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by first-rate teacher
Jul 6, 2004
/blockquote>
Dear Fellow Teachers:
Last winter I spent hours getting my first web site up and
working. Web site design was all new to me, but I could no
longer sit back while one teacher after another was put-
down and called names by students, on popular web sites.
I began to look very closely at patterns at the ...See More/blockquote>
Dear Fellow Teachers:
Last winter I spent hours getting my first web site up and
working. Web site design was all new to me, but I could no
longer sit back while one teacher after another was put-
down and called names by students, on popular web sites.
I began to look very closely at patterns at the school I
work at and found some things very disturbing. Most female
teachers, over 50, consistently received poor rating and
also received the worst comments. Single female teachers
were told repeatedly, "to get a life." Male teachers much
more often than female teachers were told by students, "I
love you, Mr...," and students were more likely to identify
themselves,usually using initials. Several other things
became obvious over time, as well.
My goal, with my site, was to have a place for teachers to
unite, contact their union reps. and legislatures. I,
unlike most, did not view this new trend as a Free Speech
issue, but as a huge insult to a female-dominated
profession. Name me one web site where men, in a male-
dominated profession, are insulted and humiliated as women
are over and over on these sites?
Then, we have at the head of the NEA, a male, and the
attorney for the NEA, another male; men who apparently
don't think our reputations and careers are worth anything.
Even the head of the U.S. Dept. of Education is a male, of
course, and once again we are subject to more gender-
biassing.
I suppose taking this horrible injustice to court would
take 10 years and be very costly, something I'm sure these
men do not want. Why would they bother? My feeling is,
even if each teacher contributed $1.00, maybe we could get
one attorney in the U.S. to get such sites better regulated.
Teachers, take pride in yourselves and in our profession.
We have so much to be proud of and do so much good. I am
appalled by the apathy--have we reached bottom yet? Forget
about the dollar, just contact Washington, or the union you
belong to, whether it be the AFT (which has, at least,
supported teachers a little, or the NEA.
My other problems are, and I will elaborate more, later.
Children are being used and exploited by these webmasters.
Yes, these people are probably getting rich off these
sites, and I know that's life, but what bothers me is that
the owners of these sites seem to be damaging the unique
student/teacher relationship. I feel that this
relationship has become strained and more adversaial, since
these web sites started. Certainly, a student's paradise.
More later.
Oh yes, one more thing, my site is costing me about $20.00
monthly. When I check my position on the Internet, I am so
far out in cyberspace, that I'll probably never be heard
from again. But, ironically, there are literally thousands
of magazine and newspaper articles, including the NEA
magazine, that have helped these web sites grow. Shame on
them, how about equal time, here! Sorry this is so long.
first-rate teacher
/blockquote>
My apologies for clicking before proofing! It had been a
long day! I guess I should be worried about putting my
name, too, but everything I wrote is true and it helped to
be able to voice that truth for the first time!
Peggy
/blockquote>
Why should a Supt. be allowed to force his public school
teachers to pray on the day before school?
/blockquote>
I want to conduct a simple poll, just to see how many want
it and don't want it. Please keep the petty bickering to
the other topic though.
Are you for or against Prayer in Public Schools?
I am against.
/blockquote>
We are living in a time when the Bush administration has
had success in the "trickling down effect" of draining
educational resources by sending young U.S. citizens to
war. The effect on the classrooms is that you have
regimented methods of teaching students which are only
meant to maintain control of be...See More/blockquote>
We are living in a time when the Bush administration has
had success in the "trickling down effect" of draining
educational resources by sending young U.S. citizens to
war. The effect on the classrooms is that you have
regimented methods of teaching students which are only
meant to maintain control of behavior, but little co-
operative teamwork is observed in these classrooms. The
outcome is that the minute you turn your head, students are
back to some form of aggressive behavior, either they throw
papers at each other, throw something at the teacher and
try to fool around with strange noises and disruptive
behavior. This is the symptom of an environment of few
resources. You have large classroom of up to 30 students
with no teacher assistant to help you to do better your job
and provide more quality education for students. You can
have more than five students with learning disabilities, as
well as numerous students with behaviorally disruptive
behavior. Then, when you make disciplinary referrals for
unsafe in-classroom disruptive behavior you are said to
have "ineffective practices for excessive disciplinary
referrals" But in the beginning of the year when you try to
do things on your own without asking for help then you
receive "wonderful evaluations of your performance as a
teacher"... Then you are told that the discipline issue has
to do with your seating arrangement, the lack of busy work
for students and you are pressured to control their
behavior by a row arrangement with a strong control system
established by "busy non-sensical worksheet/drill work"...
the students never learn co-operative behavior, neither are
they given the opportunity to receive quality education.
You have no in-classroom support except for maybe a
substitute teacher that will be sent "temporarily into your
room" to give you tips on how to control better your
classroom.After the principal and the "sent substitute"
came into my room admonishing me to uphold more strictly to
the bathroom policy (only 3minutes between classes and no
students allowed out of classroom to bathroom, unless
extreme case of emergency) my disciplinary referrals
increase in that students (some with medical/psychological
conditions) now find the opportunity to challenge the
teachers rigid policies. And when they exceed their
demands, then the counselor will come with the fear that a
parent can complain and with the reprimand that "the
student has the right to go to the bathroom"... then you
have a student that constantly talks and disregards general
rules of being quiet during instruction or testing time.
This student tells you when you try to maintain quiet "I
have been advised to walk out of the room if you call my
attention".... little did I know that they kept her out of
my room for a few days since they knew that I would not
return after vacation!... I did not even know. But I did
think it was strange when I walked through the corridors
and I saw her looking at me, talking to another student and
making an expression of mocking laughter towards me.
Then I have a group of entitled students who do not want to
receive a minimum detention or warning for a minor/major
disciplinary issue in the classroom. I have students who
take this issue to the house office who then presents false
information to parents about the fairness of my testing
system and comments about my unprofessionality in sharing
confidential info. of one student's family to another. I am
treated with disrespect by one office when I am asked to
discuss disciplinary issue about student, basically they do
not believe my version since several students present a
different version of what happened. These parents of the
entitled group tend to have ingrained some mentality in
their children that they can "fire teachers whom they don't
like because their children never do anything wrong and
their children will not accept much discipline from
teachers"... What happens to the parents of special
education students who feel that alternative teaching
methods (visual/auditory creative methods) are best able to
reach their children's needs but they are not as vocal at
the hour of trying to secure services for their children!
Are we supposed to be subject to the whim of students who
do not want to be disciplined and who become the victims of
false information they impart and supported by parents and
administrators in detriment of the reputation of minority
teachers. (No minority administrators and only two minority
teachers)... How can one do advocacy for these groups of
children of special education in these kind of
environments?
by alma flores
Jan 2, 2005
/blockquote>
I am surprised that all the concerns go towards having
prayer or not in the school system. It could be that this
concern has to do with the deep spiritual need there is in
this country....what is concerning is that this deep need
is being pushed onto others as is the current state of
politics in which we...See More/blockquote>
I am surprised that all the concerns go towards having
prayer or not in the school system. It could be that this
concern has to do with the deep spiritual need there is in
this country....what is concerning is that this deep need
is being pushed onto others as is the current state of
politics in which we try to arrogantly push our political
views and ideas about God onto others who are different
from us. I believe that in this effort many people are
disappointed and trampled on in the name of the view of a
few about how the majority of us should conduct our
business. I believe that each person who is a true believer
of a higher power, name Him or Her as you wish should close
their door and in the privacy of their home make a true
effort to dialogue with this spiritual force. An in true,
kindness and commitment for the well-being of one's
neighbor should practice true tolerance and love for the
ideology, religion and practices of our diverse
populations. No person should be excluded in the United
states due to their color, their language or the religion
for which they stand for.... Just remember that there are
political prisoners around the world who are praying to the
God of their own faith just because they want to be people
who are allowed to "think freely" in an atmosphere of
political control. This is the best gift we can give to
ourselves and to our children, the respect towards other
human beings to be able to publically express diversity of
opinion and social/ political/religious backgrounds and
still not be obliged to practice a form of prayer that does
not come out from their beliefs or personal practices. We
have the freedom to practice prayer in the quiet of the
night, even at open daylight. We do not need to sit in a
prayerful position for God to hear us. He/She is with us in
every moment and when we are working, talking and teaching
His/Her presence is with us... Please remember the
experience of Manuel Vazquez Portal who is languishing in a
prison of Cuba with only his bible and children/wife to
comfort him. All because he is an "independent free
thinking journalist"... Lets not create jails in our
schools by obliging those who are different from us to
engage in what Christ would consider, the sacred
sanctuaries of our private souls and the discourse we can
have are just a similar as those who name God in different
ways, Mohammed, Jahveh, the God within each one of us and
each of the elements of the universe. This would be a show
of democracy rather than an effort to force others to adopt
a false attitude towards prayer which only serves to
disenfrachise those who are different from us. Think about
this when all your efforts go towards this cause. Prayer
needs action.... we need to create space for all the
diverse populations of the United States and give a true
show of democracy!...
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