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Tennessee Teachers Chatboard

What is it like teaching in MCS?

by Lizzy

May 6, 2012

What are the work conditions like in Memphis City Schools? I'll be coming from Detroit Public Schools. What are the class sizes? Any other info would be greatly appreciated.

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A guy who wants to matter

by Tim King

May 25, 2012

Can I teach Science to young minds…please? I am a man who feels he has a desperate need to matter to the world. Unfortunately, I am fifty years old, and worry it may be too late to change my career direction. I have a burning desire to spark a love of science in young minds, especially cocky kids who thing a class about science is lame. Could I s...See More

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Lady Truth If teaching science is your passion, you should prepare yourself to do it. I have several ideas. In the summer, get hired in one of many, many science camps where you can teach science to inner city children. Another idea is to march down to your local elementary school and find a science teacher who needs a volunteer. This is easy. We are all over...See More

May 26, 2012

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Yeah ok On 5/25/12, Timothy King wrote: > On 5/25/12, Tim King wrote: >> Can I teach Science to young minds…please? I am a man who >> feels he has a desperate need to matter to the world. >> Unfortunately, I am fifty years old, and worry it may be >> too late to change my career direction. I have a burning >> desire to sp...See MoreOn 5/25/12, Timothy King wrote: > On 5/25/12, Tim King wrote: >> Can I teach Science to young minds…please? I am a man who >> feels he has a desperate need to matter to the world. >> Unfortunately, I am fifty years old, and worry it may be >> too late to change my career direction. I have a burning >> desire to spark a love of science in young minds, >> especially cocky kids who thing a class about science is >> lame. Could I spark interest in kids, both those interested >> and those lost in misdirected efforts? Science can be so >> interesting and fun, and I am just now realizing (at 50?) >> that I could perhaps stop doing the uninteresting and >> unimportant things I do to make “just enough” money. I am >> quite certain I could engage eager and smart minds, that’s >> almost seems to easy. I want to engage the minds who are >> perhaps capable, but bored by the stodgy curriculums of >> old. I live in Tennessee, and would very much appreciate >> any hints, ideas, or (more importantly perhaps) info on >> where to go next. I have an Associates degree in Business >> Management, with extra credits unused. But these credits >> where earned many years ago! I am so confident that I could >> learn (or already know) a lot of the basic science >> principals necessary to teach (and more >> importantly…”engage”)…young minds. What’s next ? > > > a candle won't stay lit in zero gravity...with full > atmosphere!! Do you know why

Well hey! You got the job! Seriously? Do you think all it takes is a "burning desire" and a little content knowledge to teach? I guess since I know that it is illegal to steal I should just hop in my car, run down to the courthouse and practice law. The pay and hours are better after all. Do you see the ridiculousness in that statement? Now think about it. There are hundreds of thousands of displaced teachers who earned degrees in teaching and you want to stomp on them because it would be neat?

Now, no matter what you do you will still matter. The world needs more than teachers. We also need business managers. Stick with what you know and leave this profession to those that know education. Take your scientific knowledge and as another poster said, work with kids in camps or volunteer.

Jul 12, 2012

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Opportunities for educators & new deadlines for Thais

by Dr. Barbara Y. Wills

Jun 14, 2012

Dear Fellow Counselors,

I wanted to remind counselors of the opportunities that are offered by AFS-USA. To view these especially for educators (newsletter, travel programs and curriculum), those who wish to host and send students and to volunteer to support the families and students while the AFS exchange students are here for a year, one...See More

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Wilson County hires unfairly: it's who you know

by experienced and fed up

Jun 21, 2012

I have been trying to get a teaching job in the Wilson county system for 3 years now. I have fabulous references, 10 years of experience and was awarded "Teacher of the Year" twice in my former system. I have watched fresh faced out of school and awful inexperienced teachers get jobs just because they "know" the Principal, someone at the main offic...See More

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Chris Considering seeking legal advice on this as it truly goes against their hiring process per their own web site. Would you care to join in?

On 6/21/12, experienced and fed up wrote: > I have been trying to get a teaching job in the Wilson > county system for 3 years now. I have fabulous references, > 10 years of experience and was ...See More

Jul 11, 2012

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Chris At least they let you know. I cannot get them to forward my application, which is completely messed up from their admittedly faulty online application server, to principals. Heck, just to sub to "get to know" principals takes an act of congress as I am on year 2 of them trying to get my several reference letters in my file. Apparently they keep los...See More

Jul 11, 2012

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Turtlediary.com

by Turtlediary

Jun 29, 2012

Turtlediary.com is an online educational website for kids between Preschool and Grade 2. It offers a wide variety of educational activities for kids and learning aids for teachers and parents like interactive learning videos, educational skill building games, reading exercises, preschool activities, practice worksheets, art and craft activities and...See More

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Displaying Standards

by M

Jul 3, 2012

Hi. I will begin my first heat of teaching in August. I will be teaching PE/Wellness to high school students. How do you display your standards in your classrooms? Do you put them on poster board, write the standards on the board when you cover them, etc? Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

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Lynne in TN I have a large poster that I ordered from Staples with all the CLEs on it on permanent display. As we cover SPIs and CFUs I write them on a side whiteboard each day. Hope this helps!

Lynne

On 7/03/12, M wrote: > Hi. I will begin my first heat of teaching in August. I > will be teaching PE/Wellness to high school students. ...See More

Jul 3, 2012

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How Desperate is Memphis City Schools

by Desperate teacher

Jul 6, 2012

Cause I'm very desperate. I'm in South Carolina now. If hired would MCS give me a pay advance to relocate?

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You can apply On 7/08/12, Very Serious wrote: > >> Lol. You can't be serious. Is this a joke? What makes you >> think Memphis City Schools would be desperate? Why would they >> give you a pay advance to relocate? >> > I'm very serious. I'm sure your right,but I don't have a job and > I need one. I'm really not that far from Memph...See MoreOn 7/08/12, Very Serious wrote: > >> Lol. You can't be serious. Is this a joke? What makes you >> think Memphis City Schools would be desperate? Why would they >> give you a pay advance to relocate? >> > I'm very serious. I'm sure your right,but I don't have a job and > I need one. I'm really not that far from Memphis and I have > heard it isn't an ideal place to teach. So that might as well > hire me. Otherwise to hell with this occupation. I'm getting fed > up

You can apply. But keep in mind that they won't be desperate. They won't be grateful that you are applying. If you get hired, they won't be respectful to you either. And they won't care if you stay. Large urban school districts have the attitude that they are doing YOU the favor by hiring you. They won't care if you stay either because there are 100 stooges lined up behind you to take the job.

If you do get hired, keep your head low. The guy with his head sticking out of the fox hole is the one who gets it shot off. Heros have short life expectancies. Try to be a ghost. The less you are noticed by the administration at the school, the better. Don't send referrals to the office or counselors. Handle your behavior problems yourself--the admin won't support you anyway. If you don't know how to manage behavior in an urban class yourself, the kids are going to eat you alive. You'll be swimming in a shark tank with no safety cage. Just you and 20-45 sharks for 10 months. Most people don't make it to month 10.

Inflate your grades. You will be expected to give the students grades they have not earned--in other words mainly A's, B's, and C's. Yes, I know... It will seem weird to give passing grades to some kids who have across the board zeros on their homework assignments and F's on all their tests. Regardless, if you don't pass them, you'll be sh*t- canned. That is the way it works. It is because the school is being graded by the federal government on how many students graduate and how long it took them to graduate so school admin want the kids pushed through not held back no matter how academically deficient or how lazy or how disruptive they are. If you as the teacher won't play ball, the admin will gut you. Got it?

If you went to a decent school, then you will be shocked that the best students you have would be no better than C or D students at the schools you attended. Doesn't matter, they get A's. Lots and lots of A's. That keeps the community happy. It fools all the parents into thinking their child is doing well academically. It is a disguise for what is really happening at those schools, which is, of course, academic failure across the board.

Good luck with whatever you do

Jul 8, 2012

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all but done trying and they are right, the poster that is not the schools. School reports are seriously gilded across the country, not just Memphis. Also expect in your interview them to promise you the moon and stars. At least that was my experience with another large district. I was offered a job that outside of my expertise, I told them I would need support and I ...See Moreand they are right, the poster that is not the schools. School reports are seriously gilded across the country, not just Memphis. Also expect in your interview them to promise you the moon and stars. At least that was my experience with another large district. I was offered a job that outside of my expertise, I told them I would need support and I was told by the principal that not only would I get the added support but three mentors and boiler plates to get me through the first few weeks as she wanted me in her building. Upon arriving, no boiler plates, no mentor. Let me take that back, yes a mentor who was just relocated and just as clueless as I. A complete 180 by the principal who informed me that this was the job I accepted and that I better step up. For the most part, she was right on that. I did accept that job and as a professional... regardless of what took place in our previous conversations. I too was told that we needed to give the students 100s regardless if they even did the work. Now I ask, how stupid do we think our students are? They know if they did something or not and see a 100% on their progress reports for work that they know they didn't do sends a very strong and fast message that they don't need to do a thing. Needless to say, I ended up resigning my position. Needless to say despite all the pitfalls, I regret resigning. On 7/08/12, You can apply wrote: > On 7/08/12, Very Serious wrote: >> >>> Lol. You can't be serious. Is this a joke? What makes you >>> think Memphis City Schools would be desperate? Why would they >>> give you a pay advance to relocate? >>> >> I'm very serious. I'm sure your right,but I don't have a job and >> I need one. I'm really not that far from Memphis and I have >> heard it isn't an ideal place to teach. So that might as well >> hire me. Otherwise to hell with this occupation. I'm getting fed >> up > > You can apply. But keep in mind that they won't be desperate. They > won't be grateful that you are applying. If you get hired, they > won't be respectful to you either. And they won't care if you stay. > Large urban school districts have the attitude that they are doing > YOU the favor by hiring you. They won't care if you stay either > because there are 100 stooges lined up behind you to take the job. > > If you do get hired, keep your head low. The guy with his head > sticking out of the fox hole is the one who gets it shot off. Heros > have short life expectancies. Try to be a ghost. The less you are > noticed by the administration at the school, the better. Don't send > referrals to the office or counselors. Handle your behavior > problems yourself--the admin won't support you anyway. If you don't > know how to manage behavior in an urban class yourself, the kids > are going to eat you alive. You'll be swimming in a shark tank with > no safety cage. Just you and 20-45 sharks for 10 months. Most > people don't make it to month 10. > > Inflate your grades. You will be expected to give the students > grades they have not earned--in other words mainly A's, B's, and > C's. Yes, I know... It will seem weird to give passing grades to > some kids who have across the board zeros on their homework > assignments and F's on all their tests. Regardless, if you don't > pass them, you'll be sh*t- canned. That is the way it works. It is > because the school is being graded by the federal government on how > many students graduate and how long it took them to graduate so > school admin want the kids pushed through not held back no matter > how academically deficient or how lazy or how disruptive they are. > If you as the teacher won't play ball, the admin will gut you. Got > it? > > If you went to a decent school, then you will be shocked that the > best students you have would be no better than C or D students at > the schools you attended. Doesn't matter, they get A's. Lots and > lots of A's. That keeps the community happy. It fools all the > parents into thinking their child is doing well academically. It is > a disguise for what is really happening at those schools, which is, > of course, academic failure across the board. > > Good luck with whatever you do

Jul 11, 2012

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Please tell me where this so called teacher shortage is.

by Just about done trying

Jul 11, 2012

I keep hearing about this so called teacher shortage but I have yet to find where it is. I have great credentials, a really nice resume, I dress up to knock on doors, email, substitute, anything to get my face out there only to get in return emails stating "while we gave your application consideration another candidate... blah blah blah" without ev...See More

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j On 7/11/12, You won me over wrote: > On 7/11/12, Just about done trying wrote: >> On 7/11/12, rhetorical questions for you wrote: >>> On 7/11/12, Just about done trying wrote: >>>> Replying to this section: Yep. I love these >>>> posters. They ignore you when you tell them not >>>> to choose it ...See MoreOn 7/11/12, You won me over wrote: > On 7/11/12, Just about done trying wrote: >> On 7/11/12, rhetorical questions for you wrote: >>> On 7/11/12, Just about done trying wrote: >>>> Replying to this section: Yep. I love these >>>> posters. They ignore you when you tell them not >>>> to choose it as a career then they whine >>>> afterwards about not being able to get a job. >>>> >>>> What a horrible thing to say. >>> >>> Why is it a horrible thing to say? It is my opinion. >> >> Point taken, but I was not whining. Regardless, point >> taken. > > Ok. I've maybe given you a little grief for a couple of > posts but you have won me over. >

:)I really am a good egg.

>>> >>> I clearly stated at the end of my >>>> original post "Thanks for letting me vent." >>> >>> I understand you are venting. But you need to >>> understand that I see this same story over and over >>> side by side with posts by people who insult me >>> when I tell them not to choose teaching as a career >>> because there are very few jobs but lots of >>> applicants. >>> >>> So these are the two things I constantly see juxtaposed: >>> >>> People who are planning to become teachers and will >>> not listen to advice not to and who furthermore >>> profusely thank those who tell them to go ahead and >>> "chase their dream" and who post nasty >>> insults to me and others who tell them not to do >>> it. The insults are always the same: "You must >>> just be a bad teacher so nobody will hire you and >>> that is why you are posting-- -- >>>>>> nonsense. >>>>> >>>>> Of course there has not. How could there be. It >>>>> is a job that people are always eager to do. >>>>> And it is a job that can be filled by almost >>>>> anybody because there is no easy way to measure >>>>> if somebody is a good teacher or not or to >>>>> predict ahead of hiring them whether they will >>>>> be good. In other words, there >>>> is >>>>> a plentiful supply of candidates and no way to >>>>> weed through them to select the truly excellent >>>>> ones. That is a recipe for oversupply. >>>>>> >>>>>> Since 2008, over 300,000 teaching positions >>>>>> have been eliminated. Competition for the few >>>>>> available jobs is fierce. Even if you're >>>>>> hired, you are treated like total garbage by >>>>>> administrators and thrown out into the >>>>>> street. >>>>> >>>>> Often true. Teachers have a better chance of >>>>> staying by ingratiating themselves to admin >>>>> than by being any good. >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> The fact is you picked a terrible major. Time >>>>>> to look at other career alternatives. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Yep. I love these posters. They ignore you when >>>>> you tell them not to choose it as a career then >>>>> they whine afterwards about not being able to >>>>> get a job. My favorite post was from somebody >>>>> on t-net posting about her son. She said he >>>>> chose history EVEN THOUGH the college advisor >>>>> told him it was a glutted field. She said she >>>>> though HE was so special that HE would have no >>>>> problem getting hired even though other people >>>>> would have trouble. Geez. Helicopter parenting >>>>> that continues into adulthood. Yeah, lady, your >>>>> son is soooooo special that teaching supply >>>>> realities won't apply to him because he is just >>>>> that much better than everyone around him. >>>>> >>>>>> On 7/11/12, Just about done trying wrote: >>>>>>> I keep hearing about this so called teacher >>>>>>> shortage but I have yet to find where it >>>>>>> is. I have great credentials, a really nice >>>>>>> resume, I dress up to knock on doors, >>>>>>> email, substitute, anything to get my face >>>>>>> out there only to get in return emails >>>>>>> stating "while we gave your >>>>>>> application consideration another >>>>>>> candidate... blah blah blah" without >>>>>>> even so much as getting an interview. So, >>>>>>> where is this teacher shortage and thanks >>>>>>> for letting me vent

Jul 12, 2012

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Anna I hear you. I am in the same boat. I have been trying for a year and a half. I have been on interviews but nothing. I have my liscense and am qualified. What really bothers me is that the school systems where I live would rather hire someone who doesn't have theirs. Simply because the principal likes the person. I am about to give up.

Sep 1, 2012

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