OT: Teachers of Boneyard...Back to School Time

[Hey Adrien!]

Ten years from now she’ll look back and likely cringe at some of what she did her first year (I know I do), but it’s all part of the process.

Great point.

Although there was a ton of stress, my internship at Stamford High was essential to me having an easeful career once I became a full-time teacher, but the first two/three months there were awful.

Basically, I was a warm body that did whatever the school needed. I had the intentions of being w/ the department I was under, but I was basically a building sub. I'll always remember the first Friday...a few minutes before the last period, this little freshman, no bigger than 110 lbs, walked up to me and said how would you feel if I beat the **** out of you right now? As a general pacifist who grew up in a mostly protective suburban childhood and had no real physical battles under my belt, I was flabbergasted and nervously responded a meek Well [name of kid], I don't think I'd like that and then I started to brainstorm worst-case "what ifs" maybe, if he comes at me, I can just keep him down before more help comes in until the bell rang and class was dismissed. Basically, he was just screwing with me and was best classified as "initiation". Once the kids got to know me, they realized I was harmless, but I get it, not many kids have a 22-year-old glorified sub with literally no experience. Even one day, while walking the hallways, I got asked for a hall pass by the teacher on duty and I responded I work here and he responded but who do you work for? Strange times. By the time it was December, that's when I started to relax and it began to get fun. Basketball speaking, it was a blast watching Stamford Boys' host Trinity Catholic (RIP) and beating them in OT. Top-two favorite CT HS game I've ever watched.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Little to no reciprocity in MA.. All they basically recognize is: you are a teacher there but not here.

I took all the tests and passed them on the first try, except just take the SEI course, the rules for EL students are mindbending. If you just do the course for that it negates the test.

Mind you, I did all of that, and now I teach in CT again.

My daughter just started at SCSU and is going to be a SPED teacher.

She was discouraged from almost all other teachers going to college in Mass. because it isn’t a praxis state.

I find it odd that many teachers say they can’t I d jobs, but there is a lot of open positions that never get filled. Maybe it is the district. I know city schools have an awful time getting staff.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Thanks to all our teachers out there! Now I know why many of our BY regulars post so much over the summer. Sister-in-law is a teacher and I have to hear the whining and complaining about the “end of summer” every year while I’m lucky to get 1-2 weeks off in an entire year. I can’t empathize with the end of your months long vacations, but good luck this year and thanks for all you do for the kids. Hoping this will be a more “normal” year with regards to Covid.

You wanna pay for the extra 8 weeks of salary it would cost your district (that's a big taxpayer burden, people don't always stop to consider). What? You thought the educators were gonna work another 40 days for free, for the same salaries they already are making?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

How does someone get fired after four days?

They can't control student behavior. You can almost guarantee it.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Have any of you experience teacher burnout before? If so, what was it like and what do you think was the cause?

Being an educator is a demanding job. Not one that everyone can do - effectively. Even with a degree in education. In fact, supply and demand indicate that if you hire a good applicant, you are fortunate and you better treat them well.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Just got off a 30 minute phone call with parents where 2 of the minutes were on topic to why a phone call was needed while the other 28 minutes were about general anger/disapproval to the school that had is almost entirely out of my hands (for example, I am not even this student's teacher).

Thankfully, I get one of those every few years, but today was the day. Sigh.

Only 30 minutes?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I’m at a 6-8 middle school and the 8th grade in my school usually checks out sometime shortly after April break…..this year it was probably at the end of February…we are all riding it out and trying to make the best of it but . . .

They check out only if you allow them to do so (speaking about the collective "you", not you specifically, BTW). A savvy teacher would up the workload until their students met his or her expectations. Remember, the teacher makes the EOY "ride" and it can be increasingly more difficult OR it can gradually be relaxed til before you know it is June.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I was telling my wife's parents this yesterday and it couldn't even register with them. They come from the land of "stay at your employer for 30 years, get a pension, give your two weeks if you leave." FIL has been working for the same employer since 1991.

The only thing keeping me in my current job is they put me on top of the pay scale well before I deserved it to try to get me to come on board a few years ago.

I'm looking for admin jobs (this one is a closer step), and my current district has hired around 10 admin in the past 2 years: 0 of them internally. If I can get comparable pay somewhere else in a job more suited to my career development, there's no incentive left to stay. They've made it abundantly clear that I have nowhere else to go in their system.

Laughed at . . . " my current district hired 10 admin, with zero coming internally". Don't you know that an expert is someone from two towns over? Lol, just messing with you. Actually, the stat you just provided points a culpable finger at your district's current leadership. Wrong. Not hiring a reasonable percentage from with, you extinguish motivation and in-house leadership.

 

[TouchdownHusky]

I'm not sure when school began to start before the first Wed after Labor Day, but it's bullshit. Adding a few days to the school year does nothing to improve a child's education.

Summer activities with friends is far more valuable than moving the rituals of the first few days of school up even just a few days.

"When does school start" should never be a valid question. The Wed after Labor Day should be the only answer.

Oh ... and the change in the starting date for school is what killed the Jerry Lewis Telethon.

</rant>

School days in late August (before Labor Day) are more valuable than days after Memorial Day. Kids are ready to go back to school and have had their appetite for summer weather satiated. Districts are more inclined to close for inclement weather than years ago (think liability.), thereby pushing the end of year deeper into June when everyone is tired and anxious for summer time. And "summer activities with friends" can occur in June as well as August. Right?

Finally, schools have been starting before Labor Day for decades (close to 30 years in some towns). And, as for kids knowing Jerry Lewis . . . their answer would be WHO?

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Any other schools with a huge proportion of kids/staff out? Seems like everyone in my school is battling a cold and we’ve had a few kids out all week due to walking pneumonia.

 

[History Geek]

Not huge numbers but something is going around

 

[Rocktheworld]

Any other schools with a huge proportion of kids/staff out? Seems like everyone in my school is battling a cold and we’ve had a few kids out all week due to walking pneumonia.

Checking in from healthcare, yes something is definitely going around. I just had a very mild three day head cold last week. Some folks at work had to call out today.

 

[M.S.G.]

I assumed I had Covid 3 weeks ago, then gave it to my wife.

We didn’t test, it wasn’t that bad, I didn’t miss a day of school. So, definitely could have been something else, lingering.

Allergies terrible too?

Seems like a gross start to the school year already.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Any other schools with a huge proportion of kids/staff out? Seems like everyone in my school is battling a cold and we’ve had a few kids out all week due to walking pneumonia.

Kid in my son’s school had croup and both of my kids have been coughing. Wife also has had a bad sore throat.

I on the other hand bent down to turn off my sprinkler and threw my back out so I can barely walk. Getting old sucks.

 

[crazyUCfan23]

I've seen quite a few absences from both students and teachers these last two weeks.

 

[husky429]

Absences have been pretty bad. My allergies kicked my butt a couple weeks ago but I'm starting to get out of it

Conveniently our absences always stack up on Fridays and Mondays. And we have 2 building subs, 1 of whom is covering a class where a teacher quit. So if we have more than 1 teacher out, social workers, guidance counselors and admin are covering classes. It's awful.

 

[UC1995]

My students seem to have an allergy to school on Fridays!

 

[lange10]

Received tenure in my district as of 9/1 so I’m looking forward to jumping into coaching the middle school hoops team this winter now that I’ve got the job security taken care of.

Ultimately my goal is to help mold these young kids into better men. Learn what it means to be on a team. How to take care of themselves off the court and ensure they’re keeping up with their academics.

For drills/practices I’m thinking a lot of shell drill early on, and basic fundamentals for skill development - dribbling, form shooting, etc.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

 

[M.S.G.]

Shell drill every day for 20 mins bare minimum.

As the season goes on make it a challenge, add to the drill to make it game speed..

Everything game speed.

 

[husky429]

Received tenure in my district as of 9/1 so I’m looking forward to jumping into coaching the middle school hoops team this winter now that I’ve got the job security taken care of.

Ultimately my goal is to help mold these young kids into better men. Learn what it means to be on a team. How to take care of themselves off the court and ensure they’re keeping up with their academics.

For drills/practices I’m thinking a lot of shell drill early on, and basic fundamentals for skill development - dribbling, form shooting, etc.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!

Don't form shoot with 1 hand or from 3 feet away. It's stupid. Drive me friggen nuts. 6-10 feet and with both hands--just, ya know... slow and formy. I like to focus on strong-hand position on the ball; I've found it takes care of many issues with the off-hand.

Shell drill all the time. 3 on 3, 4 on 4, 3 on 4, etc. Do everything you can to change the conditions so they have to learn to play, not just the rules of the shell game you created.

Don't teach skills in isolation for long. Make it a small-sided game and enforce rules to make the kids play that way. (ie. 3 v 3, left side of the court only, 3 dribbles max, and you need to use an off-ball screen once or the bucket doesn't count).

MS kids love to be competitive in practice. Make everything a game someone or a team wins that you can.

Winning is not important at this age. Don't play a zone like every other coach. Stick with man because it will 1000% pay off come HS.

Play even minutes through 3 quarters even if you're losing. Whoever played the best that day gets minutes the 4th quarter.

Specifically teach how to pass with 1 hand off a catch or a dribble. Coaches seem to never do that for some reason.

 

[husky429]

And FWIW if you're in CT, you had tenure last June even if they hadn't handed the letter out yet. It's 40 months of service and a contract for next year, not starting the 5th year = tenure.

I had more fun in my one year of coaching MS basketball than I did in AAU or high school. Enjoy.

 

[lange10]

And FWIW if you're in CT, you had tenure last June even if they hadn't handed the letter out yet. It's 40 months of service and a contract for next year, not starting the 5th year = tenure.

I had more fun in my one year of coaching MS basketball than I did in AAU or high school. Enjoy.

I’m in NY. Thank you for the advice! Actually tried to PM you prior to posting here but was unable.

 

[tzznandrew]

Shell drill every day for 20 mins bare minimum.

As the season goes on make it a challenge, add to the drill to make it game speed..

Everything game speed.

don't "play to win." It's middle school—that stuff stunts them long term.

And... if you focus on real skills—man to man defense, shell drill, shot form—they'll be winning anyway by mid-season if you have the talent. Aiming for the skills lead to the results you want, aiming for the result doesn't lead to skills, and thus often doesn't get you the result.

And, once you know they have MTM defense down, boxing out, etc.... it's totally cool to throw in a junk defense to throw out at strategic moments. I had a couple of high level soccer players—long, high-motor, high-stamina girls on my team, and near the end of the season when we really wanted to win against really tough opponents, a 1-3-1 after timeouts or in high-leverage situations really helped us grind out some tough wins.

What really sucked was having to work on 2-3 zone Offense, especially early in the year, because that defense is easiest to teach and if the principles you've taught to show some fruit, in game, they won't stick and you won't get trust. That said, a good offense against a 2-3 should use the same principles, so it wasn't too bad, but getting them to believe it was tough at first.

 

[lange10]

don't "play to win." It's middle school—that stuff stunts them long term.

And... if you focus on real skills—man to man defense, shell drill, shot form—they'll be winning anyway by mid-season if you have the talent. Aiming for the skills lead to the results you want, aiming for the result doesn't lead to skills, and thus often doesn't get you the result.

And, once you know they have MTM defense down, boxing out, etc.... it's totally cool to throw in a junk defense to throw out at strategic moments. I had a couple of high level soccer players—long, high-motor, high-stamina girls on my team, and near the end of the season when we really wanted to win against really tough opponents, a 1-3-1 after timeouts or in high-leverage situations really helped us grind out some tough wins.

What really sucked was having to work on 2-3 zone Offense, especially early in the year, because that defense is easiest to teach and if the principles you've taught to show some fruit, in game, they won't stick and you won't get trust. That said, a good offense against a 2-3 should use the same principles, so it wasn't too bad, but getting them to believe it was tough at first.

When I was in middle school we couldn’t play zone defense until after MLK Jr. day. My teammates still jokingly text each other each year on that Tuesday saying it’s time to go zone.

Not sure if that’s still the case in NY middle school hoops but either way I’m definitely planning to play man to man pretty exclusively, regardless of the zone rules.

 

[Hey Adrien!]

Fun convo,

Shell drill all the way, but I might throw in a 3-1-1 halfcourt trap at some point to generate turnovers since we can't press until the final minute of any half.

I concur w/ every coach on here, middle school is all about skill building, teamwork, building character and understanding the game.

My only bugaboo is that we practice, at most, two times a week for 50 minutes. I'm in a league where some teams practice every day, so it's been a rough few years especially since our international students play very little, if at all, basketball outside of school, or even watch it for that matter.