It's over...

Can you believe it guys...it's over? The classes are coming to an end, the homework is almost complete, the fines are almost gone (which is great because of the tuition increase), and it is finally time to get into the classroom full time. Has it flown by?? I have been in college since the Fall of 2005 and it feels like i just started and now it is over. I am scared to death to enter the classroom and have the lives of 80-100 kids in my hands for 8 hours a day...but with being scared, i am full of excitement. I can't help but think to myself: will they take me seriously? I am only 3 years older than some of my students, but have been through the college experience and learned so much, that i think they should...but will they? I know all of these questions have probably entered your minds...but it is just scary to think about it. It's over now...and it is time to grow up... :'(

Teachers go to Wal Mart too.

I just had to laugh at my own title... When my mom, an eighth grade American History teacher, and I go shopping we occasionally bump into one of her students. I always chuckle when the students gaze at my mother in awe and exclaim, "What are you doing here?"

It is important for me as a teacher to take time for myself by doing normal (outside of school) activities. When I read this chapter I had to think to myself "when was the last time I read a book for pleasure?" The answer--Christmas break. Hmm... Even as a college student I should do things or activities that I enjoy.

On another topic I found this cheap but funny film that sums up the entire chapter. Here is the link--

www.needleworkspictures.com/ocr/blog?p=289

If I hear the term "burnout" one more time...

Burnout is all anybody is talking about lately. At least it seems that way. My husband is a teacher (special ed and science) and he talks about his colleagues being burned out. I have several very good friends who are teachers, and they constantly talk about the burnout rate. I read about the burnout rate in text books. Etc, etc, etc. I'm tired of hearing about it. Any employee of any profession can suffer from burnout. It's all about how you handle yourself. Have outlets (as Kendra mentioned), make your classes fun and full of variety, enjoy yourself, keep your sense of humor, and think of how fortunate you are to be doing something you love and getting paid (albeit not that well) for it!
I would be interested to see who of us are still teaching in 10 or 15 years. We've all got such potential to be great teachers, but I know the stresses of the profession will probably get to some of us. I don't see myself giving up on teaching any time soon. I've spent waaaay too much money and time on this to give up on teaching easily. I'm really excited about my first year of teaching next year. I'm nervous as crap, but excited nonetheless!

The Textbooks

For my last blog post I wanted to talk about the textbooks that we just finished reading. When I first started reading Making the Journey, I was pretty excited to read a textbook written by a real teacher with real advice. Then I realized that Deeper Reading was essentially the same book as Making the Journey. What I didn't like about tehse books is that neither one had much in regards to controversy. As I trudged along with tehse two books I never felt inspired by the anecdotes provided. Each chapter started to feel like a chore. I'm not saying that there wasn't value in the texts, but I am saying that when I'm sure this class is over I will be selling them. I can't see myself referencing these texts when I start teaching. I wasn't expecting them to reinvent the wheel (gotta love the cliche) , I was just hoping that these would be books that I could use when I felt like I was in a bind in my first years of teaching. Instead I got two books full of common sense advice.

Avoiding Burnout

Since the first day of the first education class that I took, I have been warned about the awful aspects of teaching. I've been told the statistics, that half of teachers quit their first year. I've been told that I would cry on the drive home because of the horrible encounters I was going to face. I've been told that the administrators will destroy my love for teaching with their evil regulations. I have also been told about the cynical robotic behavior of the students that I will be teaching. All of these warnings and I still stayed in the education program. Why? Because I don't give a rat's ass what other people think my reaction will be to these things.

At this point I might just succeed so that I can spite the ones who told me it would be too hard. I think that some of the teachers quit because they hate their students going in. Before the first day begins they decide that they hate their students. I always wonder where the hell these failed teachers go when they quit. Do they piss away their hard earned education for a shitty job at Wal-Mart? Do they get a different degree? Wherever they go I say good riddance. We don't need teachers who are willing to throw in the towel after a couple of tough years. When I start teaching I want to be around people who like what they are doing.

I think that going into this career you need to remember what it was like being in the position of your students. Don't just assume that your lessons aren't going over because of the lazy kids. Maybe you are presenting the lesson in a boring way that makes your students want to cut themselves. You should always assume that it is your presentation of the material, not that the students are lazy. Don't forget what it's like to be in a boring class with a teacher that hates you.

I don't plan on being a statistic. I don't care what the warnings are. I thought long and hard about what career I wanted to persue and I chose teaching because I thought that it would be fulfilling and meaningful. That and I still remember how terrible some of my high school teachers were and I feel like I have to prove to them that you don't have to be a boring jerk to get students to learn.

Will I be a statistic?

I would hope not. After spending this amount of money to join a specific profession. I better like it. I think I will, though. I've had a lot of fun in my student teaching practicums and it feels like I was meant to do this in life. That's a very good sign. My mentor teacher this time told me she was a statistic the first day I went in and she was burned out, after just five years. She doesn't like the education restrictions enforced by administration. But, I've also meant teachers that are going to have to force themselves to retire. So, Christenbury definitely brings to play some accurate scenerios in chapter 11. I agree with Joseph. It's all what we make it. We can focus on the negative things, or we can pursue a great career that gives a lot of oppurtunity with an open and positive mind that will shape our future about all endeavors, whether that means teaching or some other position in education. It's up to us. Everything boils down to a choice. I just want to say that I've really enjoyed collaberating with all of you and hope to work with some of you in my new career. It's been great fun learning new ideas and sharing them with you guys. I think we should all pursue keeping the education system a great place to be by taking part in the 4 Contemporary Challenges Christenbury brings in to focus: 1 standards 2 testing and reporting 3 increased awareness in muliculturalism 4 being a professional activist. One of us could have a major influence on bettering the educational system if we take part in the areas that make or break it. Put on your dancin shoes. It's almost our time to shine.

Priscilla

Chapter 11

What a chapter to end on. I can see various reasons why teachers could get burnt out on teaching. I worked with a teacher while I was in high school for a cadet teaching program who said she was burnt out with the job but kept doing it because she felt she was too old to do anything else. Something I noticed about her, and also about other teachers who have become burnt out, is that she had a very defined routine for her classroom.

Every day the students would come into the room, and there would be a D.O.L. (Daily Oral Language for those who may have never had these in high school) on the board for the students to complete. After five minutes, two students would correct the sentences on the board, and they would move on to a story in the book. They would read the story aloud with the reader moving up and down along the rows of students. After reading the story, they would answer the questions at the back of the story, and whatever questions they didn't finish in class were taken home as homework. They turned these questions in daily. Everyday, it was the same routine, excluding the one novel they read each semester and a trip to the library every two weeks.

How could you not get burnt out if you taught using the same exact routine for twenty-something years? I think that an important part of staying fresh and excited about your job is changing things up once in a while. If you're teaching the same routine seven times a day for twenty years, of course it's going to get old.