OT: - Teachers of Boneyard...Back to School Time | Page 21 | The Boneyard

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

I have only been an Adjunct faculty first at Mercy College then at Rutgers. At Mercy I was low man on the biology faculty so I got the bottom jobs, Bedford Hills Correctional, Taconic State, Sing Sing and the worst the Cross County Shopping Mall Campus. When I left Rockland County and moved to NJ I team taught a year long toxicology course at Rutgers and mentored predoctoral students. I taught at night after my corporate day job and loved every minute of it. I was tired but so were the students many had to listen to me after working all day!! I knew if I had a bad day teaching that they would have an even worse day learning. I retired a few years ago and my wife said you ought to go back to teach a bit. I thought about it for a second - its a young person's sport! God bless the teachers of this world - Happy Easter
 
Anyone ever taught at a school where math has been cut?

When I built our curriculum about ten years ago, we had 300 minutes a week (which I know is a ton) and a few years ago we’ve been whittled down to 225 minutes a week (45 minutes every day), which I realize is pretty normal in most schools, so I kept my complaints minimal.

Anyways, last week, I had a meeting with our head of MS to discuss next year’s schedule and she proposed four days of math per week at 45 minutes, totaling out to 180 total. I was pretty shocked, especially considering the high standards these kids have at our private school, and especially with many applying to private high schools after graduating after grade 8. When it was clear I was very unhappy with this change, another option was proposed: two days a week for 90 minutes/week. I laughed out loud.

Good news is that the HOS got word of my disappointment so we’ll meet Wednesday to discuss schedule.
 
Hey Adrien! said:
Anyone ever taught at a school where math has been cut?

When I built our curriculum about ten years ago, we had 300 minutes a week (which I know is a ton) and a few years ago we’ve been whittled down to 225 minutes a week (45 minutes every day), which I realize is pretty normal in most schools, so I kept my complaints minimal.

Anyways, last week, I had a meeting with our head of MS to discuss next year’s schedule and she proposed four days of math per week at 45 minutes, totaling out to 180 total. I was pretty shocked, especially considering the high standards these kids have at our private school, and especially with many applying to private high schools after graduating after grade 8. When it was clear I was very unhappy with this change, another option was proposed: two days a week for 90 minutes/week. I laughed out loud.

Good news is that the HOS got word of my disappointment so we’ll meet Wednesday to discuss schedule.
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That is crazy!!! 180 minutes a week is nuts. What's the other minutes look like for other content areas?

I'm in HS and we have 50 minute classes every day. So 250 minutes a week. Other districts around do 180 minutes 1 week and 270 minutes the next as like an alternating block.

My JH in my district is double blocking math next year because our scores suck. So 80-90 minutes of math per day. Electives take a hit.
 
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week...need to vent...

We had coffee provided on Tuesday and lunch provided later today, which is all nice...

But also it's the same day that mother's and special visitors are also at school, visiting classes. It's a half day, so after the half day, we have three hours of meetings, and we have to park off-campus to allow enough parking for visitors.

Just feeling grumpy and need to vent!
 
.-.
Good luck to all you teachers out there. My wife just retired after 53 years in the classroom just amazing to me and she's 77 how she did it I'll never know. Just looked outside and saw the first schoolbus of the year which prompted my post as I was reading this thread. I changed careers and started teaching when I was 48 and retired at 61,14 years ago. Yes I'm old and started and became a uconn fan as my father took me too see the huskies in the old field house in 1957. Again good luck to all you teachers.
 
Edward Sargent said:
I have only been an Adjunct faculty first at Mercy College then at Rutgers. At Mercy I was low man on the biology faculty so I got the bottom jobs, Bedford Hills Correctional, Taconic State, Sing Sing and the worst the Cross County Shopping Mall Campus. When I left Rockland County and moved to NJ I team taught a year long toxicology course at Rutgers and mentored predoctoral students. I taught at night after my corporate day job and loved every minute of it. I was tired but so were the students many had to listen to me after working all day!! I knew if I had a bad day teaching that they would have an even worse day learning. I retired a few years ago and my wife said you ought to go back to teach a bit. I thought about it for a second - its a young person's sport! God bless the teachers of this world - Happy Easter
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Sounds like my daughter, a genetics major there, would have loved your toxicology lecture.
 
Last year I sweat through my undershirt and dress shirt by 9am.. yesterday I wore a fleece pullover to school, I’ll take it
 
donyell34 said:
Good luck to all you teachers out there. My wife just retired after 53 years in the classroom just amazing to me and she's 77 how she did it I'll never know. Just looked outside and saw the first schoolbus of the year which prompted my post as I was reading this thread. I changed careers and started teaching when I was 48 and retired at 61,14 years ago. Yes I'm old and started and became a uconn fan as my father took me too see the huskies in the old field house in 1957. Again good luck to all you teachers.
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53 years in the classroom is equal parts insane and incredible. I just started year 22 and my bitterness is at an all-time high.
 
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boog204 said:
53 years in the classroom is equal parts insane and incredible. I just started year 22 and my bitterness is at an all-time high.
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Yes she is still sane with a smile on her face as the school busses roll by our house.
 
boog204 said:
53 years in the classroom is equal parts insane and incredible. I just started year 22 and my bitterness is at an all-time high.
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Sorry to hear that! What's the main source?

It's funny, every year, when we have a week of in-service, I'm like "why and I so grumpy" and then once the kids arrive, I'm like "oh, that's why I was grumpy, arriving at school for a week without kids is so boring!"
 
Hey Adrien! said:
Sorry to hear that! What's the main source?

It's funny, every year, when we have a week of in-service, I'm like "why and I so grumpy" and then once the kids arrive, I'm like "oh, that's why I was grumpy, arriving at school for a week without kids is so boring!"
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I think for most at my school it’s the empty platitudes from admin saying “we hear you, we know you need time to prepare,” while giving us absolutely no time to prepare and trudging everyone through absolutely pointless PD after pointless PD session.

For what it’s worth, I love teaching at my school. I love the staff, love my students, and have an overall positive attitude towards admin. But I can’t say that first week back doesn’t piss me off for that reason also.
 
Wife works as a para. I told her to get her behind to work. To all those teachers out there, get to work.

In all seriousness, love all the teachers and can't wait for my daughter to become one. Have a safe year and make sure your students don't use AI.
 
Hey Adrien! said:
Sorry to hear that! What's the main source?

It's funny, every year, when we have a week of in-service, I'm like "why and I so grumpy" and then once the kids arrive, I'm like "oh, that's why I was grumpy, arriving at school for a week without kids is so boring!"
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You said it right there... Those days of in-service rob me of my soul. Then the kids come back, and I'm good to go.
 
.-.
Greedo said:
I think for most at my school it’s the empty platitudes from admin saying “we hear you, we know you need time to prepare,” while giving us absolutely no time to prepare and trudging everyone through absolutely pointless PD after pointless PD session.

For what it’s worth, I love teaching at my school. I love the staff, love my students, and have an overall positive attitude towards admin. But I can’t say that first week back doesn’t piss me off for that reason also.
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Agree loud and clear.

A hilariously out-of-bounds visual from a full staff meeting showed something like satisfied parents > higher enrollment/donations to the school > higher teacher salaries, which then followed the yearly reminder to donate to our school's fund.

So, I translated that to: if you want more competitive salaries, make sure our parents are happy.
 
Some funny moments from this week:

Fifth grader: "Is teaching math stressful?"
Me: "It can be, but most of the time it isn't."
Fifth grader: "But, isn't it hard to remember how to do everything?"

New EAL teacher: "I noticed you were wearing GoreTex sneakers during the fire alarm. Was that a coincidence or did you plan that ahead?"
Me. "I wear those every day we have a planned fire alarm."
NEALT: "You have impressive EF skills."
 
Hey Adrien! said:
Some funny moments from this week:

Fifth grader: "Is teaching math stressful?"
Me: "It can be, but most of the time it isn't."
Fifth grader: "But, isn't it hard to remember how to do everything?"

New EAL teacher: "I noticed you were wearing GoreTex sneakers during the fire alarm. Was that a coincidence or did you plan that ahead?"
Me. "I wear those every day we have a planned fire alarm."
NEALT: "You have impressive EF skills."
Expand ...

Student to Math teacher: "Will I every use any of this stuff?"

Math teacher: "You won't, but some of the smart kids will."
 
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