Auspoiboymember
219 posts
Location: Melbourne Australia


Posted:
NYC, i have heard a rumour (well more than a rumour) that you are a teacher. If this is wrong, im sorry.As i don't think it is wrong i will proceed with my question.I am thinking about doing a degree in teaching and arts at universtiy, do you think that htis is a good idea, do you find teaching a rewarding job, what else can you tell me about being a teacher.CheersAPB

Good on usGood on us all


WuGgaRoOmember
123 posts
Location: brooklyn


Posted:
hey since we r on the subject...NYC...where do u teach...and yeah im prety sure he is a teacher..i think he even wrote it himself

Follow Wuggarooism10)Dons't cheateth on thee's significant other9) If thou seest a pig that resembles thee's friend...dont eateth the pig...perhaps it is thee's friend8) If thou talkest shit..thou is a pansy7) Don't buttith into conversations for it will be over thous head6) Dont let stupid comments go unpunished they can only leadest to thous anyurysms5) Dont lie to your friends4) Thou areest what thou arest don't change thou for anyone 3) Masturbation isnt a crime2) When a horse comes up to thou and sayest baaa thou must run!1) Be excellent to eachother


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
I can only chat for a second. Yup, I'm a teacher. I'm a bit secretive online as I don't want to give my location. Believe it or not, not all teenagers are responsible and I have had incidents. Nothing too bad or mean, just enough to make me smart.I can see some of my overzealous kids showing up at my door, drunk on a friday night, trying to get me to go with them to a party. Bad scene.I don't want to bore the rest of the crowd with my teacher talk so I made a new AOL account:nycfromhop@aol.com1) No spam2) No hate mail, it's boring3) No, I won't send you cool chemicals in the mail to make your fire change colors...

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


Auger282member
81 posts

Posted:
***
EDITED_BY: Auger282 (1429498677)

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
APB, I too was a teacher. I have taught Special Ed in the First Grade, Pre-School, Short Story Lit at a College, Interactive Improv at a College, High School Biology and Earth Science, as well as Second Grade.I enjoyed teaching on the College level the most, because the kids were more attentive.High Schoolers are fun because you can talk with them but they are far my trying on the patience because they can talk grin. Elementary kids are fun but because they are still in discovery mode it is easy to get off track.Overall I hated teaching. Why? Because of the politics involved. I don't know about where you are but here we are so governed over by superintendents and other "officials" that it makes it hard for us to get through a lesson plan while still making it enjoyable. The budget limits and other bullshit lines they give are painful.For example, when I did special ed. my student was mildly autistic, but his daily issues were attitude not illness, yet the school woudn't recognise that, or that he was extremely physically violent until people started to really get hurt. Second grade was "If the kids act badly do not punish them, this reflects badly on school policy". We were told to give them candy to shut them up. My list just continues. This isn't the same in every area I know, and with the kids it can be very rewarding. I simply don't have the personality to handle that. I just needed more creative control than that. (Which is why I liked teaching college) In the end, only you can decide for yourself. I think that you should start for your degree but get into a classroom early and do observations, see if you can work with some of the students and really get a feel for it. Then again, I think that way about all occupations. I think it sucks to go through school to realize you don't like what you do. At least at the beginning you have the choice to change!Best of luck APB.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


kmactanemember
97 posts
Location: San Francisco, CA, USA


Posted:
Holy sh*t!!! "If a kid hits another kid, give him (or her) some candy?"That's the most asinine thing I've heard all month. And as one of the kids who often got beat up in grade school, it: A) makes me sick; and B) doesn't surprise me much.Also, a note for APB: Pele's and NYC's experiences in teaching may be of limited use to you, since the requirements for teaching may be quite different from New York state to Australia.

NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
Pele's got a point, if you let the politics get to you you will burn out quickly. I love it though. I've been doing it for 7 years and plan to do it for a while. I've taught in three different schools with very different kids. I had a good sense of what was in it for me at the beginning. The only thing I DIDN'T forsee was the early bedtime. It's an exhausting job and you need to be there early. Get used to leaving your freinds at the bar on weekdays to go home and grade and sleep.I know that I sacrafice a bit of a life on the weekdays but have a heck of a lot of fun from 8-3 teaching chemistry to teenagers...Different people go into teaching for different reasons. Some of them are valid, some of them are not. I do it because I love being around 120 crazy high school kids every day. NEVER a boring moment.-Harry Senate, Boston Public... er I mean-NYC

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


Auspoiboymember
219 posts
Location: Melbourne Australia


Posted:
Thanx guys, thats really helpful.I know that the plitics in australia are a lot different to the states. A friends mum did an exchange type of thingy to the states a while back and really thought aus schooling was heaps better.As for learning, i think the main focus at the moment for teachers in aus is to teach the individual and not the content, which is the way it should be.Anyway must dash, im moving houses.CheersAPB

Good on usGood on us all


Qmember
42 posts
Location: about 30 min from NYC, New York, USA


Posted:
No offense Pele, but as a student I've developed a strong distaste to high school bio. My class is extremely long and boring, and I feel that I'm learning stuff that I already know.Is there anything that I can do on my part to make class more interesting for me, besides the usual goofing off? Or is it all the teacher's fault and there's nothing that I can do but be stuck in it until June?

Bendymember
750 posts
Location: Adelaide, SA, Australia


Posted:
Q - Whip thru the work as quick as you can and then ask for more. If you and a couple friends do this (tho you may look like nerds) you will be keeping busy and learning more. A couple friends and I used to do this in maths - trying to finish before the others and asking for more! Of course this only works if you have questions to answer - not so effective if it is a lecture type situation.

Courage is the man who can stop after only one peanut


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Q....I think it is a give an a take betweent the student and the teacher. The more disinterested you are, the more you goof off the more the teacher has to stop or slow down the studies, which means the less time you have to get to things you might not know.Also keep in mind that, expecially with biology, there are sooooo many things to cover and if you aren't paying attention it is easy to miss a small nuance of something that might interest you. I agree with the going through the work. Challenge the teacher and keep him/her on their toes. Teachers need that too. Think on this, the same teacher presenting the same material every year, year after year. Don't you figure it gets dull for them too? They know this stuff cold. Ask questions, get involved in your own education. I loved it when they did that and I did my damnedest to rise to the occassion everytime. I enourage that for any class. It is also possible that you have a shitty teacher. Teaching is soooooo much more than presenting information and testing how well you can regurgitate it. Teaching is attempting to get kids excited about something. To help them find a passion and to understand the how's and why's of the world around them. Teaching is theatrical in it's very core, to engage 20 + kids in a subject they don't care about you have to be interesting and passionate about what you are teaching. Some of the worst teachers I have had knew their stuff cold but had no passion for it, no presentation. If this is the case, then it is up to you to control yourself and really make the effort to respectfully challenge that teacher. This is all mho, btw.For the record I was told that I am a damn good teacher, I just can't handle the politics. As NYC said, they can burn you out, and they did me.Reasons to not go into teaching......Weekends, nights, holidays and vacations. HA! What a joke! Nights you have to grade, plan, there are meetings and conferences, etc..... Teachers earn that summer vacation the rest of the year.Because you like kids. That is great but you have to love what you teach as well.Because I am not interested in anything that will make me money so I am going to teach until I can do my art, writing, etc professionally. This one is soooo common it makes me cry. A. There is not a hell of alot of money in teaching. Enough to be comfortable. B. It will cut into your time doing what you love and you will see it as a burden not a blessing, which will translate to your students.Because I am not good at anything else. Then what makes you think you'd be good at teaching? Find a passion, then teach it!These are the reasons I heard when in my ed class that terrified me.I also think every student is different in learning style and knowledge base, and as a teacher it is hard to engage everyone to make the topic interesting, especially in the areas I taught...English and Bio, where kids come in knowing alot. Keep that in mind and hopefully things will get more interesting as the school year wears on. Maybe Q, you are just one of those advance students that has to interest themselves and con't rely on the teacher for it.Please correct me if I am wrong in nay of this NYC. (btw...I think BP is a pretty good, entertaining show grin)My best to all.....------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com[This message has been edited by Pele (edited 16 November 2001).]

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


melissaBRONZE Member
member
156 posts
Location: madagascar, USA


Posted:
having a good teacher makes a world of differnce. i am now in my senior year of college and i have often found myself looking back on the teachers that have made a positive impact on me. since i am moving in the direction of teaching it is something that i try to reflect upon to determine what i do and don't like about aspects of my education. i have found that i enjoy and learn the most from a class if it tends to have these characteristics:1. a hands on applied skills approach. no matter what the subject i want to fully experience what i am learning about and be able to understand it with all of my senses. I want to be like a curious two year old and touch it, taste it, look at from every angle. For biology i want to be out of the classroom and into the forests learning from what nature has to offer first hand rather than from a detatched concept that i don't know how to apply. if was a math (especially geometry/trig) class again take the math problems out of the book and use the equasions to do something like figuring out the angles and dimenstions neccessary to build a dome shaped green house. 2. an interdisciplinary blend of subjects. again i want to understand how to apply what i learn. instead of classes restricted to only one subject draw aspects from a number of sources. for art for example, combine it with things like political science, anthropology and womens studies. 3. Scedule the classes in intensive blocks of time I like take classes in intensive blocks rather than the standard one hour a day five days a week format. I would prefer to take either one full time class that lasts for a month or take a number of smaller classes that meet on opposite days but for 2-6 hour time sessions. in the block format like this it opens up the possiblity for more field trips, class discussions, guest lecturers, movies, and studio/lab time. 4. evaluation of learning based on the demonstration of your comprehension of the subject (essays, presentations, portfolio, etc...) rather than the reliance upon standardized testing. 5. have the class seating layed out in more of a circular format rather than the style with the teacher in front and the students arranged in rows.by having students and teacher arranged in more of a circle it encourages more dialog between students and the teacher. it is also beneficial because it shifts the teacher from a know all hierarchy to more of a more experienced mentor and encourages you to learn more from your peers. 6. smaller classes and smaller schools.no matter what style of teaching i think smaller classes are essential for a stonger education. basically what it comes down to is a greater sense of community where every student feels like they are valued as an individual rather than just another face. smaller classes allow for more interaction with the teacher and your peers. 7. break down the beauocracy. ideally i prefer schools where students, faculty and staff have an equal opportunity to vote on the major descisions of the school, everything from admitions, to hiring, to budget. choices will be made on a consensis basis rather than having 51% win. with this also comes the shared responsibilty for the duties and needs of the school as a whole. i want everyone that is a part of that school feel that they have a direct impact on its direction for the future. 8. have more freedom given to students to create and be responsible for the direction of their studies. basically what i think it's good for students to feel like they can persue what they are intereted in rather than just sticking to what they are told to do. encourage them to take on the approach where if they don't like their options they figure out and have the skills needed to create new ones. as you can probally guess i tend to favor a more non-traditional approach towards education. i could keep talking about this for some time, i have many ideas and observations. in the future i plan on earning highschool teaching endorsements for both biology and art. eventually i want to earn both a masters in environmental studies and a masters in education. for my more long term plot i intend on trying to create a fully sustainable and self sufficent (as in energy, economics, food, etc...) school that is based on some of these ideas put into action. my overall goal to create postive social change and stonger stewardship for the earth through education.

melissaBRONZE Member
member
156 posts
Location: madagascar, USA


Posted:
sorry that last thread that i wrote was kinda long, i can be pretty opinionated at times. out of curiosity to exchange experiences with teachers, who has been the most influencial teacher (be it your third grade teacher, your family, a fire mentor, etc...) in your life and why?

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
Well Melissa, I like that question, and get asked it often as a part of a group bonding exercise for acting. I have 3 actually. One realy was a teacher, I took every English/Lit class he ever offered in highschool. Most kids hated him because he was soft spoken and prim in style but his teaching methods were far from what we would concider the "norm". For example, the first day in class he had us put our desks in a circle, close our eyes and put our heads down on our desks (He never taught with the lights on either). When we were told to lift our heads we found taxidermied birds and lit candles in the corners of our desks. He said this illustrated emotion and illumination and that we had to write about it. He was so inspiring. I student taught in his class.My next was my college theater director. She was a bitch and extremely eccentric. Those she thought had the most talent she rode hard, and I was one of them. In fact she gave me a B instead of an A in one class because she felt that while I put in a good performance I didn't give it my all. So, all the work I did was A level but what I didn't do got me a B. She had this way off pissing me off to the point of proving her wrong (reverse psychology I understand). She is what gave me focus and drive and determination. I now teach workshoppes to her students.The last is my son. I se the world through very different eyes because of him and relate to everyone very differently. I have also learned alot simply because I research things so that I can answer him honestly when he asks me questions.What I note about them all is that while very different people each one is captivating, extraordinary and with a penchant for the dramatic.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...https://www.pyromorph.com

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
Interesting post Melissa. As you know, many people learn in different ways. In my OWN education I radically disagree. (I learn better when the diciplines are broken down, the goals are clear and set by the teacher, evaluation is a set known assessment, HUGE schools with TONS of different classes to choose from, the class is given in bite sized pieces-my brain is full after two hours!)Aside from #7 in your post, all of the other ideals you post do sacrifice something important. Be it quantifyable standards or a flexible schedule or equity within the classes you LOSE something by gaining all of your other noble ideals. It's all up to the individual whether it's important enough...Having taught in both a radically non-traditional school and a radically traditional school I can say there are pros and cons to both... I actually found that there were more cons in the non-traditional school and left.I think the best possible education would give students a choice. In New York City we are fortunate to have "open enrollment" in many schools. This means that a good student like me, growing up gets a choice of schools... Do I want to attend a HS that focuses on Fine Arts (FAME) or Science or a more liberal approach to teaching or a more conservative one? Students can pick schools that suit them best.As for a mentor or role model or teacher that changed my life? Nope, never had one. Honestly. I've had some good teachers, but none that actually inspired me to become a teacher. I'm a teacher because I like the job. I love my kids. I'm NEVER bored. And I know I'm doing a positive thing...Keep fighting the good fight Melissa.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


Auspoiboymember
219 posts
Location: Melbourne Australia


Posted:
Well thats an easy oneMy most influencial teachers are My maths teacherand my english teacherWhy......they're both my parents winkCheersAPB

Good on usGood on us all


NYCNYC
9,232 posts
Location: NYC, NY, USA


Posted:
I was just watching a teacher training video and the speaker refered to teaching as one of the most stressful jobs. I quickly jumped on the internet to find out what the other ones were. Many different sources had the most stressful jobs listed in different order but teaching was consistantly in the top 5... That kind of made my proud. I'm not dodging bullets but it's close. winkOne study had AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER as #1 and teaching as #2... One from Britain had:In 1997 the 20 most stressful jobs were: Prison service, Police, Social Worker, Teaching, Ambulance, Nursing, Doctors, Fire brigade, Dentistry, Mining, Armed Forces, Construction, Management, Acting, Journalism, Linguist, Film producer, Professional sport, Catering and hotel, Public transport.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]


Auspoiboymember
219 posts
Location: Melbourne Australia


Posted:
So then fruit picking isn't considered a stressful job, because i can tell you that.....ok um...i'll shut up now

Good on usGood on us all


CantusSILVER Member
Tantamount to fatuity
15,966 posts
Location: Down the road, United Kingdom


Posted:
My most influencial teachers have turned out to be 2 art lecturers I had a few years ago.I hated them both at the time and only seldom paid any attention to what they said. But, I realised now, I must've absorbed a lot of what they said. And I dont think my pictures would be anywhere near as good as they are without those men. https://communities.msn.co.uk/AnalysisNewsAndLaughter/cantus.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=60
------------------C@ntusDance beneath the stars, we sound system, we the collective, with a open heart, we the solution - should be respected![This message has been edited by Cantus (edited 24 November 2001).]

Meh



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