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D.C. Teachers Chatboard

New Teacher (Fall 2009) looking for advice

by Raquel

Oct 14, 2008

Im an AA female HS English Teacher in Houston, planning on teaching in DCPS next fall. Everyone ive talked to so far says "DONT DO IT!!", but im determined to at least try. Not coming with any high hopes & ive read about the horrors. I would love to chat with any new HS DC teachers to get a more well rounded idea of what to expect. Ill also be in DC from Oct 24-27th if anyone would like to have lunch & give me run down on DCPS. hope to hear from you all. R-

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lastest on Chancellor Rhee On 10/14/08, Raquel wrote: > Im an AA female HS English Teacher in Houston, planning on > teaching in DCPS next fall. Everyone ive talked to so far > says "DONT DO IT!!", but im determined to at least try. > Not coming with any high hopes & ive read about the > horrors. I would love to chat with any new HS DC teachers > to get...See More

Oct 30, 2008

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A'm not a teacher. Yet.? Hi, so can you tell me more about being a teacher in DC. I'm not a teacher, and I've never spoken to a teacher in this country. It seems you already answered my question, which was should I become one, but still..

I'm a foreigner, I (almost) have a PhD, so I should be qualified teaching math or science. I saw some "fast track" teaching cer...See MoreHi, so can you tell me more about being a teacher in DC. I'm not a teacher, and I've never spoken to a teacher in this country. It seems you already answered my question, which was should I become one, but still..

I'm a foreigner, I (almost) have a PhD, so I should be qualified teaching math or science. I saw some "fast track" teaching certification program at: [link removed].

Apart from making a difference, what I imagine to be good about teacher's job (compared to spending my life as a scientist - in a cubicle, in front of a computer, reducing satellite data 9-10hrs a day - which seems to be my other option) are: - decent benefits - long vacation (which I prefer over higher salary)

What I do not imagine is the life in the "DC's most challenged schools", where these guys place the new teachers.

I'm from eastern Europe so probably I could survive a lower level of civility and politness than an average middle class American. On the other hand, in my country there are practically no private schools, so we are all a product of public school system in which everybody is equally (un)educated, and I can not anticipate how different a school in a poor neighborhood could be from one in the suburbs.

On 10/29/08, what do you want? wrote: > You've already been given the rundown on DCPS. Apparently > you did not like the answers you got and you are fishing > only for people who will tell you what you want to hear. > > So here it is. This should make you happy. Don't listen to > all those people who are telling you that teaching > conditions are abusive for many DCPS teachers. Those people > are all just bad apples and malcontents who have slipped > through the crack. The world would be better off if they all > just quit teaching because they are obviously just bad > teachers who want to blame the system for their own > deficiencies. If you are a good teacher and care about the > students, then the students will respond better to you and > everything will be fine. The students in low performing > schools need teachers who will believe in them so they will > be able to overcome their challenges and achieve > academically and personally. They just need teachers who > care to make it all different. Teachers just like you. Did > you read Freedom Writer's Diary? Very inspiring!!!! > > There now. Aren't you all warm and fuzzy inside? You can be > the next Jaime Escalante. You can save the world one student > at a time. > > And if you destroy your own life, or your marriage, or your > children's lives in the process, well, it will be worth it > because you might make a difference in one student's life. > And, hey, you can feed your saviour complex and your martyr > complex both with just one career.

Dec 22, 2008

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american schools I'm not sure that being from another country even eastern europe would prepare somebody for the brutality of D.C. schools. The population you will teach there is majority black and poor. There is an overwhelming attitude of disrespect for the teacher and even violence.

Correct me if I am wrong, but my impression of most european education...See MoreI'm not sure that being from another country even eastern europe would prepare somebody for the brutality of D.C. schools. The population you will teach there is majority black and poor. There is an overwhelming attitude of disrespect for the teacher and even violence.

Correct me if I am wrong, but my impression of most european education systems is that they are largely merit-based. By this I mean that students are promoted based on proficiency of ability. Students who are unable to do advanced math are tracked into vocational programs and not allowed to continue to higher levels of schooling unless they have very rich or very powerful parents. Is this not how your education system runs?

I think it will be an enormous shock to you to find that the american educational system refuses to recognize that some students do not have the ability to do mathematics. You will be expected to be able to teach math to every student you are teaching. You will be blamed when you cannot. You will have many students who refuse to do any work, try to talk to each other in class, try to sleep in class, threaten you verbally or physically, skip class, steal things from your classroom, and so on. All of their bad behaviors are your fault for not motivating them to want to learn. If they fail to learn, it is your fault.

Most of the students you will teach will not understand even basic math but have been passed from level to level anyway.

The administration will be no help. The worst subject to teach is math. Most of the administration will be people who were never good at math themselves and hate math teachers because they blame them for their own inabilities in math. They will also blame you when most of your stupid, lazy, rude students do badly at math.

Do yourself a favor. Do not take this job. Especially not somewhere like Washington, D.C.

On 12/22/08, A'm not a teacher. Yet.? wrote: > Hi, so can you tell me more about being a teacher in DC. > I'm not a teacher, and I've never spoken to a teacher in this > country. > It seems you already answered my question, which was should I > become one, but still.. > > I'm a foreigner, I (almost) have a PhD, so I should be > qualified teaching math or science. I saw some "fast track" > teaching certification program at: > [link removed].

Dec 23, 2008

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not a teacher Hi, thanks for your comments. As a matter of fact in our schools students who should not pass still pass, but with very bad grades, so the majority of the kids makes an effort to avoid the shame of passing this way. (Our grades are public. I guess shame is an important part of the education process:)))

And just out of curiosity, what are t...See MoreHi, thanks for your comments. As a matter of fact in our schools students who should not pass still pass, but with very bad grades, so the majority of the kids makes an effort to avoid the shame of passing this way. (Our grades are public. I guess shame is an important part of the education process:)))

And just out of curiosity, what are the discipline imposing tools at teachers' disposal in this country? Understanding, caring and inspiring kids is all fine but, if I remember correctly, people in their 14s-17s are more inclined to fight rules and authority than to seek kindness and inspiration, and the teacher nicely fills their need for a common enemy. So what's out there to protect the teacher from these very energetic and indefatigable young people?

On 12/23/08, american schools wrote: > I'm not sure that being from another country even eastern europe > would prepare somebody for the brutality of D.C. schools. The > population you will teach there is majority black and poor. There > is an overwhelming attitude of disrespect for the teacher and even > violence. > > Correct me if I am wrong, but my impression of most european > education systems is that they are largely merit-based. By this I > mean that students are promoted based on proficiency of ability. > Students who are unable to do advanced math are tracked into > vocational programs and not allowed to continue to higher levels of > schooling unless they have very rich or very powerful parents. Is > this not how your education system runs? > > I think it will be an enormous shock to you to find that the > american educational system refuses to recognize that some > students do not have the ability to do mathematics. You will be > expected to be able to teach math to every student you are > teaching. You will be blamed when you cannot. You will have many > students who refuse to do any work, try to talk to each other in > class, try to sleep in class, threaten you verbally or physically, > skip class, steal things from your classroom, and so on. All of > their bad behaviors are your fault for not motivating them to want > to learn. If they fail to learn, it is your fault. > > Most of the students you will teach will not understand even basic > math but have been passed from level to level anyway. > > The administration will be no help. The worst subject to teach is > math. Most of the administration will be people who were never > good at math themselves and hate math teachers because they blame > them for their own inabilities in math. They will also blame you > when most of your stupid, lazy, rude students do badly at math. > > Do yourself a favor. Do not take this job. Especially not somewhere > like Washington, D.C. > > > > On 12/22/08, A'm not a teacher. Yet.? wrote: >> Hi, so can you tell me more about being a teacher in DC. >> I'm not a teacher, and I've never spoken to a teacher in this >> country. >> It seems you already answered my question, which was should I >> become one, but still.. >> >> I'm a foreigner, I (almost) have a PhD, so I should be >> qualified teaching math or science. I saw some "fast track" >> teaching certification program at: >> [link removed].

Dec 30, 2008

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american schools Students here can receive all A's even though they are very, very bad students who have no proficiency or ability in the subject. What is particularly strange in America is that it is the worst students and worst schools that usually have the most grade inflation. What I am saying is that the most grade inflation is found in urban schools that have...See MoreStudents here can receive all A's even though they are very, very bad students who have no proficiency or ability in the subject. What is particularly strange in America is that it is the worst students and worst schools that usually have the most grade inflation. What I am saying is that the most grade inflation is found in urban schools that have high numbers of minority and poor students.

The grading in better schools (not poor or minority schools) is usually more accurate.

So if you try to teach in the DC public schools, your classes will be full of students who are lazy and academically deficient. Let us say that you teach math in an inner city poor and minority school in DC or Baltimore or Los Angeles, etcetera. Your math class will be full of students who cannot even do 6th grade math. Most of your students will not be able to do long division (dividing without a calculator) and cannot add/subtract/multiply/divide fractions, but you will be responsible to teach them algebra or algebra II or even trigonometry or calculus. And their failure to learn will be considered you fault.

The reason that this problem exists so severely in poor and minority schools is because of American politics. African american and hispanic students have for a long time not done well in academic subjects in the United States. They often do not take advanced subjects in school. The American public thinks this is unfair and is blaming the schools and teachers for this. So minority students are being forced into classes they are unqualified and unprepared for. This creates a large problem for the teacher because these students are not academically prepared for this material.

So teachers have two problems if they are teaching in urban schools. The first problem is the teachers is required to teach advanced subjects to academically deficient students. The second problem is that the students in these types of schools are often disrespectful or even dangerous for the teachers. So you can see why there is a shortage of teachers in these schools and they are always looking for teachers. It is because working conditions are usually very bad for teachers so a lot of teachers quit.

And of course, the problem is the worst for math teachers because math is the hardest subject to teach if the student is lazy or stupid or unprepared. How would you like a classroom of 40 students who are a combination of lazy, stupid, unprepared, disrespectful, or dangerous?

On 12/30/08, not a teacher wrote: > > Hi, thanks for your comments. > As a matter of fact in our schools students who should not pass still > pass, but with very bad grades, so the majority of the kids makes an > effort to avoid the shame of passing this way. (Our grades are public. > I guess shame is an important part of the education process:))) > > And just out of curiosity, what are the discipline imposing tools at > teachers' disposal in this country? > Understanding, caring and inspiring kids is all fine but, > if I remember correctly, people in their 14s-17s are more inclined to > fight rules and authority than to seek kindness and inspiration, > and the teacher nicely fills their need for a common enemy. > So what's out there to protect the teacher from these very energetic > and indefatigable young people? > > > On 12/23/08, american schools wrote: >> I'm not sure that being from another country even eastern europe >> would prepare somebody for the brutality of D.C. schools. The >> population you will teach there is majority black and poor. There >> is an overwhelming attitude of disrespect for the teacher and even >> violence. >> >> Correct me if I am wrong, but my impression of most european >> education systems is that they are largely merit-based. By this I >> mean that students are promoted based on proficiency of ability. >> Students who are unable to do advanced math are tracked into >> vocational programs and not allowed to continue to higher levels of >> schooling unless they have very rich or very powerful parents. Is >> this not how your education system runs? >> >> I think it will be an enormous shock to you to find that the >> american educational system refuses to recognize that some >> students do not have the ability to do mathematics. You will be >> expected to be able to teach math to every student you are >> teaching. You will be blamed when you cannot. You will have many >> students who refuse to do any work, try to talk to each other in >> class, try to sleep in class, threaten you verbally or physically, >> skip class, steal things from your classroom, and so on. All of >> their bad behaviors are your fault for not motivating them to want >> to learn. If they fail to learn, it is your fault. >> >> Most of the students you will teach will not understand even basic >> math but have been passed from level to level anyway. >> >> The administration will be no help. The worst subject to teach is >> math. Most of the administration will be people who were never >> good at math themselves and hate math teachers because they blame >> them for their own inabilities in math. They will also blame you >> when most of your stupid, lazy, rude students do badly at math. >> >> Do yourself a favor. Do not take this job. Especially not somewhere >> like Washington, D.C. >> >> >> >> On 12/22/08, A'm not a teacher. Yet.? wrote: >>> Hi, so can you tell me more about being a teacher in DC. >>> I'm not a teacher, and I've never spoken to a teacher in this >>> country. >>> It seems you already answered my question, which was should I >>> become one, but still.. >>> >>> I'm a foreigner, I (almost) have a PhD, so I should be >>> qualified teaching math or science. I saw some "fast track" >>> teaching certification program at: >>> [link removed].

Dec 30, 2008

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