From a struggling teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP- You could always take the ESOL Praxis which would result in K-12 certification. There are often many vacancies in ESOL and the fact that you are bilingual would make you very attractive too.

I will look into this. I would love to go that route. I taught my subject bilingually at my past school and loved using my Spanish. Thank you,

OP

De nada. I'm an ESOL teacher and I love my job (the teaching part of it but it seems that it is being crowded out by the other useless BS). In my district (not in DCUMland), we currently have 10 FT ESOL vacancies and I've heard from friends in other districts that they also need ESOL teachers. There is a study guide for the ESOL Praxis but I'd also recommend taking some ESOL courses. UMBC has a 4 course certificate program that you might be able to take entirely online. I took 2 courses online and 2 in person. Best of luck!


http://www.umbc.edu/esol/overview.php

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like the P and AP are on 2 different planets. Not good. In my district, in order for you to lose your license, you are put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) and the P has to do A LOT of legwork to get rid of you. It happens occasionally but it means you are observed a lot and are assigned an instructional coach, etc. Did any of this happen? If not, is there a union you belong to?

This is what is wrong with teaching, and why bad teachers get to teach our kids. Why should the principal have to do "A LOT" of leg work to get rid of ineffective teachers? Also, if the principal is unhappy enough to recommend terminating her license in the district, why is she still in the classroom? Basically, the principal is saying she is ineffective enough for him/her to say don't allow this teacher to teach in this district anymore, but let her current students be subjected to sub-par teaching for the rest of the year. I'm sure OP is a nice person who is going through a difficult time, but there is a whole classroom of kids being subjected to her professional and personal struggles. How is that fair to those kids? I understand that the principal doesn't want to terminate OP mid-year, so why not keep her on in a capacity outside the classroom, which would be best for the kids and likely also for OP.

I was rated effective three years in a row with my own observations and student scores. I have shown demonstrated growth with students for years. My home room and subject class scored second highest growth within our school on multiple assessments this academic year. You are out of line.

OP

You admitted you were having problems preparing lesson plans, I'm not out of line.

[Anonymous]

Ignore posters like the previous one. They are either overpaid or SAHMs with nannies. Both types get paid too much to do next to nothing so they have plenty of time to criticize others on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I am so depressed.

[Anonymous]

OP,

Hang in there. Do you have family around? Or a good friend? Now is the time to lean on them. Spend time with people you love and doing things you enjoy outside of work. I know it always helps me to think about how much my mother loves me (or loved me, as now she is gone). I miss her so much. Spend time with these people. This is what counts in life. There are people who believe in you and they are the ones who really know you and love you. You are a worthy person who deserves so much more.

Make a plan to go somewhere new every weekend (in our area it's not hard to do!). Research the place and have it as something you look forward to at the end of the week. I started doing this last year and it helps me.

You need to just get through this year and then move on to a better situation. Do whatever it takes.

Good luck OP!! I wish you the best.

[Anonymous]

I just want to add that sometimes, OP, the things that hurt the most and seemingly drag you down the most, also propel you forward to something infinitely better. Keep your dignity and know your worth and take action to find something new and meaningful. Be patient but proactive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. I know I have to leave but I need to finish out the year ... Financially I really need to, and I don't want to desert the kids. I cannot go back there in the fall.

I don't even know if the admin u derstands how it affects teachers when they're treated like this. I am teaching one hundred students a day and depressed and uncomfortable. That's not going to help their school.

You have already deserted the kids. If you are so depressed and having difficulty preparing lessons, I doubt you are being an effective teacher, and you are doing a disservice to the kids by staying for your own financial reasons. Maybe the administration is seeing this. If you can't handle the pressure, you aren't doing anyone, including yourself, any favors by staying. You sound like you need counseling/therapy for your depression. Your emotional wellbeing should be your priority at this point.

Bye bye. Your aggression disguised as "help" is what's wrong with many adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I am so depressed.

NP. hang in there OP and it will get better. I have been in some very low places personally and professionally and come out the other side. I know lots of people who have and you can as well.

A question: are you exercising every day?

[Anonymous]

OP Here. Thank you so much to the supportive PPs. I like the idea of going somewhere new every weekend and will try that. I love looking forward to travels, big and small.

I have family close and a supportive boyfriend, however he has to leave the country in a few months and can't come back long term for 2 years (yes, I was that other poster...)

Additionally, I have 2 roommates who just told me they probably moving out as of 4/1, so I need to find new ones.

It's too much going on. The boyfriend may actually move in and I will rent out the other room. But all this stuff happened in the past week. I am completely exhausted and in a mental fog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to leave this school. It is not selfish to look after yourself. You should not feel broken and unworthy.

Teach somewhere where teaching is seen as a profession, not charity work. Teach somewhere with stability and credibility. Don't worry about who needs you more. Worry only about where you feel you will be most productive and effective, and right now that's probably not where you are.

You can leave teaching if you want, of course, but consider trying a different kind of school. Perhaps a private? Or at least a suburban school that's not so high needs.

Plus 1 from another teacher. What were their grounds for threatening to take away your liscence? Good luCK, Op


K

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. I know I have to leave but I need to finish out the year ... Financially I really need to, and I don't want to desert the kids. I cannot go back there in the fall.

I don't even know if the admin u derstands how it affects teachers when they're treated like this. I am teaching one hundred students a day and depressed and uncomfortable. That's not going to help their school.

You have already deserted the kids. If you are so depressed and having difficulty preparing lessons, I doubt you are being an effective teacher, and you are doing a disservice to the kids by staying for your own financial reasons. Maybe the administration is seeing this. If you can't handle the pressure, you aren't doing anyone, including yourself, any favors by staying. You sound like you need counseling/therapy for your depression. Your emotional wellbeing should be your priority at this point.

Bye bye. Your aggression disguised as "help" is what's wrong with many adults.

Have you read OP's posts? She needs to get help for her depression immediately. If she needs to move back home with her parents temporarily to be able to financially leave this teaching position now, she should do that. All the encouraging words on this thread about sticking it out are suggesting that someone who can barely make it out of bed each day should stay in the situation that in large part is causing this. You may think that's good advice, but I don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks PP. I know I have to leave but I need to finish out the year ... Financially I really need to, and I don't want to desert the kids. I cannot go back there in the fall.

I don't even know if the admin u derstands how it affects teachers when they're treated like this. I am teaching one hundred students a day and depressed and uncomfortable. That's not going to help their school.

You have already deserted the kids. If you are so depressed and having difficulty preparing lessons, I doubt you are being an effective teacher, and you are doing a disservice to the kids by staying for your own financial reasons. Maybe the administration is seeing this. If you can't handle the pressure, you aren't doing anyone, including yourself, any favors by staying. You sound like you need counseling/therapy for your depression. Your emotional wellbeing should be your priority at this point.

Dude, really? Do you think that a substitute this late in the school year will make any meaningful changes? I attended inner city schools and this just empowers the disruptive kids to become more unruly. Most teachers go through this. My best friend is a MS math teacher and is also having her toughest year yet. She's also in her 4th year and has a particularly unruly group of kids, many of whom are 2-3 years behind in Math upon arrival, and very little support from parents. She's burned out as well, because she's got Admin looking for her to screw up. She challenged the principal on changing grades in a previous year (her failing students had their grades changed by Admin) and she's been a target since. If all teachers followed your advice and quit midyear, we'd have a real issue staffing schools, especially middle schools!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This is what is wrong with teaching, and why bad teachers get to teach our kids. Why should the principal have to do "A LOT" of leg work to get rid of ineffective teachers? Also, if the principal is unhappy enough to recommend terminating her license in the district, why is she still in the classroom? Basically, the principal is saying she is ineffective enough for him/her to say don't allow this teacher to teach in this district anymore, but let her current students be subjected to sub-par teaching for the rest of the year.

Because teaching middle school science and math is hard to do well, and there aren't a bunch of experienced, qualified teachers just waiting in the wings to take over a class in March, so the class would be given to a series of long term, likely unqualified, subs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just want to add that sometimes, OP, the things that hurt the most and seemingly drag you down the most, also propel you forward to something infinitely better. Keep your dignity and know your worth and take action to find something new and meaningful. Be patient but proactive.

This is excellent advice. I hope the OP reads it again and again. I've lived long enough to have experienced difficulties professionally and personally and can say this advice has proven absolutely true in my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just want to add that sometimes, OP, the things that hurt the most and seemingly drag you down the most, also propel you forward to something infinitely better. Keep your dignity and know your worth and take action to find something new and meaningful. Be patient but proactive.

This is excellent advice. I hope the OP reads it again and again. I've lived long enough to have experienced difficulties professionally and personally and can say this advice has proven absolutely true in my life.

OP here. Glad I came back to check this thread. I love that advice and I will save it. I just got a book called Broken Open: how difficult times help us grow. Trying to deal head on and face the problem. Glad tomorrow is Friday. I think I am depressed