Hard to keep any enthusiasm up.

[learnteach]

First class had two students today ask me why I hated them when I tried to control the horseplay in the back of the room.

Since the other staff (administrator) is working so hard to be so nice, I'm now seen as the ogre. Also got a note from the admin that the director had a homework assignment he wanted to give. He sent it Monday, got it this morning in class, for this class. Went and typed it up during the speaker. Discussed and distributed in.

Planned activity of his took 1 hour with a break in it; he had planned it to take 2. A sixth grader taking apart a cell phone can be very quick. I hope it goes better this afternoon; Ms. T is having them document the taking apart, and doing an electronic trash project. Hopefully, it will run well. The students are getting rowdier every day, as they get such different levels of discipline from the various staff. I am getting a much clearer idea why some teachers are such disciplinarians; one of the students is essentially terrorizing another, more timid student. The timid student is slightly larger, but not as active or as fast talking or as disruptive as the younger one, who would be thrwon out.

Or perhaps I'm just getting too tightassed.

The second class--pirate day--we got three nods towards piracy, being earrings and some skull and crossbone mascara and a paper parrot stapled to a shoulder with a mexican bandana around his head--but the other class repelled our boarders then wouldn't play. They say they'll be back Friday. THis is the class which is always eating in class, always on the cell phones (the teacher denies that one, but if she's not right in front of them, they're on the phones)
which ...means that I need to A) relax about other teacher's domains and B) keep telling my class that no, cell phones are not acceptable and no, no eating in the class.

It's difficult. Still haven't seen a contract, so no idea how much this is paying. 7 days of teaching out of 14 in...I'd walk, but that's not professional.

It's just depressing. Of course, the students sense it, and are whining much harder. They take advantage of every weakness to push for an easier class, and also if one of them is tired the rest aren't. What really sucks is how much energy it takes to deal with the problems when I'd rather boost the middle students up with the "stars". 7 days in, and I still can't get them to substitute well on a given equation, or remember New...well, OK< they remember Newton's 3 laws, but no way they can do the math around them.

I'm on the verge of just throwing in the hat and going and getting an SE job. I love the teaching when it's good, but I hate the bullshit when it's bad, especially all the little stuff. The real kicker is the pay--I can make literally 5 times as much gross as an SE, and it does work for my multitasking personality. It's not what I desire in my heart, but I think much more of this shit and I'll just want not to have to deal with this administrative shit...

Comments

May I recommend...

[fighter-chick.livejournal.com]

contacting my sister, LJ handle miss_friday. She's a full time teacher, and has spent quality time dealing with the CA public school system. She might have some thoughts on how to keep your morale up in the face of the nonsense you're dealing with.

Leave a comment in her journal and tell her I sent you. She'll likely be happy to chat with you.

[roisnoir.livejournal.com]

Also, beckastar.
She's building a private practice currently, but has worked in schools and might have some ideas.

[beanolc.livejournal.com]

Man, I've been there. I really understand and feel what you're dealing with. All you can do is look for the good and hang on to it. Sure, you might have to be an ogre at times... but you must remember that you're not there to be their friend, you're there to be their teacher. If hard discipline will allow for learning to occur, then so be it. It is unrealistic to try to be the same person from class to class; you have to be adaptable to their needs the best that you can.

Now about that contract issue... that just doesn't sound right at all. Is there a union rep you can talk to? Are other teachers there in the same situation? What about the district office?

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

Charter schools don't do the union thing.

[beanolc.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I thought they did, since they were part of the public school district.

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

Mmm, complicated. Yes, evidently charters teachers can join unions, but the charter school is independent, not run by the district, and all teachers year-to-year at pretty much every charter. So, for example, my daughter's charter recently did not renew for another year a teacher who had been teaching there 8-9 years. At another school, she'd have been in a union and had tenure, but at daughter's school, "Oh, well." Charter schools are *chartered* by a particular district, but they are not "part" of the district, in that they do not have to answer to the district or abide by district rules, except as laid out in the chartering document. So for example, a chartering district may require Physical Education classes of all high school students, but the charter high schools don't have to (and almost always don't.) Graduation requirements for the district don't affect charter students, etc, except for the *statewide* laws about testing, etc.

[trinsf.livejournal.com]

I'm talking about California-specific laws, btw.

[beanolc.livejournal.com]

Understood. When I taught the district was talking about allowing a charter school, but it hadn't gotten past the debate stage before I left. My realm of knowledge is entirely California public school.