Teachers— what is the highest step I can enter at?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly. Content knowledge is only about 20% of a teachers job and time spent decision making/planning/teaching. No one should expect to just walk in and start talking for an hour and call that teaching.

This explains a lot about why my kid’s pre-calculus teacher couldn’t explain fractional exponent rules to the class.

The point is the opposite: knowing how to do math is an important part of teaching math, but know how to do math does not help you know how to get a wide range of learners to learn the math you already know, manage behavior in a classrooms setting, implement IEPs for students with learning disabilities, etc. etc.

Knowledge of how to manipulate fractional exponents is a key math school in pre-calculus. If you don’t know that basic idea, all the rest that you mention is worthless. By 2 months into the year, very bright kids in this class were failing quizzes and dropping pre-calc because the teacher herself didn’t know enough math to teach it. By Xmas, so many kids had dropped the class (thinking they were stupid at math) that the class was disbanded andspread among other teachers.

Neither the administration nor the teacher was transparent that the failure of the students was due to inadequate math understanding of the teacher. They played the “math is hard, maybe your child isn’t that bright” card.

It’s not the first time I’ve seen that happen. My point was - teaching a math class is not 20% content knowledge. If you do not know the math well, you cannot be a successful teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly. Content knowledge is only about 20% of a teachers job and time spent decision making/planning/teaching. No one should expect to just walk in and start talking for an hour and call that teaching.

This explains a lot about why my kid’s pre-calculus teacher couldn’t explain fractional exponent rules to the class.

The point is the opposite: knowing how to do math is an important part of teaching math, but know how to do math does not help you know how to get a wide range of learners to learn the math you already know, manage behavior in a classrooms setting, implement IEPs for students with learning disabilities, etc. etc.

You can see a lot of mistakes on graded papers now a days if you pay attention to what kids bring home.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly. Content knowledge is only about 20% of a teachers job and time spent decision making/planning/teaching. No one should expect to just walk in and start talking for an hour and call that teaching.

This explains a lot about why my kid’s pre-calculus teacher couldn’t explain fractional exponent rules to the class.

The point is the opposite: knowing how to do math is an important part of teaching math, but know how to do math does not help you know how to get a wide range of learners to learn the math you already know, manage behavior in a classrooms setting, implement IEPs for students with learning disabilities, etc. etc.

You can see a lot of mistakes on graded papers now a days if you pay attention to what kids bring home.

+1.

So sign up and teach math. Do something other than come to DCUM to whine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not worth it especially as DCPS pays more than MCPS to begin with

DCPS has more steps.
MCPS has a plateau from 15-20, 20-25, and no more raises except for COLA.
Besides some MCPS teachers are brutal and do everything to get rid of experienced teachers.

[Anonymous]

pp here, I meant there are brutal principals who get rid of experienced teachers who really master their subject to hire “fresh talent” as they put it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly. Content knowledge is only about 20% of a teachers job and time spent decision making/planning/teaching. No one should expect to just walk in and start talking for an hour and call that teaching.

This explains a lot about why my kid’s pre-calculus teacher couldn’t explain fractional exponent rules to the class.

The point is the opposite: knowing how to do math is an important part of teaching math, but know how to do math does not help you know how to get a wide range of learners to learn the math you already know, manage behavior in a classrooms setting, implement IEPs for students with learning disabilities, etc. etc.

My kid's worst math teacher was a retired engineer. He knew math and how to apply math, but he was lousy at teaching math to different learning styles and lousy at classroom management. He lasted 2 years before quitting.

Teaching isn't for the feint of heart.

I had a similar experience with a former engineer from NASA turned math teacher. He had no classroom and kids ran roughshod over him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am surprised to hear that MCPS pays less than FCPS and HCPS. What is their motive behind paying less to teachers and spending money on PR firm? Do they want to drive away the best teachers?

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/departments/ersc/employees/pay/schedules/salary_schedule_current.pdf

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/EG-9%20FY%202017-2019%20Pay%20Schedule.pdf

https://www.hcpss.org/f/employment/hcea-salary-scales.pdf

https://www.frederickcountyschoolsva.net/cms/lib/VA50000684/Centricity/Domain/4//HRFiles/2021_22_salary_scales_for_applicant_portal_122021.pdf