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Feeling defeated and discouraged...sorry negative and lengthy rant
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<blockquote data-quote="susiestar" data-source="post: 331884" data-attributes="member: 1233"><p>I am sorry. Sounds like your situation is awful. I don't know why or when common sense ran away from raising children and educating them, but a whole lot of students just have never had it applied to them. Or so it seems.</p><p></p><p>My dad was a teacher. I know all about good and bad teaching (largely because as he was in grad school he made me do EVERY assignment he had to do, read all the books he had to read. MY teachers did NOT thank him for teaching me this, because as a teen I used this to show them why tests were bad, etc... I was a real brat, but one who loved to learn and had no patience for bad teachers.)</p><p></p><p>I admire you, and most teachers. I could not do your job. I have too many Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) and autistic traits to cope with a room full of kids. I admire those who can do it and keep their sanity. </p><p></p><p>It may be time to brainstorm, figure out a different way to reach the kids. Maybe use video games. They are said to release similar brain chemicals to crack. They also use the most effective reward strategy that has been proven to work with humans. Have a contest - person with highest grade on EOC test gets a computer game or card for something like World of War or another game. Parent permission for the exact game. maybe a Wii game if the person has that system. You may even be able to find a business to donate one. I can make long distance calls if you let me know where you are and what areas you could drive to in order to pick up the item.</p><p></p><p>Or offer a GC to a nail place for the girls. Much of the curriculum is defined, but often there are still ways to shake it up. Maybe some of us remember what our teachers did to motivate us.</p><p></p><p>One of my teachers collected Happy meal toys and things with business names on them. We could get up to 10 points on our final grade (before averaging) by bringing in Happy Meal toys from any fast food place or items we bought or asked for from businesses. If we stole them we flunked the course. He called for each item and asked the people. Usually the request was unusual enough to be remembered. If we had a receipt he did not call. We took one day of class time to chat, eat and wrap the toys for Toys for Tots. Usually the end of each semester.</p><p></p><p>Maybe you can find something like that to get the kids interest. As a teacher my father never got the smart kids, the gifted ones. Every other teacher fought over them. He took the kids no one wanted. Often had a room full of IEPs, up to 40 of them in his class. He got these kids to do algebra, trig and even calculus in 6th and 7th grade. He just didn't tell them what they were doing. As a science teacher he had more leeway in the form of experiments and things. NONE of the other teachers did experiments for science except for dissecting in 7th grade. </p><p></p><p>Over the years when he got discouraged he would focus on what he COULD do. Kids he did help. Kids he did reach, kids who came back to say thanks or that he ran across in life who were succeeding. Right after we moved from OH to OK he stopped to get something at a mall on his way home. Came back to the car and the lady parked next to him was changing a tire.</p><p></p><p>She looked up to ask for help and said that she knew HE wouldn't help. He was her auto repair teacher and in the 70's he refused to let her watch. She had to do the work just like the guys. MOST shop teachers refused to let girls take it, or do anything but book work if they got in. He prepared the girls and the boys for life by making them ALL do it. he also got in trouble for it a few times. </p><p></p><p>I know that you have students who come back and say Hi. One of my favorite teachers was also Wiz' favorite teacher. She even gave him my Christmas essay to give to me as a gift. She read it to her classes as an example of what she wanted for all of those years. She was a key factor to Wiz making it through jr high and on to graduation. He spent lunch in her room for 2 years - he could not handle the cafeteria chaos.</p><p></p><p>Think about the students you reached in the past. How did you motivate them? What ideas can you use to motivate them now? I am sure others here in your online fantasy can share ways that teachers reached us and our kids. Maybe we can brainstorm with you.</p><p></p><p>Whatever you do, we love you and are proud of you. We KNOW what you put forth for your students and how thankless your job is.</p><p></p><p>So for all of your past and future students, Thank You. I know you are not in it for that. But I appreciate the unpaid hours you put in, the ways you go 120% for your students. The hassles and idiots you are polite to, I appreciate you for enduring that.</p><p></p><p>Many hugs.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="susiestar, post: 331884, member: 1233"] I am sorry. Sounds like your situation is awful. I don't know why or when common sense ran away from raising children and educating them, but a whole lot of students just have never had it applied to them. Or so it seems. My dad was a teacher. I know all about good and bad teaching (largely because as he was in grad school he made me do EVERY assignment he had to do, read all the books he had to read. MY teachers did NOT thank him for teaching me this, because as a teen I used this to show them why tests were bad, etc... I was a real brat, but one who loved to learn and had no patience for bad teachers.) I admire you, and most teachers. I could not do your job. I have too many Sensory Integration Disorder (SID) and autistic traits to cope with a room full of kids. I admire those who can do it and keep their sanity. It may be time to brainstorm, figure out a different way to reach the kids. Maybe use video games. They are said to release similar brain chemicals to crack. They also use the most effective reward strategy that has been proven to work with humans. Have a contest - person with highest grade on EOC test gets a computer game or card for something like World of War or another game. Parent permission for the exact game. maybe a Wii game if the person has that system. You may even be able to find a business to donate one. I can make long distance calls if you let me know where you are and what areas you could drive to in order to pick up the item. Or offer a GC to a nail place for the girls. Much of the curriculum is defined, but often there are still ways to shake it up. Maybe some of us remember what our teachers did to motivate us. One of my teachers collected Happy meal toys and things with business names on them. We could get up to 10 points on our final grade (before averaging) by bringing in Happy Meal toys from any fast food place or items we bought or asked for from businesses. If we stole them we flunked the course. He called for each item and asked the people. Usually the request was unusual enough to be remembered. If we had a receipt he did not call. We took one day of class time to chat, eat and wrap the toys for Toys for Tots. Usually the end of each semester. Maybe you can find something like that to get the kids interest. As a teacher my father never got the smart kids, the gifted ones. Every other teacher fought over them. He took the kids no one wanted. Often had a room full of IEPs, up to 40 of them in his class. He got these kids to do algebra, trig and even calculus in 6th and 7th grade. He just didn't tell them what they were doing. As a science teacher he had more leeway in the form of experiments and things. NONE of the other teachers did experiments for science except for dissecting in 7th grade. Over the years when he got discouraged he would focus on what he COULD do. Kids he did help. Kids he did reach, kids who came back to say thanks or that he ran across in life who were succeeding. Right after we moved from OH to OK he stopped to get something at a mall on his way home. Came back to the car and the lady parked next to him was changing a tire. She looked up to ask for help and said that she knew HE wouldn't help. He was her auto repair teacher and in the 70's he refused to let her watch. She had to do the work just like the guys. MOST shop teachers refused to let girls take it, or do anything but book work if they got in. He prepared the girls and the boys for life by making them ALL do it. he also got in trouble for it a few times. I know that you have students who come back and say Hi. One of my favorite teachers was also Wiz' favorite teacher. She even gave him my Christmas essay to give to me as a gift. She read it to her classes as an example of what she wanted for all of those years. She was a key factor to Wiz making it through jr high and on to graduation. He spent lunch in her room for 2 years - he could not handle the cafeteria chaos. Think about the students you reached in the past. How did you motivate them? What ideas can you use to motivate them now? I am sure others here in your online fantasy can share ways that teachers reached us and our kids. Maybe we can brainstorm with you. Whatever you do, we love you and are proud of you. We KNOW what you put forth for your students and how thankless your job is. So for all of your past and future students, Thank You. I know you are not in it for that. But I appreciate the unpaid hours you put in, the ways you go 120% for your students. The hassles and idiots you are polite to, I appreciate you for enduring that. Many hugs. [/QUOTE]
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