learnteach | Somedays, I get it.

Little lost lambs, straying...what could be stupider than a sheep? A willful High School student. I spend more time on basic discipline than on teaching here, and it's worn me down to where I understand why the Lord would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and why you can't find a good man there--"Good" is relative; in the land of the goof off, the one working is the one who gets their stuff stolen or pilfered or stuffed full of paper, and verbally ridiculed, and physically abused.

So, in short, I haven't defeated the prevailing culture of violence and stupidity completely enough. And if you are not part of the problem, you better duck and cover. And...wow.

School should use computers. No, really, we're in Silicon Valley; the students are all carrying machines (cell phones, music players, game systems) that can literally give them all the answers, but the State Requirements (derived from the Federal Requirements) is that they close the books, sit in a room, and pass a test--a form of test used no where else in life, and a set of skills they don't really need.

Education Reform Now! What do we want?

It's Amerika. We want more money.

I don't think modern schooling is serving us well, just as I don't think modern government is serving us well. But I don't really have an answer. Just some up close and personal observations.

The scary thing? According to the population figures, soon the majority of youth in California will be immigrants (more or less.) And they're not doing well in these schools.

Just one set of thoughts...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

So what you see here in this journal are the frustrations I can reveal, and vent. Are all the students useless? Far from it, but the ones acting out are certainly very difficult. Can I handle them? Sure, one at a time, but I've got 5 to 7 of them in every class. Am I making this work?

I'm spending my own money for any sort of supplies.

In Silicon Valley, the only presentation technologies I have are a whiteboard and a photocopier. Can't find the money for an overhead projector, still working on it.

Over 20% of my students are ESL, we don't have an ESL program.

etc.
etc.
etc.

It gets old. I'm doing what I can, but it's really tiring. The system (current bitch) also has "Professional Development" days during the student vacations. I'm working at least 3 hours every weekend trying to stay on top of things.

Monday, I gave a requested review of material, so students could retake a test. The number of failing students, out of 120: 60. Number in the study session, after having it mentioned? 0.

It is the school, of course. It's also, frankly, my problem in that teaching at this level is too much discipline for me. So, to answer your question, yes, it's me.

I can walk out of this job and double my salary on a yearly basis doing network contracting. If I thought I was making a real difference, that wouldn't have a big pull--but what I'm mainly doing is discipline issues.

And then I get the stories of these students, and what's going on...well, it's easy to see why school is a minor concern, especially a science class they're not prepared for adequately but required to take.

Enough. Going to go get some sleep. Strangely enough, one of the harder things is the 6AM wakeup for this.

I am sorry if I misunderstood. As you might guess, working with a similar population as you do, though in a different realm of their lives; I can get a little sensitive about it. I mean, society in general is rather quick to call the kids you describe as losers and give up on them. I apologize for being as touchy as all that.

I do know it's difficult and the system is overbearing. And teachers are some of the most underappreciated people in this country.

I hope you have had some good sleep by the time you read this. (:

Somedays, I get it.

Re: No;

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