dicedece

1. The blame for the failure of the educational system here in America I believe falls with the lawmakers, unfortunately. NCLB was a terrible idea in the first place, and even now, they are just perpetuating helplessness. Teachers are really handcuffed by the laws of people who have never stepped into a classroom. There is some blame to be spread to teachers, also...especially older teachers who refuse to change, and those that got in based on who they know and are awful teachers (intelligence =/= good teacher)

2. The school board folk are a bit absurd, for instance, the curriculum change this year had me teaching about the enlightenment. The children I teach didn't even know about the different political and economic systems that exist, even on a basic level. I spent 90% of my time on that unit resolving that. I do things my way, the way that I feel is right. I get in trouble quite a bit for being outspoken and following my heart, but if I get fired for that, oh well.

3. I think that good administrators deserve great pay and bad ones need to be axed. Unfortunately, bad administrators are just recycled.

4. I don't think private schools are always better, but in many times, they are. If you pay more money to teachers, you'll get better teachers (or in the case of "religious" based schools, people who feel very strongly about religious ideals and really want to be there regardless of pay). Most teachers I meet feel under-appreciated and overworked, many times because of the laws that public schools have to follow, but private ones don't. It probably allows more time for lesson planning and such.

5. Well that depends on the administrator. Last year a kid could yell and scream in class all year long and wouldn't be punished (which displays to others that it's ok and leads to more problems). Fortunately this year we have an administrator who helps us out a bit more, so if they need to be suspended, they usually are. I try to deal with it in the classroom or after class myself. It really helps my credibility instead of just "writing them up." Students know I am strict, but they know I am fair and respect me. They know I will try to help them out if they're willing to meet me halfway.

6. Yes, I had a former administrator who basically said she would make my life hell if I didn't change failing grades. I still kept them. Passing kids who don't deserve it hurts more than it helps (come to think of it, I've been in several situations where I have been asked to change grades by someone in a position of power, all times I have refused...fingers crossed that I can continue to do the right thing by me and still keep my job).

7. I know that some staff members smoke pot, I'm not included in that. I used to drink heavily, but I lost a lot of weight and am now a health nut (personal trainer/tennis instructor on the side), so I keep my drinking occasional. But when teachers do drink, they go wild. Teachers are known boozers. Sex - I have sex with my girlfriend, but I Know teachers who have sex with kids' parents.

8. A student in my class told another girl not to come to school tomorrow because he was going to blow it up. The principal wasn't even going to suspend him for it, but the POLICE officer called said that he needed suspended. She gave him one day, and then he was back in my class. I got no paperwork for it and freaked out when I saw him stroll in the next day, and told all my kids to leave the room. This same kid also fashioned a shiv out of a wooden ruler with the intention of stabbing another, he only got one day for that too. He has psychological problems, and it's only a matter of time before something happens (see: newtown?)

9. $30,800 before taxes. I made twice as much bartending.

10). 90%

Thank you, I really don't think I can teach until retirement, but I'll try to do what I can. Like I said, at some point, I'd really like to be in a position where I could really make some further reaching changes and help more kids.

They really have to be instilled with the desire to learn. I think at any point if they get that, then they can achieve whatever they want. Unfortunately, many kids only get that from maybe one or two teachers, and the person at home doesn't care one way or another. I've seen parents "coaching" their kids to be terrible so that they can get their "Crazy Checks" and such. It's sickening.

tl'dr; mostly, no, I don't see them able to catch up.

Well, I have suspicions that a few teachers have been giving "extra help" to kids on regular tests and such (kids with IEPs that go for "extra help" or those with "language barriers"), but we take standardized testing very seriously. I probably take it more seriously than most, as my first gig as a student teacher was a PSSA standardized test proctor (which we had to be certified for at the time). I wouldn't let anyone leave the room, and I collected every single piece of scrap paper that they had within 5 feet of their desk to ensure that nobody cheated. I put the fear of God in them that if I got a misadministration, that I would fail every one of them.

1. Teaching there was not really my choice. I'm originally from Pittsburgh, PA, and my girlfriend and I both were trying to find teaching jobs. I had done substitute teaching and odd jobs for 2 years before I decided that I would expand my horizons past PA (the job market in PA for teachers is dreadful, and very political). I found this school in NC and kind of put it to them that I'd probably only come down if they hired my girlfriend too, and luckily they had an opening for her as well.

2. The students are very low (compared to what I think they should be able to do from my personal experience in other schools, and my own experience from when I was in school). They usually don't ask good questions, very mundane things, or simple things that they should know from 1st or 2nd grade.

3. I teach 7th Grade World History right now because of the way the curriculum shifted this year.

4. I don't understand this. If you mean how many students do I teach, I have 4 classes of about 25 kids, give or take a few, every day.