I teach a full load for the Martin Institute and Martin School of International affairs at the University of Idaho. The Institute part of us got the idea to branch out and be a regional entity, so we began offering periodic classes at Washington State University (in one of the great geographic anomalies, WSU and UI are located just 8 miles apart on the Palouse). Now that takes up two additional classes each semester, and with a big increase in our majors without a corresponding increase in staff, I ended up with the equivalent of eight classes this past spring. All interesting and fun, at least - thee section of the international studies senior seminar, a joint upper division and graduate history course on Cuba and the Caribbean, a survey on Modern Latin America, a class on Guatemala and the UN, a seminar on Latin America, and a couple of directed studies (one fun one on UNESCO and another on Brazilian culture - got to assign/discuss Bellos' great book on Futebol and Culture). Even better, I am on a 12 month contract and so grab time off here and there as I can. This week, for example. Burn out for me hits around the time of the Borah Symposium, the main international affairs event on the Palouse which I get to coordinate each spring. This year Lech Walesa headlined - he was most intrigued to visit us here in Moscow. Of course it snowed a bit that day, and he proclaimed this a natural heir to Moscow (Russia) because of the bad weather. I can't imagine things are that great weather-wise in Warsaw!
I teach PE at an elementary school in a suburb of Birmingham. I have every kid every day which is nearly 500 kids/day. Pretty exhausting at times. As much as I hate to leave I will probably not be back in the fall. I need to make more money and alas teaching isn't bringing in the bacon. I've never done any job that didn't involve working with kids so I feel at a total loss about what I'm gonna do. Here is my school: http://www.hhs.homewood.k12.al.us/shadescahaba/
Hi! I teach third grade in Santa Ana, CA. My students are all hispanic, mostly Mexican, but an occasional something else. Of my 20 students, two speak English fluently. I am starting my 8th year as a teacher. I am teaching right now because my school is year-round. I love my job. I don't make the highest salary, but I love what I do, I get off work at 3:00, I never work holidays, and I get three full months of vacation. Owlette
By year-round, do you mean 45-15? Nine weeks on and three weeks off? If so, how do you like it? Have you ever taught a traditional school year? How do they compare? How do the parents like it?
My year-round school is 4 track ABCD due to overcrowding. We start in July and ABC are in school while D is on vacation. In August D comes back and moves into C's room and C goes on vacation. In September C comes back and moves into B's room and B goes on vacation etc...through the year. Moving is the worst part of year-round for teachers. This year, though, for the very first time, my school has enough classrooms and we don't have to move. Having a break every three months is great for me. I love a month of vacation in December. Most teachers agree that multi-track schedule is nice for them. However, multi-track year-round school is horrible for kids! First of all, budgets begin in July. Schools cannot order materials until then which means that we often won't receive materials until September. Also, at any given time 1/4 of the staff is on vacation. This includes RSP, BRT, and Speech teachers so students with special needs have a sub in these areas for 1/3 of the year. Career day, Red Ribbon Week, School Carnival, Winter Concert, etc... are all missed by 1/4 of the students. Also, I teach Cycle C. I am off August, December, and April(great for me!). When I return in May, my students immediately begin standardized testing. Last year we came back on cycle May 5 and began testing May 11 after a five week break. My students were stressed out because they had forgotten so much. Recently my school got a new building which would allow us to go single track. Parents overwhelmingly voted to go single-track modified traditional (one month off in December, two weeks for Spring and 6 weeks in summer)but we needed a 70% teacher vote to change and we were short by 3 teachers. We are already campaigning for next year.
I really enjoyed reading these stories. As a child of teachers I vowed to never teach in a classroom. Looking at a possible layoff from my job I have been contemplating this because I know there is a demand for African-American male teachers. I have been motivated thanks
I not. Yet anyway. Due to be starting a PGCE (chemistry with science) in less than a fortnights time. That would be for teaching in secondary schools over here in the UK (11-18). Will get my first experience in a couple of schools in north Wales.