Today I hate my job

[Veronica]

I don't have the patience to deal with the outright stupidity, lack of focus, need for attention, inability to listen, poor social skills, immaturity, apathy to learning, and sub par reading comprehension that is rampant in my classroom. There are dumb questions. The ones that get asked about the very thing I just talked about, two minutes ago and ended with, "Are there any questions?"

I so want a pint of Ben and Jerry's right now, followed by a bag of Hershey's Symphony toffee chip flavor and maybe 3 or 4 Red Bulls or maybe an orange soda.

Veronica

[indysteel]

((((Veronica)))). I'm sorry your class stinks this year.

[Bike Writer]

Oh Boy, sorry to hear about a rough day/week/class. Thankfully, it's finally Friday.

[Crankin]

Your class sounds dreadful. I empathize, really.
You can avoid the junk food! Or at least, most of it.
I am seeing one of my clients in his kindergarten class. It feels nice to be in a nice school, but man, talk about hard work. The kids are learning about brain based learning and learning styles, along with their letters.

[Veronica]

I feel so badly for the kids who really want to learn and are ready to be 4th graders. You can see them practically rolling their eyes at the others. I need to figure out how to teach half my kids to think. Learning to read directions would be a good start.

I avoided all the junk food, still crave it. I had a Chobani 0 rapsberry flavor when I got home.

Veronica

[jobob]

Hoo boy. You have my sympathies. Hang in there! and Happy Friday. :)

[Bike Writer]

I've taught Sunday School for 7 years, I know it's not like being a real teacher because it's only once a week and only for an hour, not all day, but I do empathize with having kids who disrupt and are difficult. I love teaching Sunday School, two years ago I had a class that nearly made me quit. It was the largest class I'd had and I had 3 very disruptive kids who had a variety of issues from having no attention span, poor manners, no focus and relished chaos and disruption for the sake of attention. I felt really bad for the kids who were there to learn and I know that they were disgusted and fed up with the hooligans too. I tried talking to the parents, the Sunday School Leader, everything. It got to where I dreaded my class instead of looking forward to it. I tried different things and felt like a failure for not being able to sustain control at times. The next year I had really great kids who wanted to learn and the joy was back.

I really felt for the 6th grade teacher who had them next and at a teacher's meeting she shared her frustrations about them. While I empathized with her and tried some suggestions it made me feel better that it was not just me. This lady was also a real teacher in her day job so it made me realize that some kids are just downright difficult and almost unteachable. And those kids can make a teachers life miserable.

[Veronica]

I actually wanted to cry today; they had me so frustrated by the end of the day. We're only 7 weeks in. But that's part of the problem. By now they should know the routine. Things don't change randomly in my classroom.

Right now I just don't know what I'm going to do. So much of my structure and student engagement is built around teams of four. But I have 5 kids who cannot be with anyone else. And they certainly can't be their own team. One girl is suppose to be in third grade. She came from another school in our district and was allowed to move from K to first grade in Oct. of her K year. It's painfully obvious how immature she is and she hasn't mastered third grade material. Parents of course did not come to Back to School Night and are limited English speakers.

Yippee, my honey is home. :D

Veronica

[IBrakeforPastry]

Happy weekend, Veronica. Before I got to the "classroom" part of your post, I thought you were describing your co-workers. Some of mine fit those descriptions. I hope you can enjoy your weekend. What flavor Ben and Jerry's?

[uforgot]

I hear you. I feel the same way this year, so I have decided that it's time to retire after 34 years teaching high school math and music. I'm not sure if the kids are different, were they always this entitled? or is it me. Have I changed. Don't even get me started on the parents. 99% of the parents and kids are terrific. It's that 1% that's killing it for me. I think I consumed the same amount of calories last night that you were talking about. I painted this summer, and I felt wonderful. No headaches, overeating, etc. It was physically exhausting, but I think I am ready to just give the stress a break. Pretty sad that I would rather paint an entire house than teach. And up until recently I loved my job. I spent over 30 years looking forward to going to school. Now it's time to move on. My thoughts are with you Veronica.

[Wahine]

V, That sucks. I'm sorry you're having such a hard time.

I don't know what to say that would help. I know that I couldn't do what you do on a daily basis. I would have been imprisoned for murder multiple times over by now. At least if I'm not getting anywhere with my clients, I can discharge them for non-compliance and send them away and I don't have to deal with them disrupting the rest of my caseload.

((((V)))))

[malkin]

I too have co-workers who fit the description of your students.
The world needs great teachers V! Hang in there.

[Veronica]

Thom got up this morning and asked me what I was reading. It was my book on Cooperative Learning. Yeah, I'm already formulating a plan. I'm calling it FATSS. F@#$ Academics, Teach Social Skills. I've got two years with this crew and I cannot come home feeling this way too many more times. They're like puppies who need socialization. I can't really move on to the advanced stuff, until they learn to get along. Their test scores from last year were horrible, and I have been so focused on cramming the academics down their throats because we live and die by our test scores. And I need to just let that go, no matter what my principal says. Although, he has acknowledged that there is not much brain power in my group. Most of my problem kids have been tested for Special Ed and don't qualify because they are working to their potential - 4 out of my 6. The other 2 are new to the school - Program Improvement transfers. Parents moved them from under performing schools to our school.

Veronica

[Crankin]

This is what my school did when they wanted a total change of culture (including the teachers...). We implemented the Responsive Classroom model, which I now believe is called something else. It's a lot more than morning meeting. I loved it and this is actually what made me start thinking about changing careers. Although I really did enjoy teaching writing and literature, teaching social and emotional skills was much more rewarding to me. And most of the other teachers hated this.

[Veronica]

One of our teachers is really into Responsive Classroom. It doesn't resonate as well with me as Kagan's Cooperative Learning. Either way, it's not something you can really "force" teachers to do. They can go through the motions, but if they don't believe in it, it won't be successful.

My plan is step back from the academics a bit and really teach and reinforce the cooperative structures. I need to turn them into cohesive groups of 4. I'll still be doing academics, but the focus will really be about learning to work together.

Veronica

[girlontheroad]

When I started reading the thread my first taught was that you were describing my college and grad students. I have the same concers. As I read to the end of the thread I commend you for the self control in junk food and wanted to say the focus on social skills. I work with schools with kids with autism and the thing most likely to trip individuals with autos. Up later in life is the social piece not the academics. I believe this must be true for many of the learned without disabilities as well. The fact that you are already formatting a plan indicates that you are clearly a great teacher and an excellent problem solver. Please hang in there. We need more teachers like you.

[Crankin]

I was already using Kagan's model when we implemented RC. So were most of the other teachers.
You can't really have one teacher doing RC. It's whole new way of thinking and looking at kids, so the whole school needs to be on board. Yes, it was forced, but by the time we had fully implemented it, we had had tons of training, preparation, observing, and coaching. And the biggest nay-sayers were gone, which was the long term plan, anyway. I was hired about 3 years before we implemented this, as part of a vision by our superintendent to focus more on social-emotional learning as a way to improve academics. It started with community service learning in the high school, and then the other stuff came along. Amazingly, we became a community where people wanted in to our district through school choice, instead of us losing a good deal of students to surrounding systems. Our test scores went up, too.
Of course, nothing is perfect, but I was very glad I went here for the last 8 years of my career. How many places will hire a teacher with 22 years of experience and "find" the money to make up the loss in salary I would have taken? The first 2 years were tough. I cried almost every day, either from the horrible kids or the teachers. My curriculum specialist, who then became the principal kept telling me to hang in there, and I did.
Now, when I talk to the one colleague I was actually friends with, it all seems so petty; not the kids, but the things that teachers "fight" over. You know, the things you've described about your colleagues, Veronica.

[Veronica]

Okay - here's hoping for a day free from extreme frustration. :rolleyes:

Veronica

[jobob]

Okay - here's hoping for a day free from extreme frustration. :rolleyes:

I'll munch to that. :D

[Veronica]

I must have terrified them on Friday, because they were fantastic today. Worked well with partners and groups, got everything accomplished that I had planned. They even got a little extra recess time.

Veronica

[Wahine]

I must have terrified them on Friday, because they were fantastic today. Worked well with partners and groups, got everything accomplished that I had planned. They even got a little extra recess time.

Veronica

Yay!! I'm so glad that today was better for you.:D

[azfiddle]

Veronica, so sorry you are coping with a tough class. At least in middle school, it's not a whole day, usually just one hour with a tough group.

I've used some of the Kagan Strategies- it's definitely something my district likes. I don't use it all the time, but it might be the right thing for your class.

[Veronica]

My students are not bad, just very immature and not very bright. I think some of therm are just not ready to connect the dots. I have to keep reminding myself of that. :cool: After two days of very intense Kagan use, it seems to be going well. I've always done a little bit, but I pretty much dove right in on Monday using Kagan for nearly everything. I rearranged my room to get a large central space. It means my groups are all right next to each other instead of totally separated, but it's much easier for me to get around to monitor EVERYONE. And the open space will make it easier to do some of the silly games. I've got groups moving to the floor for cooperative work to get a little separation at those times. I think the extra movement is helping them and they like getting to lie down on the floor to work.

They really like the cheers. I need to learn some more.

Veronica

[Crankin]

Extra movement is a good thing.

[Dogmama]

Veronica - I so feel your pain!

I did volunteer work with girls in your age group. The focus was self defense. It was at a boys/girls club. Most girls came from very rough backgrounds. Violence, drugs, cops circling the neighborhood were all standard. I had some girls who really wanted to learn. But about 1/3 of the group were just not capable. No focus, always acting out to get attention, basically just in the class for the free food. I had to take one of them aside and tell her if she didn't stop, she would be expelled from the class.

It was heartbreaking.

Your good news is that your principle seems to understand and backs you up. Plus, haven't you been there like - forever?? So your track record is very good (in many different ways - not just the classroom - pun intended.)

So, take that frustration to your next personal training lesson. And be sure to let us know how many burpees/pushups/whatever you did!

[Veronica]

Sometimes I am so amazed by how lame they are. They had to divide 72 by 2. That kind of a problem is a third grade math standard. These are 4th graders - and I got answers of 2, 4, 8, 9 and 20. Yes, really. I think they weren't actually listening or reading the problem on their paper, just randomly guessing to give an answer. But still...

Veronica

[Dogmama]

Sometimes I am so amazed by how lame they are. They had to divide 72 by 2. That kind of a problem is a third grade math standard. These are 4th graders - and I got answers of 2, 4, 8, 9 and 20. Yes, really. I think they weren't actually listening or reading the problem on their paper, just randomly guessing to give an answer. But still...

Veronica

"Like - wow Dude - math is hard! I need that Stephen Hawkings guy!"

I talked to a junior college teacher who said many of their incoming students are illiterate. So, they take remedial courses to get them up to speed so that they can take the credit courses. BUT, here's the problem: Most are on students loans, some are even on (gasp) credit cards! So, they're taking these classes that in the end, don't give them ANY college credit. And, the majority drop out because they just are not college material. But, they still have the debt.

Don't know if your students are sophisticated enough to understand that - but it's something to consider.

[azfiddle]

How is the cooperative learning working?

[Veronica]

All last week was good. The students have really enjoyed the team building activities we've done and I'm seeing more effort and active participation in academic areas. Today was a staff development day and one of the teachers at my site went to a week long Kagan seminar last summer. Her presentation today was really good and gave me some new ideas. We've got a long way to go, but I'm hopeful.

Veronica

[smilingcat]

I'm not a teacher by any stretch of imagination. Reading this thread makes me cringe to think of the consequences of the kids growing up without basic skill. Some way, I think kids need to be allowed to fail instead of being doted over to make sure they pass so that their self esteem is not damaged. I would say the following statement is more important: child need to feel like they have accomplished or succeeded in a task to develop their self esteem. Have the fruit hanging on a higher branch and not at the lowest branch.

Hog wash with all this doting! Allow the child to fail!

Then again what do I know. call me cranky old ***** and know nothing about child development psychology. My parents did all right. I came out okay for the most part.

[Geonz]

So glad things ironed out a little!

Allowing the child to fail works for some -- specifically, for the student who responds to that by not being satisfied with it. However, if you're accustomed to failing because you honestly don't really think you can do this, then you'll learn some amazing social skills that get you through the day... passed to the next grade... and then you end up in my "underprepared student" lab at the community college because you *need* postsecondary education to get a job at the car wash, just about... and you didn't learn anything in grade school, not because you couldn't, but because you didn't think you could.

I was definitely one of those kids you needed to hang that fruit up high for, else I was a permanent brat ;) However, I can **promise** you that a lot of adults without basic skills (especially in math) learned to behave ... and get passed along... and believe whatever is sold to them with the right smiling and positive reinforcement. Politicians *love* to pull their strings...

[Melalvai]

I just read an article about how doctors are making ADHD diagnoses that aren't valid so that kids can get the meds so they'll succeed in school. They said it helps with grades but I suspect grades especially at the younger ages have more to do with behavior than academic performance. They said they have to use meds because the schools & families don't have the resources for other non-medical interventions that have been shown to work.

The article just made me sick.

[Veronica]

I have a boy this year who has gone off his meds a few times. His behavior is drastically different from when he's on them. I don't know what the answer is. I have read so much about how smaller families contribute to socialization problems. If there are only 1 or 2 kids, cooperation isn't so important. Kids don't share rooms anymore... tv and video games of course have their share of the blame. Parents and really communities that don't pay attention and hold kids accountable to a certain standard of behavior. There is so much movement, we don't get to know our neighbors.

Behavior does play such a huge part in what students learn at the lower grades. Some kids spend so little time actually in class because of their behavior. When you have 25+ kids in a room, you can't have off the wall behavior. And really I am talking about things that most people would say don't belong in a classroom. And you don't always notice the "quiet" ones, who aren't misbehaving, but aren't attending to instruction either.

Veronica

[Owlie]

I just read an article about how doctors are making ADHD diagnoses that aren't valid so that kids can get the meds so they'll succeed in school. They said it helps with grades but I suspect grades especially at the younger ages have more to do with behavior than academic performance. They said they have to use meds because the schools & families don't have the resources for other non-medical interventions that have been shown to work.

The article just made me sick.

The other thing that happens a lot with these sort of diagnoses is that there are definitely behavioral issues, but not of a specific nature, and the school system needs a diagnosis for the kid to be eligible for anything.