Is anybody here a teacher?

[The Josh]

Well, said Mike.

 

[DPrime]

I'm not, but my wife is.

It seems to be one of those professions that is frustrating at times, but very rewarding as well. It's a lot of hard work, that's for sure, and teacher's certainly don't make as much as they deserve, even here in Canada (can't speak for the US - I imagine it depends on the state?). She's qualified for high school but has kind of specialized in special needs, mainly.

I would go for it. It's very rewarding, it certainly won't hurt you if you end up doing something else (you'll always be able to say you have supervising and instructing skills and experience, which can be applied to almost anything, I'd imagine), you can travel/work potentially anywhere, and you'll always have it to fall back on if you find yourself out of work somewhere (as long as you're willing to move, depending on how badly they need teachers in any given area).

 

[The Mike]

In California it depends on the district. Plain and simple. The more affluent your district the higher your pay. When I started in my district they only paid $36,000 to start (that is after 5 total years of college not counting the two years of clearing said credential) but they paid your benefits whereas other districts paid slightly higher but you had to pay for some of your benefit costs. Now 7 years later, our district still starts out at $36,000 but if you've got more than two people on your benefits and avoid Kaiser then you pay $500 per month in benefits. That is a $6,000 cost which means those teachers start at $30,000. If you go Kaiser then it's $2500 cost per year.

In comparison about 40 miles south where the median average of income is over $100,000 then I would start at $40,000 with all my benefits covered now. The thing is its hard as hell to get anyone to move and after a while it's the devil you know then the devil you don't which influence whether or not you move.

In another district only 10 miles away the teachers start at $38,000 but pay all benefits which costs $9,600 a year which really means they start at about $28,000.

Interestingly enough due to state standards and enforcements of adoptions with companies if someone in San Diego adopted the same thing as I did in NorCal it'd be the same teaching schedules and ways of implementing the base teaching. In all three districts I mentioned we all teach essentially the same thing.

To put it in perspective if I was paid like a babysitter which is $12 an hour and I have essentially 30 kids in a period that means each period I'd make $360. Most teachers do 5 periods a day which means that'd be $1800, average of 22 working days per month means it'd be $39,600. Multiply that by 9 months and we're talking $356,400 even if they took 30% (most teachers fall in the 24% tax bracket) I would essentially still be making about $250,000 a year.

So yeah, considering that most people don't like dealing with their own _______ kids, let alone deal with 150 ____ers every day with amazing senses of entitlement and that you have to make sure that you are preparing for the next grade level and on top of it have to deal with parents who are so far removed from their own kids that even video evidence of them doing something isn't enough, I'd say we don't get paid enough. Not to mention the hours upon hours after workhours are done that you have to grade papers, prepare lessons, deal with useless collaboration meetings and remember all those kids names and parent's names (seriously they get pissed if you don't remember them...) as well as pull the weight of those lazy ***** who do nothing but whose kids' scores will bring down your grade level or department scores, etc.

 

[DarthNeil]

It's July 11th (I think-- I lose track of time) and I'm just in from floating in my pool playing with my two little ones. This is the schedule for the next six or seven weeks or so. Paycheck arrives on Thursday.

For what I do end of August through end of June, I've earned this.

Back to the pool.

 

[gibby]

I might eventually do some minor investing here and there in the future. Although, my knowledge of the stock market is little to none at the present. I have a 401K through my employer that I contribute to, but it's been kind of weak lately. Day trading might be a little too risky for me. I know the reward can be pretty high, but I have to keep my hands on any money I can save for college rather than risk it.

Having a 401k is a great start! If you're interested in learning more about investing there are some great investing basics websites out there, such as Investopedia (go to Tutorials, Beginners).

I will say this, it's all about tenure. I have a Masters in Education and I'm one of three in my entire department. There was a teacher with a doctorate in Education with specific emphasis in the grade levels she teaches. She was letgo this year because it was the end of year 2 and if she walked into a classroom in August she'd have a job for life. That ____ doesn't fly in the private sector, they'd keep the highest educated employee without a doubt but here its how long you've been at the party and who you know, another teacher buddied up to the principal, went out for beers, etc and had just a bachelors with a credential and he was kept because "he worked better with the chemistry of the school."

My experience has been that the crap you described happens just about anywhere. I've worked at a not-for-profit, small private company and a public fortune 50. They may say it's performance-based on the surface or budget this budget that, but in the end it's all on how well you suck up or get along with your manager, or better yet how many people know who you are.

I still remember when I first started at my current place, I was told by my manager (behind closed doors of course) that my primary job (the one that takes up 80% of my time) only accounts for 20% of the performance rating. The other 80% is from my time spent "networking", or participating on special committees, helping with corporate events, getting a Sr Mgr to be your mentor...anything extra-cirricular. In other words, getting your name out there and getting yourself noticed. You could be the most unintelligent person within your company, but as long as your "networking" skills were sharp and the 20% performance was average, it really didn't matter.

 

[The Mike]

That maybe true but when you are dealing with a product that is essentially 150 children's education every single year and if you ____ up then you are giving the teacher next year two years to fill in, etc, etc it's a little more horrendous IMHO than if I worked in Advertising or in Real Estate for example. Studies have shown that if you have a crap teacher than a kid will statistically do 60% worse the next year and that is if you've got a teacher who will actually take the time to fill in the necessary gaps.

A lot of teachers are told NOT to remediate, they are told to teach only to their grade level and if kids don't get it then they'll go to specific support classes or the parents have to figure it out. Teachers go above and beyond most times in spite of those administrators who write them up for it. I realized once that one class of 30 had 12 kid who didn't understand complex sentences, in the 8th grade. I decided to screw the plan and go over a quick crash course of complex sentences and how to properly join simple sentences before teaching them how to write a paper. An administrator came in, noted some things down and then proceeded to chew me out after school for teaching something 4 times below grade level. That VP is long since gone but had I been in the pre-tenure period, that bad review could have cost me my job despite helping the kids.

That is crap and networking or being buddy buddy with an Admin should not mean a ******* thing in my profession IMHO.

 

[The Josh]

Yup, the politics of education suck and will be one of the major things that brings it crashing to the ground.

 

[gibby]

That maybe true but when you are dealing with a product that is essentially 150 children's education every single year and if you ____ up then you are giving the teacher next year two years to fill in, etc, etc it's a little more horrendous IMHO than if I worked in Advertising or in Real Estate for example. Studies have shown that if you have a crap teacher than a kid will statistically do 60% worse the next year and that is if you've got a teacher who will actually take the time to fill in the necessary gaps.

A lot of teachers are told NOT to remediate, they are told to teach only to their grade level and if kids don't get it then they'll go to specific support classes or the parents have to figure it out. Teachers go above and beyond most times in spite of those administrators who write them up for it. I realized once that one class of 30 had 12 kid who didn't understand complex sentences, in the 8th grade. I decided to screw the plan and go over a quick crash course of complex sentences and how to properly join simple sentences before teaching them how to write a paper. An administrator came in, noted some things down and then proceeded to chew me out after school for teaching something 4 times below grade level. That VP is long since gone but had I been in the pre-tenure period, that bad review could have cost me my job despite helping the kids.

That is crap and networking or being buddy buddy with an Admin should not mean a ******* thing in my profession IMHO.

If I could only tell you how many times crap comes rolling down hill and people say "deal with it" without going over budget or over the allotted time. And to your point, the minute you try to do things the right way, you get your hand slapped, even if it's on your own watch.

Completely agree that there is no place for it in the education field (much less corporate America), but unfortunately it's become part of our McDonald's society, where it's about quantity, not quality.

 

[The Ween]

My wife is a teacher. She first started with high school and has moved on to 4th grade (her goal). She has her Masters and is pretty damned educated.

If I had her job I would quit in a second. I've asked her why she does it and quite simply it's what she wants to do. I never went to school and make more than her and don't have the student loans to pay back either. She has to constantly pay for things out of pocket and wait for her taxes to try to claim some of the stuff. She has to put up with crazy parents and kids all day. Does she have off during the summer? For a few weeks and then she volunteers for summer school. The amount of time grading papers during the nights is also nuts. There is so much BS teachers go through I can't even write it all down.

So in short, unless you REALLY want to do it, find something else to do.

To the teachers on this board, THANK YOU!

Okay, Moonie......this is the second time I've seen you use the term "wife", when did you get married and why weren't we invited to the wedding?

 

[The Ween]

I have to teach dumb ass truckers how to do their log books every freaking day! And teach them the finer points as to why you shouldn't drive around with flat tires, inoperative brakes, inoperative lights, missing emergency equipment, loose or shifting loads, etc etc etc....... .......

Can I call myself a teacher too?

King, I'm sure you are excellant at teaching people how to shift their loads.

 

[The Ween]

The Mike =

 

[BadMoon]

Okay, Moonie......this is the second time I've seen you use the term "wife", when did you get married and why weren't we invited to the wedding?

I've been busy!

 

[nash]

King, I'm sure you are excellant at teaching people how to shift their loads.

do those loose loads require an extra change of underwear?

 

[CriterionCollector]

I'm getting my Bachelor's in Special Education this coming December. If you can, try to work on getting some endorsements. TESOL(Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is a biggie. A lot of districts have moved those with TESOL endorsements to the must hire list. Special Education is always good as well.

 

[The Mike]

Special Education teachers around here write their own tickets. In my district they get paid as much as Vice Principals because they are hardest to get. Literally in the teaching totem pole around here it goes:

1. Special Ed
2. Math
3. Science
4. English
5. History
6. P.E.
7. Elective teachers (music, art, etc)

 

[The Ween]

We don't have Special Ed teachers in our system anymore.

 

[Boba Ben]

Sorry I haven't posted in the last few days. We had really bad storms here and my internet got knocked out. I just wanted to thank those that shared their thoughts and opinions. I appreciate it.