad
    > cafeteria employees, but certainly not bad teachers! My not
    > wanting to watch kids throw fries at each other, FOR NO PAY, does
    > not make me uncaring. It just means I have some self respect for
    > myself and my profession.
    >
    > In my experience, the bleeding hearts are crying in the teaching
    > lounge because some kid told him/her to F-off, while the more
    > pragmatic of us would brush that off and teach. When people feel
    > valued as professionals, they put forth a good effort and expect
    > fair treatment and compensation back. Thats a good system! When
    > people feel like they're doing charity work, they loose their
    > enthusiasm when they realize the streets aren't paved with gold
    > and eventually quit. You want volunteers teaching kids? People
    > pure of heart? Then have a bunch of mommies come in to donate
    > their time and see how well they teach. See how long they keep
    > coming in too!
    >

     
     

You are on the MI CHATBOARD:   LATEST POSTS   ALL POSTS   SUBMIT POST

Sponsors  

New Moms Wanted!
Join the community for new and expecting moms. Check out Maternityville.com Maternity Chat!

Free Lesson Plans
Thousands of lesson plans and curriculum ideas! teachers.net/lessons

Teaching Jobs
Thousands of teaching jobs and other jobs in education - visit jobs.teachers.net

Check out the latest additions to the Lesson Bank...
 
Google
 
Web Teachers.Net
  Site Map: Home Search Teaching Jobs Classifieds Lessons Contacts PR Advertise
  © 1996 - 2008. All Rights Reserved. Please review our Terms of Use, Mission Statement, and Privacy Policy.