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No SCHOOL TODAY

by :)

Mar 3, 2010

ANOTHER SNOW DAY WHOA HOOOOO

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hired last month please help

by needing help in SC

Mar 3, 2010

I was hired last month in an interim position for a special needs class. My desire is to have my own classroom though. My background is not in EC. How can I present myself in such a way that I am strongly considered for the next full-time position?

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input needed

by new to the game

Mar 3, 2010

I am a newly certified teacher (feels good to say :D ). How can I enter a school as a no-experience teacher without appearing that I have no knowledge of teaching? I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I will appreciate any input.

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Hal Portner Sara, If you have a mentor, talk it over with her/him. Even if you do not, the book, "Being Mentored" has several suggestions that may help. also, read the Teachers Net Gazette article, Be Your own Menter.

On 3/03/10, Sara wrote: > On 3/03/10, new to the game wrote: >> I am a newly certified teacher (feels good to say :D ). >&g...See More

Mar 3, 2010

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Leah You have been given some good advice.

Did you do student teaching? How did it go? What did you Learn? For interviews, the following lists could be helpful.

Mar 5, 2010

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$125,000 Salary for Master Middle School Teachers

by TEP Charter School

Mar 3, 2010

Earn a $125,000 salary and join a team of master teachers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, recently featured on the front page of the New York Times: ([link removed]).

TEP is a new 480-student 5th through 8th grade middle school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. Applications are currently being accepted fo...See More

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How do you deal with rumors and accusations?

by Tessie

Mar 6, 2010

How do you curriculum coaches deal with the negative talk that goes around about you? I have recently discovered that I have been accused of doing a couple of things that I absolutely had no hand in. I tried to think what I could have done to make them think these things, but come up empty because I purposely removed myself from these situations so...See More

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in-line On 3/06/10, Tessie wrote: > How do you curriculum coaches deal with the negative talk > that goes around about you? I have recently discovered > that I have been accused of doing a couple of things that I > absolutely had no hand in. How did you "discover" this? Anyone who repeated a rumor or accusation to you is unprofessional. I tried...See MoreOn 3/06/10, Tessie wrote: > How do you curriculum coaches deal with the negative talk > that goes around about you? I have recently discovered > that I have been accused of doing a couple of things that I > absolutely had no hand in. How did you "discover" this? Anyone who repeated a rumor or accusation to you is unprofessional. I tried to think what I could > have done to make them think these things, but come up > empty because I purposely removed myself from these > situations so it wouldn’t look like I felt one way or the > other. You are not really clear about the "situations" that you removed yourself from, but it probably has no bearing on the overall outome. When I asked some teachers about this it ranged > from, “I didn’t hear that,” (I believe them because they’ve > been honest with me before) to “I heard that, but they just > needed someone to blame and made you the scapegoat.” Why did you bother to ask questions? Don't get wrapped up in nonsense and "he said she said"...

> Because in my heart I know I didn’t do any of those things > I’m accused of I was ready to brush this whole thing off as > the events happened

Good idea- brush things off. during an emotionally charged time for > all and well, emotions can get the better of people > sometimes. However, one person told me the other day, that > in business they are taught to listen to the rumors.

You're in a school, not a private business. Do you teach kids to listen to rumors about themselves? Is this person who told you that a friend??? Choose better friends. Okay, > so here is my dilemma – how much do I listen to and which > ones?

None of it... you have no idea where it began, and with all "fluff"...it dies down. Move on and do your job of teaching.

Also, how do I find out if this is the sentiments of > a few, majority, or should I care?

Are you suggesting that you do some type of "poll" to find out what people think of you? Or do you want to know how many other staff members heard "rumors" about you and choose to believe them??? This is a dangerous place to be. Unless their opinion of you is going to CHANGE YOU in some drastic way, why do you care???? When you care about negative things that others say about you, you are giving them your "power." If you know you did nothing wrong, then move on. What do you master > teachers do? Not get caught up in the BS. Teach, re-teach, reflect, listen, ask for help if needed......rise above the "Junior high" stuff that some "professionals" still find themselves falling into. Unfortunately, some teachers still act like Junior High Schoolers themselves. Let it go.

Mar 7, 2010

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good luck It depends on what the rumors are about but yes, it's important to take the temperature of your co-workers and as important to include their input and give every impression that you sincerely want and respect their opinion.

But to me it sounds like you want to set the record straight about something that's already happened- I'm not sure li...See More

Mar 8, 2010

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Stupid question about dealing with stress

by BethAnn

Mar 15, 2010

Hi All,

I am a beginning teacher - this is my third year.

Everytime I have a major issue with a student or parent, my heart starts racing, my palms get sweaty, and my face gets flush. It's not out of anger. I don't know the reason.

This is especially bad when I have to deal with a parent. I am not looking forward to the ...See More

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BethAnn Thanks to both of you for your input - I really appreciate your time.

I think a lot of it is nerves. Being just my third year, I don't think I have a ton of confidence in the parent area yet. I am worried about saying the wrong thing or something like that.

I am really lucky that my principal tends to take the lead whenever it's a...See More

Mar 15, 2010

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Leah Hi BethAnn, Being pregnant doesn't make life easier, but more difficult! How unfair to schedule the conference after a break. YOU NEED TO RELAX DURING YOUR BREAK!

I'm glad to hear that your principal is supportive. Let him take the lead. You MIGHT find reading the following short article helpful. It's provides the words to say that preven...See More

Mar 16, 2010

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$125,000 Salary for Master Middle School Teachers

by Vikky Urena

Mar 16, 2010

$125,000 Salary for Master Middle School Teachers

Earn a $125,000 salary and join a team of master teachers at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, recently featured on the front page of the New York Times: ([link removed]).

TEP is a new 480-student 5th through 8th grade middle school in the Washington Heights neighborhood of ...See More

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teacher conference

by just asking

Mar 22, 2010

I am a newly certified teacher who is currently working in a TA position. I know that during the summer there are professional conferences for teachers that I would like to attend. Should I ask my current school is they would send me or should I sign up on my own?

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Sara On 3/22/10, just asking wrote: > I am a newly certified teacher who is currently working in > a TA position. I know that during the summer there are > professional conferences for teachers that I would like to > attend. Should I ask my current school is they would send > me or should I sign up on my own?

Ask your colleagues ...See More

Mar 25, 2010

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ballzz On 3/25/10, Sara wrote: > On 3/22/10, just asking wrote: >> I am a newly certified teacher who is currently working in >> a TA position. I know that during the summer there are >> professional conferences for teachers that I would like to >> attend. Should I ask my current school is they would send >> me or should I...See More

Mar 26, 2010

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no new teacher written off

by practical idealist

Mar 24, 2010

How can a new teacher badly in need of mentoring get what he or she needs in the way of help and mentoring, without appearing incompetent? If your assigned mentor has a philosophy of handling kids that is more about her convenience than it is for helping kids, what do I do? My philosophy is so completely different.

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Hal Portner In preventive maintainance terms, the short answer is 1) select mentors carefully, 2) train them thoroughly, 3) assign them appropriately, 4) provide peer, administrative and system support, and train new teachers how to be mentored.

In here-and-now terms, 1) both need to recognize that being new to teaching implies a degree of "imcompete...See More

Mar 24, 2010

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Sara On 3/24/10, practical idealist wrote: > How can a new teacher badly in need of mentoring get what > he or she needs in the way of help and mentoring, without > appearing incompetent? If your assigned mentor has a > philosophy of handling kids that is more about her > convenience than it is for helping kids, what do I do? My > phil...See MoreOn 3/24/10, practical idealist wrote: > How can a new teacher badly in need of mentoring get what > he or she needs in the way of help and mentoring, without > appearing incompetent? If your assigned mentor has a > philosophy of handling kids that is more about her > convenience than it is for helping kids, what do I do? My > philosophy is so completely different.

That you have a philosophy of teaching in your first year of teaching speaks so well of you that I'd wonder why you need a mentor?

My first year though I did have a mentor and it was helpful so I guess I do understand. I was then only forming my philsophy of teaching so you're ahead of where I was. My mentor mostly listened, let me cry on his shoulder, commiserated, consoled and gave some good advice. Mostly he kept me going and let me know I wasn't alone and that he thought I was doing a good job especially for a new teacher.

Past my formal mentor, I found also many of my building colleagues wanted to be as helpful and I could talk with them. People rather like to be asked for advice. Find yourself an informal mentor or a willing friend in the building whose philosophies are closer to your own.

And there are SO many things we encounter in the classroom that are firsts for us despite our degrees. What do I do the first time a student changes a grade in my grade book? What do I do when a student gets so mad at another that he spends the rest of the year looking for covert ways to hurt him? What do I do with the kid who has absolutely no attention span whatsoever and has an anxiety attack every single day when I pass out the worksheets because he hasn't heard a word I said? Does detention really accomplish anything or is the same kids there over and over?

And who do I teach exactly? The weak kids? The strong kids? The middle kids because I've got all three in the same class. What's the goal? Is school about keeping order or are they actually supposed to learn something too? Are they supposed to remember it or if they do well on a test is it ok that they forget it then? What about the ones who can't read but are now in 8th grade??

And is memorization learning because it seems to me that a lot of school seems to be nothing more than memorization.

Are you incompetent to be asking questions like the above? Then I surely was very incompetent because those were the kinds of questions I asked for the first several years of my career. And - a lot of teachers that I asked had no answers to them so - who's the more incompetent?

Good luck - look around your building. There will be at least one great person who might also be a good teacher who'd be willing to share their insights and would welcome your questions.

Mar 29, 2010

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