Tuesday, November 20, 2012

What everyone should know about teaching

I would add to this, but overall it's pretty accurate.
I would add:
1.  parents expect to be able to call or email me at all hours and get a response immediately. If something keeps me from responding (like one of those endless series of meetings that take up the planning time I should be able to use to call parents?), the don't hesitate to go over my head and complain. It would never occur to them that there might be a serious issue preventing me from responding, like the night I answered parent emails from the Emergency Room, where the doctor sent me for an immediate scan.
2.  I have routinely spent hundreds of dollars per year to purchase not only books and resources for my classroom ( those shelves full of books for your kids to read did not come from the district book fairy; I paid for every single one of them), but also for basic supplies for my students, who can't seem to keep a pencil within arm's reach, but always wear more expensive clothing than mine.
3. If I'm sick, I will generally be at the school anyway, because it's not as simple as just taking a sick day. I am responsivble for preparing 'legitimate' lesson plans (even though the sub, if there is one, may be given carte blanche to toss them out) whenever I am out of the classroom. So, it's usually easier to drag my sick carcass in and supervise quiet (relative term) seatwork than it is to stay home and get better, like the doctor told me to when he saw me after hours.
Need I go on?
http://dianeravitch.net/2012/11/18/teacher-what-the-public-needs-to-know-about-teaching/

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