Calling all teachers!

[Skeezix]

Well, I taught high school English for 17 years, mostly in Bellingham. Then I made the biggest career mistake of my life and opted to go into administration.

[ivan]

Then I made the biggest career mistake of my life and opted to go into administration.

fighting this urge meself - seems to be the least fun part of the game - the money don't make it worthwhile? figure when my national board cert wears off will be the big decision time...

[markwebster]

those who can - do

those who can't - teach

those who can't teach - teach gym

 

Those of us teaching in the vocational/technical arena struggle with that concept: "those who can't - teach". While it's true that I got laid off as a web designer in 2001, and you could argue that I couldn't cut it in that career, I was only out of work for 2 weeks before I started freelancing and teaching part time.

 

I had never taught before, don't have a bachelors degree, but I did know my web stuff, or, at least, better than anyone else the college could find at that time.

 

I soon learned that teaching is a challenging job... especially cutting edge technology, which changes every time you turn around, invalidating your textbooks and lesson plans.

 

And working with community college students...I had no idea how much tolerance and patience that was going to require, as compared to just working in a normal work environment with fellow professionals.

 

Teaching can be an easy job...*if* you don't care whether your students learn. But if you seriously want to get them a job, it can be very, very challenging and time consuming, well beyond the classroom hours.

 

On the plus side, we get a lot of time off between quarters: at least a week, and up to a month. But the best part is when my students get hired, and make more than me. I love that.

 

 

 

[ivan]

people w/o a healthy sense of humor don't last very long as teachers

 

or, alternatively, they survive by becoming cranky assholes and alcoholics, toxic to all who get near them

 

its easy to feel like a poorly paid day-care provider

[Pete_H]

I just watched a movie called "Half Nelson."

 

It's about a teacher who smokes crack.

 

It was pretty good.

[RokIzGud]

I just watched a movie called "Half Nelson."

 

It's about a teacher who smokes crack.

 

It was pretty good.

 

All the teachers at Bothell seem to smoke crack. At Cascadia CC they just seem to drink a lot of herbal tea.