~ The Teachers' Lounge ~

[carcrazy]

I am a high school math and science teacher with 13 years experience. I find it quite impressive how positive everyone is about teaching. I have my share of good days too but they're not always great. No job is perfect and you get your share of headaches like in any other job. The turnover rate in teaching is actually kind of high where I am as people find it to be quite stressful.

I find that the positive feedback from students doesn't usually come until after they have graduated and have returned to thank me for having taught them (okay, it only happened a couple of times). But I do feel a sense of pride when I see them succeed, maybe due a little to what I have taught them (not just about math and science).

Teaching can be very rewarding if you feel that you are making a difference. And the money's not that bad (I can still indulge in my hobbies). If you like working with kids and enjoy watching them learn and develop into adults then I say go for it.

 

[Liam]

I LOVE THIS THREAD!

Feel free to PM me anytime!

3 Reasons why I teach? June, July, and August!

Seriously thou, I love my job, I dont wake up everyday like so many people thinking to myself "I dont want to go to work" At times I feel like I dont work at all, something you cant feel no matter how much money you make (or dont make - lol). Life is to short not to do something you love. Besides, think about it, most of your life is spent working, so why not do something you enjoy! Dont get me wrong there are negatives to the job as well, like crazy parents, low pay, long hours, etc. What grade do you want to teach?

Here are a few pics of my classroom through out the years! Tadpole setups, pond projects, and overall weird stuff I get to do and get paid for at the same time! Another cool thing is I get to be on MFK here at work!

FYI - Mike another MOD here is also a teacher.

Aren't you breaking a branch of trust by posting a pic of your students? i dono, just catching you up there, just incase you get introuble.


I'd only love to be a teacher because... I'd be a rad teacher and hopefully rad students..... lol, my technique would be loud and somewhat offence music playing while I tell the students to shut up and do there work.

 

[Dan F]

teaser pics

Beautiful tanks!

 

[Kogo]

lol, my technique would be loud and somewhat offence music playing while I tell the students to shut up and do there work.

not sure if you are serious or not.... your method seems to lack a basic understanding of learning styles and effective teaching methods

Beautiful tanks!

Thanks, the students enjoy them.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

Aren't you breaking a branch of trust by posting a pic of your students? i dono, just catching you up there, just incase you get introuble.

Waivers are signed at the beginning of each school year.

 

[Death Pony]

teaser pics

I am so going to do that!!!

 

[carcrazy]

I thought about having tanks in class as well but what do you do for Christmas and Summer holidays? I live 35 miles away from school and there are no teachers left that are willing to look after the tanks during this time.

I have also had high school students throw things in the tank (I tried it once) like erasers, pencils and even an empty (I hope) coke can! I think that the younger students (elementary) would have taken better care of the tank than the high school students.

But they weren't all so irresponsible, it only takes a few to wreck it for everyone. Maybe I'll try it again after Christmas holidays (I have an empty 30g sitting in class).

 

[oscarcrazy]

My classroom is tiny so I don't yet have a tank. The building I teach in is ancient and my classroom was built buy cutting an exsisting classroom into two unequal parts. I got the smaller room. Even worse, the other class has to walk through my room at class changes. Disciplinary schools get no love!!!! Anyway enough of my complaining, I did go out and buy a few convicts today and will be setting them up in a 40 gallon so the students can observe some behaviors. I do have my red tail boa in the 9-12 grade science room (school has one teacher per core class for middleschool and highschool).
Love the job. The kids I teach are a special challange as this is their last chance before expulsion or lock-up. I do my best to renew their interest in science while at the same time try to teach them the social skills they need to succeed at thier home schools. It is the most thankless of teaching jobs, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It makes me smile when a drug dealing gang member is amazed by such simple things as blowing up a balloon and letting it fly around the room. Then to watch him frantically record his observations in his journal so he could move on to the next station so he could basically roll a couple of marbles on the floor. It is even nice to here the kids say "Mister, don't worry about these other (kids)... I got your back." Which is their way of saying that they like you (i guess).
Anyway, these kids are a bit different nowadays... they didn't even laugh when I mentioned the rings around Uranus. Guess they have other simpler words these days.

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

It is even nice to here the kids say "Mister, don't worry about these other (kids)... I got your back." Which is their way of saying that they like you (i guess).
Anyway, these kids are a bit different nowadays... they didn't even laugh when I mentioned the rings around Uranus. Guess they have other simpler words these days.

Ultimate compliment!

Thats freaking funny! My first graders laugh when "but" is one of our spelling words!

I thought about having tanks in class as well but what do you do for Christmas and Summer holidays? I live 35 miles away from school and there are no teachers left that are willing to look after the tanks during this time.

I bride the janitor to feed my tanks! Locks on your tank might help your problem! Then only give the key to your responsible students, also making their care extra credit!

 

[oscarcrazy]

When I was in highschool I got credit for maintaining their 600 gal chilled saltwater natives aquarium (this was in alaska). Used natural water for water changes (lot of bucket hauling) and rusted out the bed of my pickup!!! Loved every minute. My kids know that they will have severe consequences for messing with my little cons. Actually I got the convicts because most of the students I teach are cons themselves!