teachers unite- Page 5

[jessica0414]

Posted: 9/28/08 at 9:43pm

Hi all! Potential teacher here too, I just had a phone interview today with Teach for America and will find out next week if I've moved on to the next stage of their interview process. I'm really excited! :)

[violet72]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 4:35pm

I was out sick today, stupid stomache virus. I should be able to be back tomorrow. I am a little nervous to see what kind of mess the sub left for me.

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 5:57pm

Funny you should say "sub" since I spent most of my day being someone else! Today is my super easy day, so the principal asked if I could help cover in first grade because the teacher had some one on one testing to do. So I was there for a while. Then, after my classes, she came back and asked me to cover 2nd grade while the teacher went to a parent meeting. I kinda had fun, except I didn't get my planning done, so I didn't leave the building until 4:30....

[violet72]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 6:50pm

Funny that happened to me on Friday but I had to cover because the stomache virus is going through everyone..so all the specialist had to cover for teachers on Friday because there wasn't enough subs

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 6:54pm

I must confess it's been a while since I've covered a regular classroom. A couple of years ago our sub pay was low in comparison to neighboring districts, so they couldn't get subs, and I was being pulled all the time. I actually used to refer to this one class as "my fifth grade" because I was in there so often!

Hope you're feeling better and the stomach flu works its way through the building and then stays gone. We've had one go through, but it's been more the kids than the teachers.

[george95]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 8:10pm

At my school, WE are the subs. If one teacher is out, then one of us is told to cover during our prep period. There's no money to pay for a sub.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 8:19pm

Thankfully, we have a principal who understands the importance of prep time, and never takes it away from us.

Unfortunately, my prep time kind of sucks this year, because we hired an additional teacher this year who does not have her own classroom. She "travels" and uses empty rooms. Well, during my prep she's in my room, and it's been an intrusion, to say the least.

The main problem has been the fact that I no longer have an empty room for my prep. I can't set up labs (I teach science) because the room is being used. The room isn't quiet, so it's not as if I have a quiet place to get work done. Yes, I could go in the faculty room, but there is (as you all know) a lot of stuff you can't cart with you to the faculty room.

To top it off, the woman teaching in my room seems to think the room is partly hers and has taken to hanging up her posters and such around my room. She never even asked. The other day, a large filing cabinet appeared. She's started helping herself to my supplies, too. This morning, I found my overhead markers (a very hot commodity at our school!!) in her drawer. So, now, before she comes in, I have to hide my office supplies!

[violet72]

Posted: 9/29/08 at 8:47pm

well that sucks...overhead markers are like currency in my schools, I have a special hiding place as well

[singingwendy]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 8:57am

Adam,

I can sympathize on both sides of your issue. I've been (and currently still am at one school) "homeless". I hate going into other teachers room to teach...and yes, it's their prep time. I've also had to teach in the library while they were teaching one on one reading in the back of the library, gifted on the one side, and testing special ed kids on the other. Talk about no one having a quality situation. That said, I'd never presume to hang up or borrow anything from the teacher without asking first. Although, when you're "on a cart", it's easy to forget something...but still, I wouldn't steal your markers!

Last year I taught on the stage, which wasn't ideal but it was a spot. This year I have "my" room back. However, our school leases out the gym/caf/auditorium to a local church group for Sunday services. So, last year that meant moving all my supplies to the back 1/3 of the stage. Basically, I had to tear down my classroom on a Friday, and set it back up on a Monday. This year, I have my room, but the church group uses it for Sunday School. So...just like you, I'm hiding all my chalk, and dry erase markers, putting anything "sensitive" or interesting away, and locking up all my cabinets. It's just a major pain because most of the stuff I put away I just have to get out again on Monday. Plus, they didn't dare think of using it last year when it was a "classroom"....but that's another story!

[george95]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 11:06am

Wow I could not imagine having my own classroom. I mean, all the shelves of books I have, the files of old tests, handouts, etc, the posters on the wall I use during my teaching every day......the neon green paint that I got to put on the wall.....

It does stink that we have to do the subbing for each other at my school, and as for supplies we have to provide those ourselves too, pretty much everything except copy paper. For overhead markers I just buy a big package at Staples every so often. The problem this year has been dictionaries--it seems like every day a student comes in from another class saying that they need a bunch of dictionaries for something. I used to have about 50 dictionaries (I am the Engl dept chair) and now I have exactly one!!!

The one thing that I hide from other teachers is my broom. We ALSO have to do the classroom cleaning ourselves (yes thats Catholic school life) so brooms are a hot commodity. I have mine hidden in my classroom closet, and it does occasionally go missing, but I go on the rampage until I find it.

But wow, teaching on the stage? That takes guts. And dealing with another teaching putting up posters in your room and moving in furniture? I really think I would have some kind of breakdown if that kind of thing happened.

[violet72]

Posted: 9/30/08 at 11:45am

Still sick today...I can't imagine setting up a classroom and striking it every friday. I have a classroom (half of one) at one school, the other schools I am homeless. There is an all purpose room at one school where while I taught there has been speech, resource, and even one time gym going on at the same time. I tend to use hall ways as well. I do store all my supplies in my one classroom and use bags to take my supplies to the other schools

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 8:49am

Unfortunately, more and more, for the reality for the elementary school specialist is we don't have our own space. The stage wasn't horrible because it was a home base. It still gave me a spot to call my own, and allowed the teachers to be able to work in their rooms during their prep time. (Not that they can't when I'm there, but many of them choose not to.) My biggest complaint is that when I have to teach in a "regular" classroom, there is no room to do all the movement activities and games I like to play. It's so hard for me to teach a class where we're sitting at the desks the whole time!

As far as "stuff" goes, that's a hard part too. My music room has tons of closets, and I'd been in the room for over 6 years, so stuff just kinda accumulated. When I had to clean out for the new class, I didn't know where to go with all the "stuff". Lots of it got tossed, or consolidated, or put in storage and I didn't touch it all year. The plus side was that this year, I know EXACTLY what I have, and my closets are remarkably organized. (Of course, that's partly from the warning to "not get too comfortable" because we totter on the brink of extra classes every year!)

[violet72]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 10:07am

I know what your saying. I moved 3 times last year. I am unpacked and organized in my room but I have left the tubs on top of my closets just in case they make me move. I am still waiting for that note in my mailbox "come see me we have to talk about your room" Talk about a nightmare

[Jess1483]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 7:59pm

Jessica--I tried to PM you, but they're turned off. I'm in my second year with Teach For America. Let me know if you have any questions! (PM me)

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 8:29pm

Speaking of bad situations, we too have a "gym/cafeteria/stage/multi-purpose room" arrangement, that rarely ever works out well. Just today, I happened to wander through and witnessed the following.

The P.E. class was meeting there but was going outside. Nevertheless, there were about 30 kids and the P.E. teacher getting organized to go outside.

The Child Study Team was doing some sort of testing at the cafeteria tables. There were about 3 of them, each speaking to a different student.

The band was rehearsing on the stage, with the curtain closed, mind you, but that is obviously not an affective sound barrier.

To top it all off, the lunch ladies were trying to set up the tables and such for lunch, which began in about a half hour. However, the only access to the kitchen is through the stage, so every time one of them would come or go to the kitchen, they'd have to walk through band practice.

I honestly could not imagine performing any of those tasks under those conditions.
Updated On: 10/1/08 at 08:29 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 8:42pm

I'm working on my memoirs. They are called "Hey Mistuh, Can I Go To The Bathroom?". It's the one question I answered more than any other in 36 years of teaching.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 8:44pm

I'm going to be subbing soon :)

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 8:44pm

Oh Adam......I can't help laughing, because that completely described my life at school last year! Only, I was the one teaching music on the stage during the first 10 minutes of lunch! I can't tell you how lovely it is to have my room back this year!

[violet72]

Posted: 10/1/08 at 10:03pm

Adam you just described my situation at one of the schools last year(except it was chorus, me, lunch room set up, speech, child studies, and resource, with gym getting organized to go outside)...it was crazy...

our high school in my district is under construction (for the past 5 years) and the health class is set up in half of our small gym...it is crazy, also we have no auditorium so our Christmas concert and spring musical is at the intermediate school, which is brand new and we are not allowed to build on the stage...it's gonna be interesting

[The Grovers Corners Yenta]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 4:16pm

Dollypop: I already have the sequel to your memoirs. It should be called, " Hey Mistuh, Can I Ax You A Question?". This Guarantedd best seller list material.

[george95]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 4:58pm

By far the most common question I am asked is "Do you have any tissues?"

[violet72]

Posted: 10/2/08 at 5:03pm

"Tissue I hardly know you" I am sorry I am on cold meds my judgement is poor

[KelRel]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 7:58pm

Well today was fun. I have two specials today which means theoretically two planning periods, but they never work out that way because the teachers come into our rooms. Well today, like always, the music teacher came in five minutes late. By the time she got there the kids were going a little nuts. She asked if she could stay five minutes later because of her being late. Normally I would have said yes, but I couldn't today because I had my mentor for my new teacher internship coming in to observe me right after music, so I said no. Before I could explain why she started screaming at me, in front of the kids, about how unfair it was that she was on a cart and that I would have to just get used to her being late to class because every school in the nation gives 10 minutes between classes, etc... I calmly said that right now was not the appropriate time for this conversation, but she kept screaming at me and trying to engage me in an argument. I walked out of the room and didn't yell back at her. At this point my kids were sitting their mouths wide open. I hoped that while I was gone things would get better, but apparently things got worse- much worse. She started yelling at the kids, standing on a chair, slamming a chair against a wall when she jumped into it, slamming it against my desk, rummaging through things on my desk just to mess things up. When I got back to the room after leaving a message with the principal about what had happened from when she walked in until when I left my kids were sitting there in a panicked state of shock almost. She finished "teaching" because as soon as I walked in she began "teaching". When she left the kids ran at me yelling over each other trying to tell me what happened. I got the kids calmed down by having them write down what happened and then we discussed it as a class. My kids are not the most well behaved bunch because most of them have never been "made" to behave, but we do pretty well as a class most days, but today something changed in them. They saw me not freak out at the teacher when she yelled at me and then they also came together as a class and comforted each other when they were so noticeably upset. One little girl raised her hand and said, "Ya know, Mrs. X, we may not always behave or listen when you are taking and we aren't always as respectful as we should be, but we love you and we've got your back and she needs to be woman enough to talk to you like an adult if she doesn't like you because that BS that she pulled just made her look like an idiot and we won't let her talk like that about you." I was really touched and had to tell her that the adults would discuss things and handle them respectfully, but I was amazed at the reaction of the kids and how well they learned from the experience about how one should and should not act in certain situations.

We had a sit down between the principal, the music teacher and myself and things turned out fairly well, but I think that she is aware of the fact that she can't act like that to students or teachers again. I just hope that she pulls herself together and begins to act more professionally in the future.

On a better note, I had a student who was really struggling with LA and would rather act out than get help and this week he brought his grade up from an F to a C, a low C, but a C none the less. He has never gotten a C before and he is ecstatic. I am so proud of him and he reminds me of why I am a teacher.

[sally1112]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 8:10pm

I am a teacher too (I have already posted a few times earlier in this thread) and as I am reading these recent post about no rooms, moving rooms, and having to cover other classes because there is no money for subs I keep thinking would any of this stuff fly in other professions? I think they emotionally blackmail teachers into doing so much of this stuff by saying we would do it if we "really care about the kids" and any one who protest is evil, greedy, or selfish.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/6/08 at 9:23pm

KelRel, what grade are your students?

This music teacher sounds like she is off her rocker.

Our secretary was out sick today. You want a sure way for a school to go to hell in a hen basket? Remove the secretary. It's amazing how quickly things fall apart without her there. And seeing the guidance counselor, who none of us really like, trying to "cover" the front desk was amusing in and of itself.