teachers unite- Page 4

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 11:11am

We have back to school night next week. I really dislike back to school night -- repeating myself over and over and over - parents who think I'll remember them from seeing them in my room for five minutes...I have 130 kids -- I don't remember ANY parents!

[violet72]

Posted: 9/16/08 at 12:56pm

my brother says the same thing...I love when I am with my dad or brother and a teenager comes up to them and says hi...I can always tell when they know them or don't remember them...when they don't they say things like "hey, you how are you doing?" it's pretty funny, especially my dad since he has been teaching for 33 years

[violet72]

Posted: 9/17/08 at 8:17am

so at back to school night we had a table with information about registering to vote

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/25/08 at 5:13pm

So....I had a student who JUST got picked up now at 5:00. School ended at 3:30, he stayed for chorus until 4:00, and no one came to get him. Calls to mom went to the answering machine. Calls to her pager were messages. I texted her. I even called the emergency number, who's mailbox was full. Finally, after the fourth call home, she answered.

So my question is, do you not notice when your kid isn't home an hour and a half after he's supposed to be? Especially when he's 10?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/25/08 at 5:32pm

On July 1st I retired after 36 years of teaching high school English. Seven of them were happy.

I hate kids.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 9/25/08 at 5:40pm

LOL, Dolly......

Wendy that is just sad. Poor little thing.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/25/08 at 8:51pm

Dollypop, go away.

Wendy, it sounds awful and cruel, but if you don't call the police in those types of situations, the parents will continue to walk all over you, and assume that they can leave the child at school until whenever they want to. Sad, but it's true.

As for Back to School Night, I am always asked very bizarre questions. This year's winner was the parent who asked me if the students would have to pay for their textbooks. They've never ever had to pay, and I have no idea why this parent thought we were going to start now. Another doozy...after showing the book, and talking about it a bit, a parent commented that it was too ambitious and looked like far too big and difficult a book for the children to be using.

[george95]

Posted: 9/25/08 at 11:00pm

Yesterday, one of my sophomores did not do his English homework, so I called his stepmother about it. After I got off the phone with her, he said "I warned you not to call her. Now if I have to punch her again tonight when she gets in my face, don't say its my fault."

So I told the principal and vice-principal, and they took it from there, but then he was in class today happy and smiling like nothing ever happened.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/25/08 at 11:11pm

I did get a phone call from the person at the 'emergency number'....at 5:45, but at least they returned the call. (I was able to leave a number, but not a voice mail) I do think this was a one time thing..a miscommunication between the mother and the son. Although, she had just signed the permission slip that morning, so she obviously didn't read it.

I have to admit I'm a bit too patient when it comes to these kinds of things. I'm always hesitant to "kick them out" of chorus because it's often these kids who need it the most. And, I hate to punish the children because the parents are irresponsible. But, if it happens again, he'll be out of the group.

I also hate that usually I'm left to my own devices when the kids are "leftovers". Our office staff goes home by 4:00, and often the principal is gone by then too. It's usually just me and the custodians.

[violet72]

Posted: 9/26/08 at 11:52am

George that student is crazy, Wendy I hate parents that do that, I have a few band parents like that...ugh I am so glad it is Friday...it is killing me having to run to 3 schools a day...here is my schedule..

I am at one school from 8am to 9:30am then I run to the office sign out, run to my car, and drive to the next school, park, sign in, get to my classroom and set up, pick up my next group at 10am(yup I have a half an hour to do all that), then the next one is at 10:40, then the next at 11:05, then the next at 11:40, 12:10 is finally my prep/lunch and I am at the third school by 1:35 taking 2 groups before 2:30...

I feel like I am running a marathon and it is worse today cause it is pouring out....I need a happy hour today

Updated On: 9/26/08 at 11:52 AM

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/26/08 at 4:57pm

Violet,

Yes, traveling during the school day sucks. There's no nice way to say it! I have to travel in the middle of the day on a Tuesday. And of course, they put me at a school that is 20 minutes away. They are literally the two ends of the district. And then my lunch and planning gets tacked on to my travel time so, you know I never actually get a planning that day. And then you're supposed to park behind the school, but then have to walk a mile to get to the front of the school to be buzzed in (because they don't trust any of the teachers to have outside door keys) and yes, it's always worse when it's snowing, or raining. I give you credit for doing it every single day!

I was invited to a happy hour today, but turned it down since I went with the same people last week, and were shocked as they sat there and bitched about our principal (who I think is wonderful) and other teachers that I get along with. I was just shocked at the attitudes. Guess I just live in my little music teacher bubble.......

[george95]

Posted: 9/27/08 at 1:40pm

Singing Wendy I actually turn down the happy hours for the same reason---its just an excuse to gossip. Every so often, there'll be some bit of gossip that the other teachers tease me for not knowing, like when I didnt know that our gym teacher was a lesbian.

Well anyway, I took one of my famous trips to Manhattan last night with 7 of my students, and it went fairly well for the most part. I took them to Spring Awakening. I did everything I possibly could to make sure they acted appropriately, and I think they were very good. During the "boys kissing" scene, two of the kids kinda pulled their hoodies up and turned their heads, and the woman behind us leaned forward, and said "Chill....chill.....you guys need to chill......" at the two students. I warned them to sit still during the show, so I know they were annoying for moving around like that, but she could have left them alone I think. If they were just there by themselves, they would have most definitely made some loud comments. So they were actually improving on their attitudes. On our way out, the woman pulled me aside and told me that my students have serious issues with homophobia, and we had a conversation about it.
And after the show, one of the kids called his dad, and his dad was very mad that the boy wasn't answering his texts, so he says "dad I'm sorry, but for some reason my teacher doesn't allow us to text during the show" So I'm gonna have to talk to him on Monday about how texting would be very disruptive to the people sitting around him, even if its his dad texting, and even though I already explained that 100 times before the show.

Also, I tried taking them to a restaurant in Little Italy. We decided on that during the trip meetings. When we sat down though, a few of them shouted at the waiter, saying things like "hey yo get me a menu", etc. When I told them to say please, then they started to say things like "Please do you have lemonade please? Please how about iced tea please" And when I said "I'll have a glass of water" They all shouted "you have to say please!"
Having them act so obnoxious and rude made me feel like an utter failure. I thought: if these are the students who have been taught by me how to act in public, and this is what they're doing, then what good am I doing? Whats the point?

So I collected the menus, paid for the drinks we ordered, and made them leave. I told them we were cancelling the trip and heading home, because that is the Club policy: if they disrespect me, the trip is cancelled on the spot and we head home. The apologized and we talked and lost about an hour of their ESPN Zone time because of all the drama. Then we ended up eating at ESPN Zone, which was much more their style with the loud music, etc. At the Little Italy restaurant, it was like we were on display; the other tables just sat in silence and watched us the whole time we were there.

[violet72]

Posted: 9/27/08 at 3:19pm

Good for you George with the whole resturant thing. We have this whole thing where we are trying to teach the kids manner and to use proper English. Also that lady was overacting

As for Happy Hour we have rules...we don't bitch about other teachers or principals. We are allowed to talk about our classes for 15 minutes then we move on to other things...cause if we didn't it would turn into a bitch fest...also significant others are invited and usually don't want to hear teacher talk

OK off to my bands home show...fingers crossed it doesn't rain

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/27/08 at 5:46pm

We go to Happy Hour every Friday....there is always some gossip, but it disappears after a time. I only "gossip" with close friends on staff anyways, because we know it won't go any further. We call it the "inner circle."

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/27/08 at 6:03pm

George,

Sounds like, despite some rocky patches, your trip was a success. You gave them experiences which exposed them to great conversation starters and allowed them to learn. Even if it meant leaving a restaurant because of being disrespectful.

I think the Happy Hour thing was the result of which teachers were there. We had MANY teachers change grades and classrooms this year, and most of them not by choice. So, many of them are still annoyed, and while I thought we'd all moved on, I was apparently wrong! Also, I'd never been a this school on a Friday afternoon before, so this was the first year I'd been invited to "Happy Hour".

[violet72]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 9:24am

So 2 parents yelled at me last night after our band home show...This is what happened

Their child came to the game on Friday night unprepared, so I told her for practice on Saturday to make sure she went to the school (which is across town from the football feild) and get her flag before practice. So on Saturday she showed up to practice late, with no flag (her parents didn't feel like driving her to get it) so the band director and I told her to go get it, thinking she would call her parents or that her parents were still there, they weren't so she decided to walk to the school...five minutes later I see her walking so I told a member of my staff to go get her and drive her there(I had to stay and deal with another issue)....he did problem solved.....Last night they come yelling at me..."How dare you make my daughter walk to get her flag...blah blah blah...and then she gets a ride from someone she doesn't know"...Then I told her he was one of her instructors....they didn't care and preceeded to yell more...

I handled it but it pissed me off and put a damper on the night...I felt like saying sorry your daughter was unprepared and you made her late and you never come see her perform until tonight and the only reason you came was to yell...but my job is important to me so I didn't

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 9:39am

I'm not sure what the rules in your district are, but having a teacher or staff member drive a student ANYWHERE, especially alone, is a big no-no in our district. That could get you fired almost immediately.

[george95]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 1:17pm

It is the worst when parents aren't supportive. It is a slippery slope though when it comes to driving students--for me its all about the permission slip.

In a world where we all trust each other, it seems perfectly fine to have one of the other teachers drive the kid to school for her supplies. But, all it takes is that one parent to raise a fuss. So as teachers we have to protect ourselves.

Violet, I do know how you feel though--when youre just trying to do your best and then parents come and start with you and do nothing but defend their child---its time like that when I want to give up.

Last year at our Christmas concert, my job was to keep the students from standing in the aisles and blocking audience members from seeing the show. This one girl went in the aisle, and I told her to stand in the back, and she said "get the f**k out of my way so I could see my friend sing"

After the show, I'm standing in the back and I hear "where he at? tell me where he at so I can let him know" And the girl's mom says "how dare you accuse my daughter of cursing at you" I told her if she was going to shout at me that I was going to leave. So she kept yelling, so I walked away, and she said "I'm gonna sue your ass and this school! yeah now what!"

I went to find the principal and she found us, and luckily, 2 other parents who heard the girl swear at me overheard the commotion and came over and verified that the girl did curse at me. So then the mom says "How old are you anyway? I'm old enough to be your mother too." The girl finally admitted she cursed, and the mom said that it must have been somehow my fault because I provoked her to curse by asking her to sit down.

I had to have the girl in my English class all last year, and she was very nice all year long, but the mom--it was great: every time there was a report card night, parent/teacher night etc, she wouldnt look me in the eye, and she was very short with me, and I just gave her a big grin. : )

[violet72]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 7:12pm

That is great

The whole thing with the instructor driving her was ok because they signed permission slips in the beginning of the season (we do this cause the football field is far from the school and sometimes parents don't come and pick up there kids, or kids after we get home from a band show try to walk home and it's midnight)

It's like I said they do background checks on you if you want to adopt a pet but anyone can have a kid

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 7:30pm

One of the women I used to teach with made this statement last week. We were discussing student teachers, and she said "I'd be hesitant to recommend teaching to anyone as a profession anymore. Teachers today are just so vulnerable."

Now, I don't necessarily agree with the first statement, but totally agree with the second one. Between parents doubting anything teachers say about their child, a sue happy society, and new technology that can capture any moment of the day...including when you're "off duty", teachers have to be so ultra careful. I think that most of us knew we'd be held to a higher standard when we agreed to this profession, but it's just ashamed that along with that higher standard, we aren't given a higher level of respect.

Granted, this is not every situation, and yes, there are teachers out there that don't behave professionally and don't deserve that level of respect, but it now seems that most people believe that type of teacher to be the norm and not the exception.

As far as driving students home, I have only done it once....well, twice with the same student. He, a fifth grader, was basically abandoned after a concert. This was before the popularity of cell phones, and mom was at work and dad was "out". No one was coming to get him. After waiting over 2 hours, I finally drove him home.

The sad part is that you need to be careful even out of school. I remember a high school girl whose car broke down in front of our house. For some reason, no one could come and get her, so my father volunteered to take her home, but insisted I go along with him, because as a high school teacher he didn't want to risk any stories about being alone in a car with a teenage girl.

[violet72]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 7:40pm

Yes, when we drive students home we make sure that the parents are ok with it and we make sure that there are 2 adults in the car.

It is so tricky nowadays...if my brother has to keep a female student after school he leaves the classroom door wide open and has another teahcer come in after 10 minutes to "ask a question"

A couple of my band kids have told me they want to be teachers and I tell them that it's not as easy as they think and they really need to love it to do it

[jenna2]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 7:53pm

Hi all. I don't have much to contribute, but I'm a 2nd year teaching student and I just wanted to say how happy I was to find this thread. It's great to read about what teachers actually go through, instead of just the "textbook answers" to things.

[violet72]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 7:56pm

Welcome Jenna

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 8:08pm

Hi Jenna! Don't let us scare you away! It's a great profession, even if it's far from perfect!

[jenna2]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 8:23pm

Thanks for the welcome!

Outside of being completely paranoid that I won't be able to find a job when I'm done school, I'm actually really excited and think that I (finally) made the right career choice. (So you haven't scared me off... yet.)