I was discussing the sadness that is going back to school with my friend Sarah earlier today. Obviously neither of us are looking forward to returning to lesson plans, grading papers, waking up early, and, of course, screaming children. I almost want to quit and just get a job waiting tables or selling perfume or something that doesn't involve teaching.
That said, we were trying to think of anything that could make this job more bearable. We both noted that we did not miss our students much over the break. That knowledge will make it easier to think of work as just that - work. Not a personal mission to save the world.
See, starting in early March, we begin a battery of tests to see if these kids get to pass third grade. Many of them won't pass. It's sad. A combination of the truly inept teachers some of them have [i.e. untrained, uncertified people such as myself], the, um, inability to speak or read English, and, for many of the students, laziness and just plain not caring.
So, I'm just going to think of it all as a numbers game and focus on trying to get as many of the children to pass as I can. I read that sentence, and I realize how sad it is that education has come to this. Are other states this way? Is a 'good education' based on whether a little eight-year-old child can pass big, scary test?
I've also come to the conclusion that I don't want to continue in this job next year if at all possible. I'd like to transfer to a different school - preferably a high school. I want to do the same lesson over and over for two days rather than having to create six new and exciting lessons every day. I realize that the high school students will likely treat me terribly and often the kind treatment of my good students is all that gets me through the day, but I still would like the change.
I seriously cannot think about work anymore before 8:00 a.m. on Monday.
That said, we were trying to think of anything that could make this job more bearable. We both noted that we did not miss our students much over the break. That knowledge will make it easier to think of work as just that - work. Not a personal mission to save the world.
See, starting in early March, we begin a battery of tests to see if these kids get to pass third grade. Many of them won't pass. It's sad. A combination of the truly inept teachers some of them have [i.e. untrained, uncertified people such as myself], the, um, inability to speak or read English, and, for many of the students, laziness and just plain not caring.
So, I'm just going to think of it all as a numbers game and focus on trying to get as many of the children to pass as I can. I read that sentence, and I realize how sad it is that education has come to this. Are other states this way? Is a 'good education' based on whether a little eight-year-old child can pass big, scary test?
I've also come to the conclusion that I don't want to continue in this job next year if at all possible. I'd like to transfer to a different school - preferably a high school. I want to do the same lesson over and over for two days rather than having to create six new and exciting lessons every day. I realize that the high school students will likely treat me terribly and often the kind treatment of my good students is all that gets me through the day, but I still would like the change.
I seriously cannot think about work anymore before 8:00 a.m. on Monday.
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