With all this kinder/preschool teacher talk, I have to confess...

CubbyMama

...I'm feeling pretty bad about my profession right now.

It's not because of the posts on here--it's the stuff I'm seeing at my schools, and my friends' kids' schools. 

I've gotten several emails/calls from friends and from parents of former students lately, saying things like:

"Can you tell me how to teach X to read at home?  His first grade teacher just has them check out library books, read them independently, and take A.R. tests on the computer afterward.  There are no reading groups--only worksheets and whole-class reading from the textbook while the story is read aloud on CD.  I'm afraid he's never going to learn how to read if I don't start picking up the difference at home!"

And I keep hearing my colleagues saying things like:

"Oh, we don't do guided reading in 2nd grade--kids already know how to read by now."

"Uh, the running record kit is in storage somewhere.  No one really uses it--we use A.R. to tell us their reading levels and they just pick out their own books to test on."

"I don't have time to do reading groups."

"All of my students who had Teacher X for kindergarten last year came in reading at a level zero, even though she reported that they were at levels 4-6.  How is this possible?!"  (I know how it's possible.  Teacher X is a veteran teacher who struggles with classroom management and has a "rough class" every year.  She doesn't teach so much as tries to control the chaos and hands out worksheets.  She supplies the answers on their assessments because she's "helping them access what she knows she taught them."  I have witnessed all of this daily.)

And even the head honchos at my district seem to think that a basal reader and a huge practice book full of worksheets is the best way to teach reading now. They don't want us using novels in the classroom (even in upper grades--obviously you're not going to do a novel study in primary grades!).  They discourage literature circles, have stopped collecting running record scores, and have told teachers specifically that they're under no obligation to do guided reading at all.  So, many teachers have stopped.

In so many classrooms, reading is all about filling in the blanks and bubbles, and occasionally making a cute cut-and-paste project or watching the movie that goes with the book (which was specifically chosen for the purpose of getting to show the movie so the teachers can chat in the hallway between their classrooms for 2 hours that day).  Jobsharing and teaching kindergarten have gotten me out of my own bubble and given me a glimpse of what goes on in other classrooms (kinder is half-day and the teachers help in each other's rooms), and so much of what I see seriously frightens me.

I really should worry about my own classroom, do the best *I* can--and hey, I'm not perfect by ANY stretch--and be inspired by the really awesome teachers I know...but lately I'm losing sleep, literally, over how many kids aren't learning because their teachers aren't teaching, and there doesn't seem to be anything that can be done about it.  And I teach in a pretty good district, with solid test scores and fairly involved parents.

Ugh.

FriskyPanda

~sigh~ Another post to feed my paranoia about sending DD to kindergarten next year.

Littlejen22

It is nice to see a teacher admit this b/c in NJ the teachers are so defensive with the changes the government is trying to implement that all I hear is that the teachers are doing their best and it's all the students/parents fault and that they "can't" change how they do it today b/c the kids cannot handle more.  Um, maybe if you gave them more they could handle it!

Littlejen22

Oh, and I am torn b/c part of me would love to leave DS in his Montessori class for Kindergarten, now I want to find out how the public school is teaching reading to see if he will actually be taught to read!  This explains why so many of my friend's 2nd graders friends can barely read.

CubbyMama

Sorry, Frisky!  I could tell you a million stories about all the great teachers I know, too, which might make you feel better.  I guess it's like any profession--there are doctors, lawyers, nurses, accountants, contractors, etc. who suck and some who are amazing.  It's just a shame that teaching is one profession where it's almost impossible to get rid of the ones who are truly bad, and where the employees dictate the standards for when and how they'll be evaluated.

Temp374386125003286

Not helping, Cubby!  LOL!  I do appreciate your honesty but it scares me so much.  I feel like it is such luck who you get and the teachers for K really shape what a child will think about school. 

shouldbworkin

I'm so glad I haven't come across this in our school yet!  I hope I never do.  How sad. =(

buffalo_buckeye

You know, I think its not just teachers. I think people are lazy in lots of professions right now. My mil works with someone who watches movies on her phone while working. She does data entry and watches while she works. Several people I work with are on the Internet for several hours (browsing/shopping)...mh says several of his coworkers do fantasy football stuff (make up graphs and charts) during their work day. I also have had several coworkers recently say things like "it's not my job"..."that's too time consuming I'm not doing that". Is this everywhere? Idk but I gremlins I see it a lot in the professional world. I'm not sure what to say about teachers. We need good ones. I think the job is a lot more demanding now (more students per class, helicopter parents/MIA parents, teaching to standardized tests, IEP's)and the good teachers work their butts off.

REOM

Littlejen22:

It is nice to see a teacher admit this b/c in NJ the teachers are so defensive with the changes the government is trying to implement that all I hear is that the teachers are doing their best and it's all the students/parents fault and that they "can't" change how they do it today b/c the kids cannot handle more.  Um, maybe if you gave them more they could handle it!

You clearly have NO idea what you are talking about.

penguingrrl

That is so sad to read! DH and I are both products of public schools and have done well (I've done some graduate work in History and he's working on a PhD in Chemical Engineering) and have always planned on sending our kids to public school. But what you've written shows me that my worst fear, that the emphasis is so strongly on testing to the exclusion of actually learning, that I may need to consider alternatives. Reading is the best way to improve reasoning and critical thinking skills and I can't imagine a society in which those are poor  but everyone knows how to fill in a little bubble well.

august06mom

CubbyMama:

Sorry, Frisky!  I could tell you a million stories about all the great teachers I know, too, which might make you feel better.  I guess it's like any profession--there are doctors, lawyers, nurses, accountants, contractors, etc. who suck and some who are amazing.  It's just a shame that teaching is one profession where it's almost impossible to get rid of the ones who are truly bad, and where the employees dictate the standards for when and how they'll be evaluated.

It's refreshing to see a teacher admit that these problems exist. We have a lot of difficulty dealing with this in our state. The bad teachers give the good teachers bad names, and the teachers feel pressured to band together so that no one loses their jobs -- whether they deserve to keep them or not.

wellfleet04

REOM:

Littlejen22:

It is nice to see a teacher admit this b/c in NJ the teachers are so defensive with the changes the government is trying to implement that all I hear is that the teachers are doing their best and it's all the students/parents fault and that they "can't" change how they do it today b/c the kids cannot handle more.  Um, maybe if you gave them more they could handle it!

You clearly have NO idea what you are talking about.

AGREED (with REOM).  It might just be because I live in a high income district with hyper-involved, type-A parents, but I see the opposite.  I see parents demanding homework in kindy, math work sheets, taking their kids to Kumon classes because they don't think they are getting enough in school, etc and I HATE it.  But the teachers feel pressured and to some extent do give kids "more" which I think is such a shame.  I want my kids to read novels, and have gym class and recess, and do art and music.  I DON'T want homework and worksheets and drill and kill math.  I don't believe for one single second that giving them "more" in the early grades makes them more successful later on. I actually believe the opposite. But that seems to be what parents think it takes to "get ahead" these days.  And it seems like a lot of parents seem to think they know better than teachers how to teach.  UGH.

 OF COURSE there are lazy teachers out there.  But there are lazy doctors, lazy business men, lazy secretaries, etc.  I really can't deal with the teacher bashing that happens, on here and IRL.    

Jodi&Joe

"I really can't deal with the teacher bashing that happens, on here and IRL."

Makes my freaking blood boil!!!!!!!! 

 

august06mom

Jodi&Joe:

"I really can't deal with the teacher bashing that happens, on here and IRL."

Makes my freaking blood boil!!!!!!!! 

 

I don't like how criticism of teachers automatically turns into "teacher bashing." It just feeds into that pack mentality that teachers are pressured to maintain.

wellfleet04

august06mom:

Jodi&Joe:

"I really can't deal with the teacher bashing that happens, on here and IRL."

Makes my freaking blood boil!!!!!!!! 

 

I don't like how criticism of teachers automatically turns into "teacher bashing." It just feeds into that pack mentality that teachers are pressured to maintain.

I think it's because the criticism is usually about "teachers" as a group (like in Littlejen's post) not one specific teacher.  You don't hear people criticizing doctors in general and how they go about things.  You have one bad experience with a doctor, and you take it on on him, not the entire profession.  That's how it tends to feel/read to me, anyway.  

I'm not a teacher.  But I don't like how it seems like one of the few professions where laypeople (in this case parents) seem to think they know how to do the job the professionals have been trained for better than the professionals.  

It's tricky, I think, because it seems "easy" and it is so personal since it is our children involved, but the criticism, too, tends to have  a pack mentality to it, at least in my experience. 

JMay

I think it helps if teachers aren't the only ones teaching.  It starts at home, you know?  My DD just started Kindergarten.  She can read, do addition and subtraction, and has a beginning knowledge of basic science concepts (acid and base, cloud types, seed growth, seasons, senses, etc).  I didn't have any formal lessons, we just learned as we lived.  If that's not done, and all the weight falls to the teachers, I can imgine how daunting it might become, especially if there is no reinforcement at home.  I'm a big fan of personal responsibility, and I think it should apply to everyone - parents, teachers, students, community.  Good luck!

BubblyToes

wellfleet04:

august06mom:

Jodi&Joe:

"I really can't deal with the teacher bashing that happens, on here and IRL."

Makes my freaking blood boil!!!!!!!! 

 

I don't like how criticism of teachers automatically turns into "teacher bashing." It just feeds into that pack mentality that teachers are pressured to maintain.

I think it's because the criticism is usually about "teachers" as a group (like in Littlejen's post) not one specific teacher.  You don't hear people criticizing doctors in general and how they go about things.  You have one bad experience with a doctor, and you take it on on him, not the entire profession.  That's how it tends to feel/read to me, anyway.  

I'm not a teacher.  But I don't like how it seems like one of the few professions where laypeople (in this case parents) seem to think they know how to do the job the professionals have been trained for better than the professionals.  

It's tricky, I think, because it seems "easy" and it is so personal since it is our children involved, but the criticism, too, tends to have  a pack mentality to it, at least in my experience. 

This.

We are very fortunate that The W is in a blue ribbon school, and is in a prestigious immersion program.  Very fortunate.

That being said, there have been a few days when he's been in trouble and has had notes sent home.  In my convo with the teacher, her relief is palpable when I have shown my support for her and her partners, that I haven't jumped in with "Not my speshul snowflake." 

They're the professionals.  Yes, there are some bad ones, some lazy ones.  But I'm going to assume that those are not the majority.  Until I see a major issue, I'm going to let my kid's teachers do their job as they see fit.  I'm not going to fight them on every. single. detail.

I cannot imagine someone coming in and trying to tell me that I am counseling a patient wrong.  Or, "You should be counting those xanax by 5's!  Not 3's or 4's or however else you might do it."   

firefightersgal

...and this is why I am learning how to teach high school kids how to read.

CubbyMama

I love you, wellfleet.

I don't mean to contribute to teacher-bashing, which obviously I hate. I am a teacher, and I'm not the best one out there, but I work hard at it. I keep learning and researching and listening and reading and trying, as do many of my colleagues. My kids learn, and you'll never walk into my classroom (or many others) and see me sitting at my computer checking FB while my kids do piles of worksheets, or fudging assessments to hide what I'm not teaching. What makes me so sick, though, is that those things happen more than anyone wants to admit, and no one is supposed to talk about that. When parents form a waiting list to get out of Teacher X's class because she literally teaches online courses and shops eBay during class and teaches kids how to do basic math incorrectly (like, "To add these two fractions, just add the top numbers and then add the bottom numbers. Now do these 40 practice problems quietly."), we're supposed to continue telling parents who ask that she's a fine teacher, or that we don't know her well enough to comment. (And yes, that teacher is on an improvement plan and steps are being taken, but she has tenure and as long as she shows even minimal improvement and effort, she can't be fired, from what I've been told). Supposedly, talking about these teachers or admitting they exist makes us all look bad, but guess what? Appearing to support them, or to not realize they're awful, makes us look even worse!

I'm just frustrated. I'll take on anyone who says teaching is easy or that it's all our fault kids aren't learning. I think the "blame the teachers" trend is generally B.S. But I feel really discouraged and powerless when I see kids suffering because their teachers choose not to teach or are told NOT to do what's proven to be effective (i.e. guided reading).

mollynpatrick

wellfleet04:

REOM:

Littlejen22:

It is nice to see a teacher admit this b/c in NJ the teachers are so defensive with the changes the government is trying to implement that all I hear is that the teachers are doing their best and it's all the students/parents fault and that they "can't" change how they do it today b/c the kids cannot handle more.  Um, maybe if you gave them more they could handle it!

You clearly have NO idea what you are talking about.

AGREED (with REOM).  It might just be because I live in a high income district with hyper-involved, type-A parents, but I see the opposite.  I see parents demanding homework in kindy, math work sheets, taking their kids to Kumon classes because they don't think they are getting enough in school, etc and I HATE it.  But the teachers feel pressured and to some extent do give kids "more" which I think is such a shame.  I want my kids to read novels, and have gym class and recess, and do art and music.  I DON'T want homework and worksheets and drill and kill math.  I don't believe for one single second that giving them "more" in the early grades makes them more successful later on. I actually believe the opposite. But that seems to be what parents think it takes to "get ahead" these days.  And it seems like a lot of parents seem to think they know better than teachers how to teach.  UGH.

 OF COURSE there are lazy teachers out there.  But there are lazy doctors, lazy business men, lazy secretaries, etc.  I really can't deal with the teacher bashing that happens, on here and IRL.    

Thank you for this. I was an elementary school teacher for nine years. I finally resigned because paying for three in daycare would be ridiculous (for us). As sad as I am to not be teaching anymore I am RELIEVED to be getting away from the parents. The parents wellfleet mentioned are the ones who sucked the joy out of a job I really did love at one point. There are so many great teachers out there who bust their behinds every single day to nurture and educate. It totally bums me out when a few bad apples give the bunch a bad rap AND when crazy, Type A parents have nothing better to do than to scrutinize every word/move their kid's teacher makes (too much homework, not enough homework, why didn't he/she get chosen, why did he/she get chosen, special snowflake blahblah). It's exhausting and I'm so glad I don't have to deal with it anymore.

veloelle

I'm late to the confessions, but can I get your Kinder teacher perspective? DD is in a class of 29, 18 boys and 11 girls. No aid, she's a 20+ yr Kinder teacher. I like her, but it seems like she needs an aide so bad. Does your district have that large class size? I think she could do so much more w/ each kid if she had help. They are all over the board; some are ahead/on pace, others can't write their name or use scissors. 29 kids is a LOT, and she has a handful that are serious problems, constantly in trouble. We always said we'd do public until there was an issue; these class sizes really have me worried.

august06mom

I think the reason why people get so heated about crappy teachers vs. crappy doctors or crappy lawyers or crappy almost-any-other-profession is that I have very little control over who my son has as a a teacher. Crappy doctor? Find a new one. Crappy lawyer? Find a new one. Crappy teacher ... well, that's more complicated.

With a crappy teacher, my choices are to complain to the adminstration, which gains me no points with anyone. I could switch schools, but of course I can't afford that, and neither can most people. I could have him wait it out, and if he's older that's not a terrible option. He'll need to learn how to deal and tolerate crappy people. But if he's a small child and will have this teacher for an entire year, you can bet I'll be upset if he gets some crappy teacher for an entire year.  

I totally get that teachers hate when parents question every little thing they do -- no one likes to be micromanaged, and they get hit with two bosses -- their adminstrators and the parents. No fun for anyone. It would take a lot for me to complain about a teacher, and not having homework in K for the first week wouldn't constitute as this.

But I truly dislike the notion of "teacher bashing" when criticism is brought up, and I despise tenure, or at least the way it plays out in our area.

CubbyMama

veloelle:

I'm late to the confessions, but can I get your Kinder teacher perspective? DD is in a class of 29, 18 boys and 11 girls. No aid, she's a 20+ yr Kinder teacher. I like her, but it seems like she needs an aide so bad. Does your district have that large class size? I think she could do so much more w/ each kid if she had help. They are all over the board; some are ahead/on pace, others can't write their name or use scissors. 29 kids is a LOT, and she has a handful that are serious problems, constantly in trouble. We always said we'd do public until there was an issue; these class sizes really have me worried.

Yeah, the last round of budget cuts killed the last districts standing with class size reduction in primary grades. It used to be 20:1 in K-3, and many districts abandoned that years ago, or scaled it back. Mine held strong until the last couple of years, and now class sizes have inched up every year. I had 27 in kinder and now we have 31 in 2nd this year. It depends a bit on your school's population and how the district structures classes--we have some grade levels with smaller class sizes just because enrollment turned out that way (too many kids to condense a class, but too few to fill them to max capacity, so they're just spread out), but everyone is feeling the budget crunch and laying off teachers to combine classes, so that's likely to be something you'll see a lot in public schools. I've heard even some private schools pack them in up to 40, but others have much smaller class sizes, and private schools are less controlled by the state (which can be good when the state dictates idiotic standards and testing, but bad if the school has low standards or a totally different curriculum). It's a tough call.

CubbyMama

august06mom:

I think the reason why people get so heated about crappy teachers vs. crappy doctors or crappy lawyers or crappy almost-any-other-profession is that I have very little control over who my son has as a a teacher. Crappy doctor? Find a new one. Crappy lawyer? Find a new one. Crappy teacher ... well, that's more complicated.

With a crappy teacher, my choices are to complain to the adminstration, which gains me no points with anyone. I could switch schools, but of course I can't afford that, and neither can most people. I could have him wait it out, and if he's older that's not a terrible option. He'll need to learn how to deal and tolerate crappy people. But if he's a small child and will have this teacher for an entire year, you can bet I'll be upset if he gets some crappy teacher for an entire year.  

I totally get that teachers hate when parents question every little thing they do -- no one likes to be micromanaged, and they get hit with two bosses -- their adminstrators and the parents. No fun for anyone. It would take a lot for me to complain about a teacher, and not having homework in K for the first week wouldn't constitute as this.

But I truly dislike the notion of "teacher bashing" when criticism is brought up, and I despise tenure, or at least the way it plays out in our area.

Well said--I agree with every word! And the worst thing about getting a crappy teacher/doctor is that it impacts your well-being for years...not like if you get a lousy contractor and have to redo your kitchen (which also sucks, but isn't a life-altering situation).