Back to school - First substitute teaching assignment this school year

Physics Honors today. And one course of Earth Science.

Cool.

The new school year has an added class period, but the day is just as short. 7:05am -1:50pm. Class periods are now 48 minutes long, they used to be an hour. I really felt an hour was too short as it was. It's difficult to effectively teach anything in that short of time to a group of 25-30 teenagers. When I was a freshman in high school, there were 7 period days like there are now, but the days were longer.

And how is that short time being spent today? Finishing tests and watching a movie. October Sky. Good movie, but I see an awful lot of movies in the classroom these days. WTF? I don't remember watching this many movies when I was in high school.

And I get to see the first half hour or so of it 7 times.

It's an easy day and the kids think I'm cool so why am I bitching?

It's what I do. I can't help it. I'm annoyed and disappointed. I think schools can be better than this.

No testing on religious holidays?

I guess public schools are not totally secular. Actually there's a long list of holidays I was informed of that are no test days. However the teacher I'm coverign for today may not have known that. One of the kids did and whined to the principal. Anything to get out of work, right? Well not really. It is a policy that should have been observed. And with half the students gone and 20 teachers out, it's a really bad day for a test. Actually it's a quiz. The policy says no tests.

I was informed by the principal I still have to give them the option not to take it. No problem with that for me really. If anything it comes down to being respectful of beliefs, though I think the kids abuse it.

From the classroom today.

I so had to blog this.

"What movie it is?"
"Unfortunately for you not one about the English language."
"Man, I'm takin' English 4 Honors. I got a A+"
"I couldn't tell by the way you speak."

So I got to see Iron Man, and taxpayers paid me to do it.

First let me thank TheologyOnline's own Lighthouse for being the only comic book geek introverted enough to correct me on it being 2 words instead of 1.

Moving on, the viewing of Iron Man was on the agenda given to me by the teacher I was covering for yesterday. I was pretty much babysitting the students that didn't go on the field trip scheduled. Pretty easy day for me. I will say this, I could have done with out watching the first 50 minutes of it 6 times. But I did stay after school to watch the end. Don't worry, I'm not paid by the hour.

I have to say, great movie. I'm not one for movies that are loaded with CGI and effects, but this one had plenty of action and a plot. I was also pleased to see that, though it was modernized, they did stay very true to the comic book. It's a thing with me, I get rather annoyed when filmmakers don't stay true to what ever they are basing the movie off of.

I'm not sure if it was the most appropriate movie. More entertaining then something educational, but this is a school they are supposed to be educated, not entertained. Unless both can be pulled off at the same time.

Spelling and math ain't important no more.

In the last day I've received some news that rather annoyed me. From one of the math teachers that I work with I have been told that basic operations with real numbers has been removed from the curriculum as an essential learning. In all reality, they should know this by high school, but it should definitely still be required, especially in the lower level classes. I had students last year that could not multiply 2 single digit numbers without a calculator. Besides if they can't do basic functions with numbers (of any kind), how are they supposed to work with an abstract. Or understand more advanced concepts?

I had more distressing news last night. While I was spending time with some of my neighbors last night, one of them was also helping her daughter with her homework. We got to talking about the schools and I came to find out that spelling is no longer being taught. At least not on the middle school level. Like the wiseguy I am I said "well they have spell check on the computer so why bother?" But seriously, no spelling requirement in English? That's messed up at best. She was also telling me that when doing math homework she has to make her daughter work it out on her own instead of using the calculator like she learned in school.

I don't understand how schools these days are to prepare kids for anything other than flipping burgers and digging ditches. If it gets any worse, they may not be qualified to do that. I said it before and I'll say it again, if I had kids, I would homeschool them. The teacher mentioned above does homeschool her children. My neighbor is having me assist in her daughters education.

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Now playing: Decoded Feedback - Night's Calling
via FoxyTunes

Yeah, I guess I should set a proper example for the kids.

Walked into school today still wearing balaclava and listening to my Zen. I did have the balaclava rolled up, it's not like I walked in looking like a ninja. I was imediately yelled at by an administrator.

"You need to take that off! And put that away!"
"Yeah, I guess I should set a proper example for the kids."
"WHAT?!?!"
*removing balaclava and headphones*"I said I should be setting an example"
"You're staff?"
"Substitute teacher."
"Oh I'm sorry"
"Don't be, and thank you for mistaking me for someone half my age."

Back when I was in school

We didn't talk about the illicit drugs we were taking in front of our teachers.

I'm just saying...

And some kids will make a drama out of anything. The A/C broke earlier today. It's back on now, but I still have a bunch of kids whining about it.

Next teaching assignment should be easy

The teachers I'm covering for are away taking their students on field trips, I get to babysit the students not going and watch DVD's.

I almost feel like I'm taking money from the school board/taxpayers.

Looking back at the last week of teaching

Oh, wait, it was more like babysitting.

Being a sub it's mostly what I do. I have my concerns for this class. I certainly hope their regular teacher is going to work more with them on the subject of global warming. Watching "The Day After Tomorrow" is not nearly enough. I think grouping the students together on different sides of the issue and having a debate over it would be a better means for the student to learn about it. One class I was covering was doing just that with the creation vs evolution argument. I thought that was pretty cool. And I'm not really bashing the teacher I covered for, she seems pretty good at what she does and I really want to believe that she's going to do more then just have them watch a movie.

All things considered, it wasn't a bad assignment. Though I really miss doing some real teaching. I really need to finish out my degree.

One problem with the kids thinking I'm cool.

The kids want to hang out with me. One of my former students invited me to hang out and party with him and his friends. "I'm not your student any more, it's cool" he tells me. Another saw me at the MSI concert a while back and wants to see me at more concerts. She was in one of the classes I'm covering. Asked me if there was any shows I was planning on going to.

Maybe it's just me, but I think it's a little inappropriate for someone of my age to be hanging out with kids outside of school.

Marine Biology today

And all this week. Well until Thursday, no school Friday. Cool by me though I kinda feel like a babysitter with 3 of those days. The class is watching "The Day After Tomorrow" to learn about global warming. Good movie, but I'm going to wind up watching it 6 times.

At least I'm getting paid for it.

Working at a school again

This is a good thing, I still need the money.

Today it's Zoology. Well 5 courses of Zoology and one of Biology. I'm back at the school I was at last year and seeing lots of familiar faces.

And hearing lots of familiar whines.

One good thing is that the teacher I'm covering for teaches all 6 class periods. That's $10 more I get paid for today. Pretty easy day so far, they have a worksheet to work on. I'm just sitting back while they are working. These are mostly juniors and seniors so they know to just get to work. The Biology class is later on, mostly sophomores. Might be more difficult but I think they were pretty good the last time I covered this class. That was the only class where I didn't already know a few kids.

Only real issue I'm having now is I have a case of the munchies and lunch isn't for another 2 hours.

And at the public school today

The teacher I'm covering for took half the day off to go to a baseball game.

Actually there's 25 teachers at this school alone that are taking the day off.

Go Rays! Teachers need to take more days off so I can make money.

It's great to be back in the classroom

And what better school to work at than the one I was at a good portion of last year. I saw a lot of familiar faces, all of which were happy to see me. Today's subject was zoology and one course of biology. Not my strongest subjects. It was ok though. The students had work to do and the teacher also left a video. So I wasn't much more than a babysitter today. In a way that sucks. I like it when I have to really teach. Maybe it's my work ethics, maybe it's because that's what I'm really good at and enjoy doing. I'm still having issues with the dumbing down of education in America especially where I live, it's still evident at the start of this year.

The good thing is that I am now on that schools preferred list and there is already another science teacher that wants me to cover for her for 3 days in about 2 weeks. With my hours being cut at the hotel and my still having some financial struggles, this bodes very well for me. Also I have a job at another school in the morning. I'm hoping to score something Friday too. At $70/day (yes that's all they pay me) that's $140 (possibly $210) this week and another $210 coming up. Maybe I can get the Escort fixed and use it as a trade in for my Smart car that will be arriving soon.

w00t!

I have an idea

So of course I want opinions on it.

On my days off from the hotel I work as a substitute school teacher. I'm also working toward getting a degree in secondary education with a mathematics emphasis so I can teach full time. The degree in electronics engineering that I have just isn't good enough. I love teaching. It's just so amazing to see someone understand something, see them learn some thing new, see the lights come on as I refer to it. I do find it to be my calling in life.

I currently live in a bad neighborhood. I'm only here because the rent is cheap. The one good thing about the community I live in is that there is a neighborhood association and they are working make this a better place to live for every one. I thought of something I can do for the community. With the large number of children here that are attending public schools, I think it would be a benefit to offer low cost tutoring services. It gives me an opportunity to do that which I most enjoy doing as well as give back to the community. I will admit there is the ulterior motive of putting some cash in my pocket, but some of that is going to go toward supplies. Though I might be inclined to help the financially worst of families for gratis. I'd at least like to be able to use them for a reference when the time comes for me to teach full time.

I'm good friends with the head of the neighborhood association and I think he might just be able to help me get the word out.

Your thoughts? ideas? Criticism?

Stupid in America

I found this posted on Bureaucratic Daycare. I've got a discussion going on there with Dani and I must say that I'm a bit weirded out at the fact that I'm finding myself agreeing in some ways with a fundamentalist. It's on my mind once again as I am looking on subfinder for an available opening. I could stand to make a quick and easy $70 today and I'm off from the hotel. I'm not certified to teach yet, but I love to teach. The best the school board can offer me is substitute teaching. I look at it this way, I get to work at different schools and see what they are really like. I also get to learn more about teaching kids. I get introduced to faculty as well. Helps me hone my skills and decide who I want to work for. And I get paid for it!

But I have to say, as much as I love teaching, as much as I am for public schooling, the school system needs an overhaul.

I invite you to watch the video, it's 40 minutes long, but worth it.


Fist thing I want to bring up is the money. They say the more money the better. Some years ago, I read A Different Kind of Teacher by John Taylor Gatto. One thing that was brought up in that book in regards to money is that public schools spend more money educating kids than what it costs to send kids to a private school. Pretty accurate I'd say. I looked up a few private schools in the area and some of them offer tuition for less than the $10K/student (or more! they need more!) mentioned in the video. And where does the money go? Not to me, I only make $70/day. Even if I was full time, that's only $35K/year. When I was on my long term job last year, I had 140 students. That's $1,400,000! Wait, they had 5 other classes so $233,333.33. Still a pretty insane amount of money.

How about this - attach the money to the kids. Just like the video says. Voucher programs as they are called here. I guess I'm a bad public school teacher. I like vouchers. I support vouchers. Why do public school teachers hate vouchers? Because they suck. And because they know they will always have an income. Think of it this way, they know they will always have "customers." Therefore it doesn't matter how bad they do, they will always have a job. They can get away with doing an absolute shit job and not care. It's nearly impossible for a teacher to get fired for incompetence. About the only thing they can get fired for is doing something that puts them in jail. Parents need a choice as to where to send their kids. If there are vouchers, if there is a choice, there will be competition. Think about it. I'm typing this on a Dell laptop thats running Ubuntu Linux. I have the choice to do that just as well as you have the choice to read it on a different PC or Mac. And you have a choice in operating systems too! Either a PC or Mac can run linux, you are not stuck with Windows or Mac OS. Know what else? You have a choice in what internet service brings it to your home. If one isn't fitting your needs, you can choose one that does. A parent should be able to do the same thing with their child's education. And while I am aware there are options like private schools and home schooling, the parent is still paying the same taxes. Attach the tax money to the child, give the parents a choice. If the parent chooses to home school, give them the money. However, I think there should be a limit, if a parent wants to send their kid to the most expensive in private schools (like a boarding school) they can pay the difference. That's exactly how I see it. Under a voucher program a good teacher will always have students.

Let me go on to say I hate unions. I have never worked for a union. I will never work for a union. My attitude toward any job is that if it is not fitting my needs, I will find one that does. So far this has worked very well for me. Unions did serve a purpose at one time when there were no such thing as benefits. Not the case any more. I look a strikers as spoiled crybabies. They would be sticking it to their boss a lot harder if they find a better job and quit. One thing I will not do as a teacher is join a teacher's union. those are the worst. They are only in it for themselves. No one else. They want to protect the bad teachers. They want to protect their status quo. It's working great for them. Good teachers don't need unions.

Along with the vouchers, there needs to be an evaluation system in place. If the teacher isn't meeting the standards, or is behaving badly, fire them. Simply put, just like any other job. Really want to improve things, drop the bottom 10%. It worked for GE. It works for every other business. Reward the best, fire the worst. A good teacher will always have a job.

The lottery thing at the end made me angry. No parent should have to do that. I think if that was offered to me, I'd have to slug somebody. Seriously.

By the way, South Carolina schools are improving. Look at their contestant for Miss Teen USA -

School starts in a week

Well here it does. Last year was good. I managed to score a long term position. Who knows what this year will bring. I haven't been able to afford another semester of college so I'm not certified to teach yet. No permanent position for me, just substitute teaching.

I know I will get there some day. I enjoy teaching and I believe it is what I was meant to do. I've been told I shouldn't be a teacher for a lot of really silly reasons - I'm not normal. I'm goth. I'm bi. I have gender issues. Yeah, whatever. I think some of those so-called problems make me the good teacher I am. I'm not like everyone else, I don't need to be. Besides, weird kids need someone to look up to.

The last experience I had was a good one and left me with good memories. The girl that wrote me the thank you letter at the end of the semester. The boy that drew me a picture of a VW Beetle. The students that I managed to turn around and make an improvement. The cutter that opened up to me that I wanted to help that ended up dropping out. That's one that really got me. Of all people to open up to, a lowly substitute. The class clowning that even I participated in. The kids I ran into at the MSI concert and at MetroCon. Good times. It was also a learning experience for me. I've taught at college. I've been a substitute teacher for 4 years now. But this was the first time I was in control of a high school class. Forced me to be more organized an plan things out. Also speaking to parents was a new thing for me too. Though I did have my bad days and some kids that made things difficult, the total experience made me want to teach more and let me know I was indeed ready.

I'm kinda excited about what this new school year may bring. Honestly, I can't wait to get back in the classroom.