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High School Teachers Chatboard

what draws people to teaching?

by good questions

Aug 15, 2013

A non-teacher I spoke to once claimed that teachers get into the profession of education not because they want to contribute something to society but because of their love for the subject. While I have to admit that's why I first got involved in teaching, I certainly do feel responsible for making a positive contribution to people's lives. I think the answer is a mix of things. What about you all?

view previous comments

Catsister There are a number of reasons people become teachers, I've found. Some are good, some are bad.

Roughly in order: #1 A strong social work interest. They want to "change lives" and are more interested in doing good than in a particular subject. Some prefer the poorer students to the more affluent suburban students. If they can handle them f...See More

Sep 10, 2013

Math Teach Spot on, Catsister!!!

And to clear up my earlier post:

I did have a tatoo artist wannabee in my class last year. He used to draw all period long, despite numerous attempts (referals, etc.) to get him on task. I addressed this issue when his father came in for open house last May. His father's reaction when I showed him low test sc...See MoreSpot on, Catsister!!!

And to clear up my earlier post:

I did have a tatoo artist wannabee in my class last year. He used to draw all period long, despite numerous attempts (referals, etc.) to get him on task. I addressed this issue when his father came in for open house last May. His father's reaction when I showed him low test scores, and drawings on them in place of answers: "Well all he wants to do is become a tat artist. What does he need math for"!!!

Other kids talked all period long, distracting those who wanted to work. Numerous referrals, detentions, etc. were fruitless. I offered after school help, and they never came. They offered me "Hawaiian Good Luck signs" as a thank you.

I later found out that many of these kids were placed in the school by Juvenile Delinquency programs. So who is the bad guy?

On 9/10/13, Catsister wrote: > There are a number of reasons people become teachers, I've > found. Some are good, some are bad. > > Roughly in order: #1 A strong social work interest. They > want to "change lives" and are more interested in doing > good than in a particular subject. Some prefer the poorer > students to the more affluent suburban students. If they > can handle them for the long run (as opposed to "Teach for > America" people in it for a year or two before law > school), God Bless Them. > > #2--A love of subject. If you like a particular school > subject but don't want to get a doctorate (although some > HS teachers do now), this is one of your only options. > There are few jobs for literature experts or pure > mathematicians, for example. > > #3--Bossiness and control. This reason is not as good as 1 > and 2, but some people just love having little people to > micromanage, telling them what kind of notebook and pen to > have, and making up all sorts of odd rules. These teachers > often do well because everyone behaves in their class, > usually. > > #4--Benefits/ Money. Teaching is a relatively well-paying > job, despite its reputation. No, not compared to famous > people or stock brokers, but compared to the salaries you > may see in the private sector during a recession, public > school teachers to pretty well. Teachers motivated by > money often do OK, because they will do whatever it takes > to keep that job, if it means going project based one > year, then fill and drills the next year, they adapt. > > #5 They want to pal around with teenagers. This is the > worst, and it's these people who wind up getting in > trouble and falling in love with said teenagers. > > What would draw someone away from teaching? 1. > Uncooperative bad kids 2. People (bosses, politicians, > etc.) who truly expect you to miraculously change kids > while not being allowed to punish them in any way. That's > pretty much it, in a nutshell

Sep 12, 2013

good questions On 9/04/13, another perspective - sorry long wrote: > I for one never wanted to be a teacher. I had no interest in > teaching whatsoever. My first college degree was in Art and > Design and I worked in a design career for several years. Many > people thought of my work as creative and glamorous. I guess > it was. Then I became a pare...See MoreOn 9/04/13, another perspective - sorry long wrote: > I for one never wanted to be a teacher. I had no interest in > teaching whatsoever. My first college degree was in Art and > Design and I worked in a design career for several years. Many > people thought of my work as creative and glamorous. I guess > it was. Then I became a parent in my late 20's and found I > really enjoyed learning about early childhood and found that > my strong organizational skills and ability to think outside > the box were coming in handy when putting together events and > just enjoying the simple moments as they came up. > > > > When the children were three, I found that all of them in my > child's playgroup were going to various preschools. I was > influenced by one friend's older stepson's seemingly wonderful > experience at a Montessori school in another city. The friend > convinced me to call the Montessori school down the street and > find out more about it. After an hour on the phone with the > director, my ear hurt and I was so curious at that point that > we went and checked it out in person. We moved the next year > after that and we enrolled our child in a another Montessori > school. I really didn't know a lot about the nuts and bolts of > what it was exactly and why it worked, but I just knew it fit > well with our family values and how up to that point I had > been raising her. It felt compatible. > > > > By the time she was in K there and my younger one was in > school, too, I was asked to apply for an assistant's position > coming up. The teachers had seen my work as a volunteer at the > school. I got the job and I learned everything that I would > never do when I got my own classroom. (very poor mentor). > However, I was hooked on the philosophy and found I became > obsessed with everything about learning more about it. I read. > I read. And I read. Nothing would stop me then. Since they > didn't offer elementary Montessori at that school, we realized > we had to send our child to first grade in a traditional > school. Didn't go well for her. However, we decided to open > our own Montessori pre primary program in our own town for our > younger child. Eventually I attained my second degree in > Montessori education at a near by university. > > > > I used my liberal arts degree more in teaching preschool then > I ever did in my career in that field. I learned more about > mathematics as a Montessori pre school teacher then I ever did > in my math classes. I was attracted to this kind of "teaching" > because it is nothing whatsoever like a traditional teaching. > Each child follows his own path in teaching himself. I serve > as a guide. I don't feel the need to control other people > which I think is a too common subconscious need for many > people who are drawn to traditional teaching. A lot of what > traditional teachers complain about their classrooms - too > many students in one room, too many vast differences in > abilities, restlessness - those were not problems at all in a > Montessori classroom and if anything had always been a huge > plus in the dynamics of the classroom The whole child was > addressed, not just the cognitive side of the child. Each day > was different and exciting and I was creatively and mentally > challenged to meet the needs of my students. I was able to > provide a learning environment that drew children to learning. > I was not the focal point. I provided the tools, but the > children learned to be in charge of their own learning. > > > > I am retired now after 25+ years as a Montessori teacher. My > only regret is that I had not found this years before, but > then maybe I lacked the maturity and life experience to > prepare me for that wonderful life as a Montessori teacher. I > played around with the idea of getting my Montessori > elementary training a few times during my tenure, but I was > good at the age group I was working with. I never got burned > out. I actually loved my work and the passion that drove me > brought me much satisfaction and peace in my life. It changed > me into a much better person. > > > > I like to read the different forums on teaching because my > grandchildren have also had to start sitting in traditional > elementary classrooms. I know for a fact that there is NO WAY > that I would be drawn to teaching the way it is still going > now, any more then I was growing up or going to school myself.

Is this an ad for Montessori schools

Sep 14, 2013

good questions On 9/14/13, good questions wrote: > On 9/04/13, another perspective - sorry long wrote: >> I for one never wanted to be a teacher. I had no interest in >> teaching whatsoever. My first college degree was in Art and >> Design and I worked in a design career for several years. Many >> people thought of my work as creative a...See MoreOn 9/14/13, good questions wrote: > On 9/04/13, another perspective - sorry long wrote: >> I for one never wanted to be a teacher. I had no interest in >> teaching whatsoever. My first college degree was in Art and >> Design and I worked in a design career for several years. Many >> people thought of my work as creative and glamorous. I guess >> it was. Then I became a parent in my late 20's and found I >> really enjoyed learning about early childhood and found that >> my strong organizational skills and ability to think outside >> the box were coming in handy when putting together events and >> just enjoying the simple moments as they came up. >> >> >> >> When the children were three, I found that all of them in my >> child's playgroup were going to various preschools. I was >> influenced by one friend's older stepson's seemingly wonderful >> experience at a Montessori school in another city. The friend >> convinced me to call the Montessori school down the street and >> find out more about it. After an hour on the phone with the >> director, my ear hurt and I was so curious at that point that >> we went and checked it out in person. We moved the next year >> after that and we enrolled our child in a another Montessori >> school. I really didn't know a lot about the nuts and bolts of >> what it was exactly and why it worked, but I just knew it fit >> well with our family values and how up to that point I had >> been raising her. It felt compatible. >> >> >> >> By the time she was in K there and my younger one was in >> school, too, I was asked to apply for an assistant's position >> coming up. The teachers had seen my work as a volunteer at the >> school. I got the job and I learned everything that I would >> never do when I got my own classroom. (very poor mentor). >> However, I was hooked on the philosophy and found I became >> obsessed with everything about learning more about it. I read. >> I read. And I read. Nothing would stop me then. Since they >> didn't offer elementary Montessori at that school, we realized >> we had to send our child to first grade in a traditional >> school. Didn't go well for her. However, we decided to open >> our own Montessori pre primary program in our own town for our >> younger child. Eventually I attained my second degree in >> Montessori education at a near by university. >> >> >> >> I used my liberal arts degree more in teaching preschool then >> I ever did in my career in that field. I learned more about >> mathematics as a Montessori pre school teacher then I ever did >> in my math classes. I was attracted to this kind of "teaching" >> because it is nothing whatsoever like a traditional teaching. >> Each child follows his own path in teaching himself. I serve >> as a guide. I don't feel the need to control other people >> which I think is a too common subconscious need for many >> people who are drawn to traditional teaching. A lot of what >> traditional teachers complain about their classrooms - too >> many students in one room, too many vast differences in >> abilities, restlessness - those were not problems at all in a >> Montessori classroom and if anything had always been a huge >> plus in the dynamics of the classroom The whole child was >> addressed, not just the cognitive side of the child. Each day >> was different and exciting and I was creatively and mentally >> challenged to meet the needs of my students. I was able to >> provide a learning environment that drew children to learning. >> I was not the focal point. I provided the tools, but the >> children learned to be in charge of their own learning. >> >> >> >> I am retired now after 25+ years as a Montessori teacher. My >> only regret is that I had not found this years before, but >> then maybe I lacked the maturity and life experience to >> prepare me for that wonderful life as a Montessori teacher. I >> played around with the idea of getting my Montessori >> elementary training a few times during my tenure, but I was >> good at the age group I was working with. I never got burned >> out. I actually loved my work and the passion that drove me >> brought me much satisfaction and peace in my life. It changed >> me into a much better person. >> >> >> >> I like to read the different forums on teaching because my >> grandchildren have also had to start sitting in traditional >> elementary classrooms. I know for a fact that there is NO WAY >> that I would be drawn to teaching the way it is still going >> now, any more then I was growing up or going to school myself. > > Is this an ad for Montessori schools Does anyone else teach mainly for love of their subject matter

Oct 1, 2013

different perspective to good questions Oh, not it isn't an ad for Montessori schools. I was just explaining why I was drawn to teaching after never, ever having had an inclination to teach before. I do know that the traditional way of "teaching" still does not appeal to me at all. I also know that Montessori style teaching is totally foreign to many teachers and that approach would not ...See More

Oct 1, 2013

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