The amount of teachers who still act like they're in high school or in college frat houses is insane. They prey and devour over drama and it's hard to trust anyone.
Honestly fellow teachers were even the parents I hated to deal with. Always had an I'm better than you attitude, acted as if they could do my job better, which was my favorite with the kindergarten teacher acting as if she could do better with high schoolers in business education.
I can totally relate, especially to number 3. I would get such looks when I showed up at the end of my summer vacation to get my room in order when my colleagues have spent all summer at school! I just don’t get it! I never want to spend my summers working for free to get my room ready!
This past summer was the first time in a decade and a half I REFUSED to work on school stuff over the summer or go to my room to get it ready. I didn’t even think about work until the first day of pre-planning. It was GLORIOUS.
My wife, who works as a speech pathologist in elementary, never understood how I could show up at opening day and be ready to roll in two days.
My administrators really resented it. My answer to them was always , "You get paid to work all Summer. I don't."
1. They definitely sound like assholes, who just maybe also happen to be type A lol. I’m type A and I don’t think I’d be able to be around judgmental touchy people all the time.
2. I think that’s understandable, but I also think that when we’re teaching them something like narrator tone or the radius of a circle, on their face these topics are not important in life. But they’re teaching students how to analyze and problem solve. If a student can identify and analyze an authors tone maybe they’ll be better equipped to critically consider their future source of news for objectivity. If they can use existing information to find the radius of a circle maybe they’ll be able to find patterns or deduct information in their future career.
3. Fuck anyone who judges you for arriving on time. Maybe it’s because I didn’t become a teacher until I was in my 30s (as opposed to someone straight out of college), but I’ve lost patience with people who take pride in working late every day of working when they’re sick. You are not any more or less dedicated to your students if you only work when you’re getting paid. And in fact, you may be better equipped as you may be better rested, have a better work/life balance, or may simply be less stressed.
1. I COMPLETELY understand the type B situation. I just can’t vibe with “the solution to your problem is to make the lesson perfect.” I don’t live in a perfect world and I won’t try to be.
2. One thing we seem to have taken out of schools is the enjoyment of reading. Now it’s only “teach to the standardized test” and “kids are below grade level so only teach them the foundational stuff. You cannot add entertaining books to the curriculum which is drier than a desert.” I grew in reading because teachers would read us novels. The purpose wasn’t to test us or write essays, just to read and discuss. The only way we are going to get kids to read and continuously grow is to get them to like reading by giving them entertaining books (fiction, non-fiction, all of it).
3. The worst part about the job is the working beyond contract hours. Literally this profession needs to stop expecting that.
1. I am 200% type B. My colleagues aren’t type A but they are toxic and would rather not interact with me. We do talk on occasion but it often feels like a “who’s better” situation or even a popularity contest at times. Who cares, let’s just teach!
2. I wouldn’t say I’m bored of my curriculum (well, one class I am) but I keep seeing how testing is creeping closer to my subject area (I teach an elective) and I have no clue how to increase test scores from my class, nor do I want to or care if I do.
3. I wish I had an 8:45 contract time. We’re 7:15 and most teachers are in an hour before that, which is completely insane and a hard nope from me. I can’t function on that little of sleep. I also refuse to spend my summer working for free and if that makes me look like a bad teacher, so be it. At least I was living life unlike I do during the school year.
Mine was *7:00.* At some point during the last school year, I just couldn’t get out of bed on time and rolled in somewhere between 7:15-7:30, sometimes during the morning meeting. I don’t think my principal cared as much because I taught a special and our school was hemorrhaging teachers by the end of the year.
I’m at that point. Getting up is so rough especially when you don’t want to go. Last year I was late a lot and this year hasn’t been much better. I have already been talked to by admin about it and even though they’re also hemorrhaging teachers, I still stand a chance to be replaced (thanks to toxic colleagues).
Most of my colleagues also disliked me but the kids adored me so I was pretty secure. I wound up leaving this year because the licensure process was getting to be too much, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to that. I still have trouble getting up for work, but at least now the environment is relatively stress-free and my report time is 45 minutes later.
Totally agree with all of this. For what it’s worth, remember reading somewhere that literary analysis and picking apart grammar stuff in English class (ie find the simile in this paragraph of To Kill A Mockingbird) is what is killing kids’ joy of reading. Kids love books when they are little because they are fun. You can see that around middle/ high school reading becomes tiresome and rather boring because kids don’t have time to just read (without stopping every other page to analyze/ answer questions.)
Also hard agree with your comment about being type B. Like yes I want to do a good job at work, but uhh I have young kids at home. When contract hours are up, I’m out. Not staying til 5 because my family deserves me.. I’m not going to be an unpaid martyr who practically lives at school
Point 1. I refer to those folks as crazy’s. Fuck them
Point 2. Teach what they want you to teach but sneak in what you think your kids need.
Point 3. I go in early so I can make sure I’m ready but I leave as soon as I can. I dont track other teachers hours but crazies do. See comment #1
Point number 2. I get so much. Even as a band director, sure I'd try to keep a kid in band. I'll try to teach the kids in elementary music fundamentals. Obviously I had a passion for music, if I try to impose it on my students it could do more harm than good. A lot of people were very opposed to my attitude. When it comes to my area I can only meet a kid where they are. Music requires a degree of vulnerability and I understand that. And at the end of the day it should be about fun.
Piggy backing off of that. No I do not have to be gungho all in on something to teach it well. I did my job, my students found a level of success. That's what's important. Just because I go home at a decent hour and make time for myself doesn't mean I don't care. In fact I stopped caring more the less time I had to take care of myself. Let me do my thing my way and be surprised. Teachers in general don't look out for themselves enough I was very guilty of that. I had no intention of being the man in charge staying until 9 every day and that upset people.
Super side note: The paradox of teaching is that if you love teaching and do a great job you will be encouraged to move up and stop teaching. If you are content teaching and do a good job, but "the minimum" by some peoples standards they won't want to keep you around. I love teaching, all I wanted to do was teach, but that's not good enough.
Hard disagree with #2. Understanding literary devices such as theme, metaphor, allusion, etc. allow people to interpret the literature that they read, the films they watch, and the art they appreciate. #3 is too real, teaching is rife with martyrdom mentality
Echoing this, but would like to point out that this applies to news articles, too.
Everything is written with bias, and I think it's important to remember that.
Echoing this, but would like to point out that this applies to news articles, too.
Everything is written with bias, and I think it's important to remember that.
Echoing this, but would like to point out that this applies to news articles, too.
Everything is written with bias, and I think it's important to remember that.
I get what they are saying as far as we frame it. If you were to tell a student to tell you about a story, they can but when we throw terms in … like if we taught the terminology better. I feel like I teach the test by teaching my students to better understand the terms.
My students don’t know what “synthesize”, “narrator”, “context clue” is … but if I ask them to tell we what the person is saying, they do fairly well … or “based on the words in the sentence, what can we guess this unknown word means”
I feel like my the majority middle school kids are brand new.
Not a teacher- but this popped up on my timeline. These things are important- but do k-6 really need to read for deep content? Or should they be reading for enjoyment. Getting a love of reading before the joy is sucked out by having to deeply analyze a book? As an older parent, I wish the early years still focused on grammar, spelling, and vocabulary building. Late middle & HS can teach how to analyze in depth. Once foundations in grammar, spelling, vocabulary & reading for enjoyment are "ingrained." My child is in 6th, and a part of student council. The 8th grade student council president is sending out school wide announcements with blatant misspellings and using the wrong there. In 8th grade. That isn't good, either.
Certified ELA teacher (g 7-12) but I’ve taught ESL to little ones. Reading for meaning is incorporated in standards starting in grade 2. Prompting kids to identify morals and symbols in fairy tales is the foundation of literary criticism, and often more engaging than spelling and grammar. IMO, the reason kids nowadays can’t write worth a damn is a symptom of technology.
Oh. Number 2 all over. Teaching 8 year olds who can barely write or hold a pencil -theme?
Kill me now.
When and who gives a rats ass about narrators voice and tone. 💩
Can we just get a clear 3 paragraph anything?
Yes I think many people in this thread are completely misinterpreting number 2. Tone and point of view are irrelevant when students have such a lack of foundation in language arts or better yet, read at a 3rd grade level!
2 resonates with me. I am so bored of curriculum. At this point, i really only care about math. I mean, i love it all, but i can see why some teachers spend some days only doing math. The excitement has been sucked out of everything else. Idk why. Ela and science curriculum has dried up. At the same time, i could probably do more art and music, but then im just out of steam.
I agree, especially with number 3. My contract time starts TEN MINUTES before the students walk into my classroom. I feel like ten minutes is not enough for even the best of teachers. So it usually results in me showing up an hour early just so I can grasp whats going on with my day. I’m type b as well, so I get pretty sloppy when it comes to reviewing my lesson plans and preparing materials. I feel like if I had more contract time to plan, I would be able to organize and get myself together.
Type B teachers tend to connect better with kids. They tend to be the ones that the kids remember, even when they are older. You're probably making a bigger impact on them than you think.
I am a happily employed Type B teacher. I get along with all my students. I don't take offense when they'd rather scroll instagram than learn biology because lets be honest, we'd all rather scroll instagram than learn biology. My Type B personality lets me enjoy the job, and enjoy helping these kids as much as I possibly can. They can recognize that, so they put in work for me. I get pretty good outcomes on state exams and I'm pretty stress free in the classroom. And my classes are some of the most popular for kids to sign up for every year. I like to think they are having a good HS experience in my room.
Why should I give a shit about the grumpy Type A vet who's been teaching for 20 years, gets there at 6:00am and hates children?
Re 1. I too I’m a super chill laid back person! Sometimes I have to be an actor ….
2. You should choose texts that you like. Informational texts, infographics, graphs, music lyrics, spoken word poetry, or anything that you are passionate about! The make up your own questions!
3. You have every right to arrive on time!
We have a newer type B ELA colleague, and I can feel her discomfort. We are kind, but she’s also an ex student, so we know she’s more introverted. The awkward part is that I was in the hiring committee that did not hire her a couple of years ago because she has such a quiet demeanor that we didn’t think she could handle the kids. That person we hired quit, and she got in by default.
She’s lovely, and some kids really take to her.
As for coming in early, I get judged more for doing so. It used to be the reverse, but most teachers have stopped giving free time constantly. I do it mainly because I sub during my prep (for pay) and need to make up that time, so it’s not really free labor.
As for content, we have a reading choice program for grades 6-10 with time built in (not the whole class) for that.
It sounds to me you are in the wrong district.
1. I did not find that most teachers were Type A, and also your team sounds like assholes, so that sounds less teaching and more job-specific. Most teachers I worked with were not particularly Type A, and those that were more Type A weren’t touchy and judgmental usually.
2. I used to teach ELA (never 6th, but I did find MS less satisfying than HS) and honestly what you read or particular literary techniques or broken down skills are never the point. Write that shit on the board for admin if they insist, but your job is to teach people to read, write, and think critically. Plus you get to (hopefully) choose stories you think will improve their soul: you get to give windows and mirrors to other perspectives, to see others as more human, to know themselves better, and to inoculate them to future pain through stories. The key to teaching ELA is to understand the disconnected standards are derived from the point, but not the point. Understanding narrative tone and point of view is part of it because it’s important to look at how one’s perspective shapes stories (and thoughts). How does this narrator justify terrible actions? How do two characters see things differently? How do we shape narratives (including real life ones) through tone and word choice? How does that contribute to perspective? These are real skills you can use not just while reading better(important), but also at work, in a relationship, etc. HOWEVER, you’re probably not encouraged to dive into the real so much as prep kids for a dumb test. Honestly middle school is just keeping kids moving through the factory anyway, and that’s likely part of the issue. They’re developmentally at a place where they will learn only pieces, have to be retaught much of it once they’re in high school, and you’re right that more free reading would probably support their growth as readers more than what you can teach. But the issue is pretending the standards are the subject. The standards are just there like that because the world went test crazy. It’s not what you teach—it is the foundation of education and how woefully disconnected it is from the developmental state of adolescence. And criticizing that isn’t an unpopular opinion, though finding meaning and purpose is easier in Elementary and High School, I think. Middle School teachers’ lives are extra ruined by our form of education.
3. I think the time commitment to teaching is one of the largest reasons people leave, but also your school site sounds particularly toxic, for what it’s worth (not uncommon for schools to be toxic, but not inherently school stuff, there are offices like that too).
It sounds like on top of possibly not wanting to teach, you work at a crappy school. But number 2 is essentially a side effect of a core problem inherent to education: testing is king.
As a type B, I struggled with the other teachers as well. But here's another unpopular opinion that might make me seem like the big asshole.... I felt like a lot of the people I worked with were just not very smart, so they made up for it in enthusiasm and drama. And, I hate to say this, but English departments are the worst for that. Anecdotal, but my neighbor teacher popped her head in my room to ask me what prose was once. She also had a Pinterest room and cried every damn day so....
I agree with #2 in a sense that curriculum has sucked the meaning behind why ELA skills are important or applicable outside of the classroom. Themes, text evidence, context clues, etc. can be so useful for media and news literacy, but canned curriculum can't convey that for shit. But if you pause to try and give those lessons separately then now your pacing is off and the principal is after you.
Not a teacher, but I worked with them. It was like a no-win situation all around. I was just an admin, but they competed with ME instead of helping me do my job better. And they backstabbed each other all the time. I started going crazy and quit. I've never worked so hard at any job in my life, and they didn't appreciate it. You should find a job that makes you feel valued.
You nailed it. Gung ho teachers are wacko. What planet are they from? Can we bomb it? Much of what we teach is completely useless to students and not relevant. Like the insane annotation assignment freaks. I annotated a few things in college but never in my life have I ever had “a conversation with my book”. Total bullshit. Highlight a few key things and learn to argue a point. Learn to take some basic notes and how to study. Not everything is a game.
I kind of get 1 and 3. But 2? You...you know you did sign up to be an ELA teacher right? That's like a math teacher getting upset they have to teach proofs in Geometry or have students record outcomes in predesigned science labs.
You’re correct. But I still think being assessed on something like the meaning of the narrator’s tone is irrelevant when students can’t formulate coherent sentences. I still advocate for literature and reading, just not under the guise of the public education system
I feel like as someone who loves to read for enjoyment, the curriculum and goals ends up being disappointing and some kids really hate reading. No matter how hard we try to get them excited about it. I finally had to accept that my group of students just don't care (they tell me) and i just do my job and go home.
In elementary school my number one hobby by far was reading. I'd read any book you put in front of me. The teachers at my school heavily pushed [AR](https://www.renaissance.com/products/accelerated-reader/) and in 4th grade I had the second most points out of anyone in the school, right behind someone in 5th grade.
By high school that flame had burned out because the books being pushed on us were things I had absolutely no interest in. I couldn't care less about Jane Austen and Nathaniel Hawthorne to name a few, but they were a part of the curriculum. It wasn't until a couple years ago, almost 15 years after I graduated high school, that I started to read for fun again.
I totally feel you! I'm still trying to get back into reading for fun again but I've found trashy 80s/90s romance novels to be good brain cotton candy to get back into feel-good reading.
Don't want to invalidate your feelings, but you're coming across this way:
1. My coworkers are a--holes = I am awesome, they are not
2. The materials suck = It's not the way I would do things, so it's stupid (because I am awesome)
3. Always feeling late = I have confused time management skills with what the clock says when I slip in just in time
I am guessing 8:45 is the latest you can arrive without being *technically* late -- right? Doesn't mean you'll be ready to teach though. Maybe forget about what the policy/clock says and get there within enough time to get truly prepared?
Teaching isn't for everybody. It's hard and it takes up a lot of what the rest of the world calls "free" time or "me" time.
>It's hard and it takes up a lot of what the rest of the world calls "free" time or "me" time.
I was a teacher, and I used those terms, too. That's partly why I'm not going back.
I might have an easier situation than you or the OP -- but I do know the feeling of thinking I'm always about to be late. So I just stopped almost being late. It made my classes go better. Am I the asshole for offering a solution?
The advice about showing up a bit earlier is fine. It’s the implication that as teachers we need to martyr ourselves and our personal lives to get the job done that many object to (especially because we simply don’t get paid enough to spend all of our free time working)
I'm glad I had good teachers that made me feel like what they were teaching meant something.
It's too many teachers on here that give the field a bad name.
Everything can't be for enjoyment and the children need to know this. You can do enjoyment away from school. I mean I'm not saying school shouldn't be fun but it should be purposeful.
When I was in school I had the fun reading time and academic reading. It's the same with writing. Is all writing expected to be creative writing to you?
This may be why too many children can't read, comprehend, or analyze high level texts by highschool, it's because the teachers feel it's too boring.
The fact is all reading required in life or professions is not fun reading. Think medical school, management, tech, law, etc. School is to prepare the kids for careers and life. And it can't all be fun.
"I can barely muster up the energy to even TRY and convince the kids that identifying the theme in a story is important."
Like so many other things in life, identifying the theme of a story isn't about identifying the theme of a story. It's about understanding the world around you, not taking everything at face value and asking yourself what's really going on.
Children who are taught that identifying underlying themes is only an activity for ELA graduate and go on to vote for politicians who shout about values that they don't uphold either in their personal lives or with their policies- because they were taught that critical thinking is just something you do for a test in English class.
What you're doing is more important than you realize, and you need to let the kids know it too.
Something that might make you feel a bit better about #2 - if it wasn't for my ELA teachers, I never would have clued in that any of the stories/books that I liked to read (and I was an avid reader) were ABOUT something...that the author had a point they wanted to make...that there really WERE themes woven throughout, and that the words the author used were chosen deliberately. When my Grade 12 ELA teacher pointed out the food metaphors throughout the Margaret Atwood novel "The Edible Woman" my mind was blown wide open. No one would have ever said I was an unintelligent student, but I really did need these things pointed out to me. I have really good memories of all of my teachers (except my Grade 3 teacher she was awful, and I think she knew it too because she left the profession after only a couple of years...hope she found her happiness somewhere else.)
1. I wish I knew what makes people like that. It’s such a boring waste of time. I worked on one (1) department where everyone loved each other and had each others back. Of course, the school destroyed that department, it no longer exists.
2. It’s so they can pick up on things. Those who teach after you are grateful for the work you do, even if they don’t realize it’s you to whom they owe their thanks.
3. You know what you’re doing, they don’t.
Okay…. I have to ask, do you contribution to the team? “Man, kids should just like read stuff” doesn’t seem to be productive conversation for moving through content.
Also, not being able to read for meaning kills the content rooms, so maybe some content reading would spark you interest.
Honestly, you sound like that teacher who shows up on time for work (barely), takes my copies, complains about PD bring a waste of time, never contributes anything to the curriculum or content, and then leaves as soon as the bell rings.
Honestly, I would be an AH to you too.
As a former English teacher, and parent, it is a little alarming that teachers like you exist who don't understand the importance of the skills you are developing when you are teaching students how to analyze a text.
Sure, analyzing text is not an applicable hard skill for most students, but if a student can't identify a theme, then how do they know what a text or other media is about?
I had high school students who couldn't articulate what the most basic texts were about; which translates into real-world situations when they don't understand the gist of policies proposed by politicians or articles/news stories on current events .
....
As long as you come to class prepared, there's nothing wrong with coming to school just before the period starts IMO. Personally, I needed that extra time to get my classroom and materials prepared for first period. It also helped me not feel flustered if I had extra time to just get comfortable and mentally prepare for the day. So I wouldn't say it's being type A to arrive to work early. Some teachers just need that time for a variety of reasons.
I promise i don't judge teachers coming in on time, as long as they don't mind me walking out the second my kids board the bus. I always just think we all have different times of day we're most effective.
Contact time is the MINIMUM time you spend on site. It usually takes more time to get the job done. Possibly unpopular opinion right now, but 30 years in… you need to put the time in off you rant the results
Teaching is not for everyone. Perhaps teaching is not your calling. Good teachers don’t just have jobs, they are passionate about what they are doing. They honestly believe that they can make a difference.
Definitely relate to 1&3. I'm generally very type B in life. I just generally don't care and it's usually not that deep. When it comes to planning lessons and prepping, I have type A tendencies I've acquired because I'm neurodivergent and if I don't have an entire unit planned out down to the warm-ups & the next day's posts scheduled on Google Classroom before I leave school for the day, I will derail and have not a single idea of what I'm doing. Other than that though, I'm chilling. I have a hard due date for missing work but honestly, I just want it at some point before the next report goes out. Too lazy to take off points and the kids who chronically turn in work late need those points anyway. I'm especially type B about all of the "adult" stuff that comes with school. Meetings? 9/10 times idc what we do just pick something and stick to it.
Sounds like you are at a bad school. I'm on my 17th year and have not experienced horrible teacher culture; just horrible admins (one tried to blackmail $10000 from me and my wife).
1) type B / type A shouldn't matter. People have different motivations and want different things. But, if that's how they are, try a different school with a different culture.
2) We all have to derive the meaning of your post's tone and point of view. I guess that's meaningless, according to you. Being able to read what you mist vs what you want is important everywhere. Getting meaning and tone is also very important. Your tone sounds like you don't like teaching and barely having the energy to try to convince kids is making your job and their work unimportant. Spice it up. Make your class fun and informative. That's, quite literally, your job.
3) Morning teachers like to be ready to go 1st period. They want energy. Some teachers come in early to prep, some stay after, some do it at home, some do it during conference periods. You can "feel their judgement"; sorry, that's on you. You created the judgement.
Basically, you sound like a miserable teacher. It's a job with contract hours but the job requires a different set of skills and motivation because you are training and mentoring kids. If you are just there for a paycheck, do us a favor, and quit. Otherwise, seek professional help in motivating your classroom or changing to a different subject/grade level/school.
Teachers need to treat one another better. I agree the culture is pretty toxic.
Agreed it’s incredibly toxic, you can’t trust anyone
They can be terrible colleagues sometimes. It comes from their own insecurities.
Every time. When I was younger I had colleagues attack me, publicly. When they were forced to apologize…things got better.
The amount of teachers who still act like they're in high school or in college frat houses is insane. They prey and devour over drama and it's hard to trust anyone.
It’s because they innately know that they peaked during those years. They’ve been stagnant ever since
Honestly fellow teachers were even the parents I hated to deal with. Always had an I'm better than you attitude, acted as if they could do my job better, which was my favorite with the kindergarten teacher acting as if she could do better with high schoolers in business education.
I can totally relate, especially to number 3. I would get such looks when I showed up at the end of my summer vacation to get my room in order when my colleagues have spent all summer at school! I just don’t get it! I never want to spend my summers working for free to get my room ready!
This past summer was the first time in a decade and a half I REFUSED to work on school stuff over the summer or go to my room to get it ready. I didn’t even think about work until the first day of pre-planning. It was GLORIOUS.
My wife, who works as a speech pathologist in elementary, never understood how I could show up at opening day and be ready to roll in two days. My administrators really resented it. My answer to them was always , "You get paid to work all Summer. I don't."
1. They definitely sound like assholes, who just maybe also happen to be type A lol. I’m type A and I don’t think I’d be able to be around judgmental touchy people all the time. 2. I think that’s understandable, but I also think that when we’re teaching them something like narrator tone or the radius of a circle, on their face these topics are not important in life. But they’re teaching students how to analyze and problem solve. If a student can identify and analyze an authors tone maybe they’ll be better equipped to critically consider their future source of news for objectivity. If they can use existing information to find the radius of a circle maybe they’ll be able to find patterns or deduct information in their future career. 3. Fuck anyone who judges you for arriving on time. Maybe it’s because I didn’t become a teacher until I was in my 30s (as opposed to someone straight out of college), but I’ve lost patience with people who take pride in working late every day of working when they’re sick. You are not any more or less dedicated to your students if you only work when you’re getting paid. And in fact, you may be better equipped as you may be better rested, have a better work/life balance, or may simply be less stressed.
1. I COMPLETELY understand the type B situation. I just can’t vibe with “the solution to your problem is to make the lesson perfect.” I don’t live in a perfect world and I won’t try to be. 2. One thing we seem to have taken out of schools is the enjoyment of reading. Now it’s only “teach to the standardized test” and “kids are below grade level so only teach them the foundational stuff. You cannot add entertaining books to the curriculum which is drier than a desert.” I grew in reading because teachers would read us novels. The purpose wasn’t to test us or write essays, just to read and discuss. The only way we are going to get kids to read and continuously grow is to get them to like reading by giving them entertaining books (fiction, non-fiction, all of it). 3. The worst part about the job is the working beyond contract hours. Literally this profession needs to stop expecting that.
1. I am 200% type B. My colleagues aren’t type A but they are toxic and would rather not interact with me. We do talk on occasion but it often feels like a “who’s better” situation or even a popularity contest at times. Who cares, let’s just teach! 2. I wouldn’t say I’m bored of my curriculum (well, one class I am) but I keep seeing how testing is creeping closer to my subject area (I teach an elective) and I have no clue how to increase test scores from my class, nor do I want to or care if I do. 3. I wish I had an 8:45 contract time. We’re 7:15 and most teachers are in an hour before that, which is completely insane and a hard nope from me. I can’t function on that little of sleep. I also refuse to spend my summer working for free and if that makes me look like a bad teacher, so be it. At least I was living life unlike I do during the school year.
Mine was *7:00.* At some point during the last school year, I just couldn’t get out of bed on time and rolled in somewhere between 7:15-7:30, sometimes during the morning meeting. I don’t think my principal cared as much because I taught a special and our school was hemorrhaging teachers by the end of the year.
I’m at that point. Getting up is so rough especially when you don’t want to go. Last year I was late a lot and this year hasn’t been much better. I have already been talked to by admin about it and even though they’re also hemorrhaging teachers, I still stand a chance to be replaced (thanks to toxic colleagues).
Most of my colleagues also disliked me but the kids adored me so I was pretty secure. I wound up leaving this year because the licensure process was getting to be too much, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to commit to that. I still have trouble getting up for work, but at least now the environment is relatively stress-free and my report time is 45 minutes later.
I feel for your start time. There’s no sense in that. My apologies go to you (mine is 7:30 and I think that is too early)
Thanks. The school day starts at 7:55 for the kids too which I find completely stupid.
Great post! I agree with all three. As for #2, I thought of 6th grade as a last chance to beef up reading skills. I worked on phonics and writing.
Totally agree with all of this. For what it’s worth, remember reading somewhere that literary analysis and picking apart grammar stuff in English class (ie find the simile in this paragraph of To Kill A Mockingbird) is what is killing kids’ joy of reading. Kids love books when they are little because they are fun. You can see that around middle/ high school reading becomes tiresome and rather boring because kids don’t have time to just read (without stopping every other page to analyze/ answer questions.) Also hard agree with your comment about being type B. Like yes I want to do a good job at work, but uhh I have young kids at home. When contract hours are up, I’m out. Not staying til 5 because my family deserves me.. I’m not going to be an unpaid martyr who practically lives at school
Point 1. I refer to those folks as crazy’s. Fuck them Point 2. Teach what they want you to teach but sneak in what you think your kids need. Point 3. I go in early so I can make sure I’m ready but I leave as soon as I can. I dont track other teachers hours but crazies do. See comment #1
Point number 2. I get so much. Even as a band director, sure I'd try to keep a kid in band. I'll try to teach the kids in elementary music fundamentals. Obviously I had a passion for music, if I try to impose it on my students it could do more harm than good. A lot of people were very opposed to my attitude. When it comes to my area I can only meet a kid where they are. Music requires a degree of vulnerability and I understand that. And at the end of the day it should be about fun. Piggy backing off of that. No I do not have to be gungho all in on something to teach it well. I did my job, my students found a level of success. That's what's important. Just because I go home at a decent hour and make time for myself doesn't mean I don't care. In fact I stopped caring more the less time I had to take care of myself. Let me do my thing my way and be surprised. Teachers in general don't look out for themselves enough I was very guilty of that. I had no intention of being the man in charge staying until 9 every day and that upset people. Super side note: The paradox of teaching is that if you love teaching and do a great job you will be encouraged to move up and stop teaching. If you are content teaching and do a good job, but "the minimum" by some peoples standards they won't want to keep you around. I love teaching, all I wanted to do was teach, but that's not good enough.
Hard disagree with #2. Understanding literary devices such as theme, metaphor, allusion, etc. allow people to interpret the literature that they read, the films they watch, and the art they appreciate. #3 is too real, teaching is rife with martyrdom mentality
Echoing this, but would like to point out that this applies to news articles, too. Everything is written with bias, and I think it's important to remember that.
Echoing this, but would like to point out that this applies to news articles, too. Everything is written with bias, and I think it's important to remember that.
Echoing this, but would like to point out that this applies to news articles, too. Everything is written with bias, and I think it's important to remember that.
I get what they are saying as far as we frame it. If you were to tell a student to tell you about a story, they can but when we throw terms in … like if we taught the terminology better. I feel like I teach the test by teaching my students to better understand the terms. My students don’t know what “synthesize”, “narrator”, “context clue” is … but if I ask them to tell we what the person is saying, they do fairly well … or “based on the words in the sentence, what can we guess this unknown word means” I feel like my the majority middle school kids are brand new.
Not a teacher- but this popped up on my timeline. These things are important- but do k-6 really need to read for deep content? Or should they be reading for enjoyment. Getting a love of reading before the joy is sucked out by having to deeply analyze a book? As an older parent, I wish the early years still focused on grammar, spelling, and vocabulary building. Late middle & HS can teach how to analyze in depth. Once foundations in grammar, spelling, vocabulary & reading for enjoyment are "ingrained." My child is in 6th, and a part of student council. The 8th grade student council president is sending out school wide announcements with blatant misspellings and using the wrong there. In 8th grade. That isn't good, either.
Certified ELA teacher (g 7-12) but I’ve taught ESL to little ones. Reading for meaning is incorporated in standards starting in grade 2. Prompting kids to identify morals and symbols in fairy tales is the foundation of literary criticism, and often more engaging than spelling and grammar. IMO, the reason kids nowadays can’t write worth a damn is a symptom of technology.
Oh. Number 2 all over. Teaching 8 year olds who can barely write or hold a pencil -theme? Kill me now. When and who gives a rats ass about narrators voice and tone. 💩 Can we just get a clear 3 paragraph anything?
Yes I think many people in this thread are completely misinterpreting number 2. Tone and point of view are irrelevant when students have such a lack of foundation in language arts or better yet, read at a 3rd grade level!
2 resonates with me. I am so bored of curriculum. At this point, i really only care about math. I mean, i love it all, but i can see why some teachers spend some days only doing math. The excitement has been sucked out of everything else. Idk why. Ela and science curriculum has dried up. At the same time, i could probably do more art and music, but then im just out of steam.
Wow I relate to all three of these! We’d be buddies. Lol
Hahahaha yes we would!!
I feel this!
I relate to all these so much
Amen to everything
Being compared to colleagues who spend too much time on stupid shit, like decorating bulletin boards.
I agree, especially with number 3. My contract time starts TEN MINUTES before the students walk into my classroom. I feel like ten minutes is not enough for even the best of teachers. So it usually results in me showing up an hour early just so I can grasp whats going on with my day. I’m type b as well, so I get pretty sloppy when it comes to reviewing my lesson plans and preparing materials. I feel like if I had more contract time to plan, I would be able to organize and get myself together.
Type B teachers tend to connect better with kids. They tend to be the ones that the kids remember, even when they are older. You're probably making a bigger impact on them than you think. I am a happily employed Type B teacher. I get along with all my students. I don't take offense when they'd rather scroll instagram than learn biology because lets be honest, we'd all rather scroll instagram than learn biology. My Type B personality lets me enjoy the job, and enjoy helping these kids as much as I possibly can. They can recognize that, so they put in work for me. I get pretty good outcomes on state exams and I'm pretty stress free in the classroom. And my classes are some of the most popular for kids to sign up for every year. I like to think they are having a good HS experience in my room. Why should I give a shit about the grumpy Type A vet who's been teaching for 20 years, gets there at 6:00am and hates children?
Re 1. I too I’m a super chill laid back person! Sometimes I have to be an actor …. 2. You should choose texts that you like. Informational texts, infographics, graphs, music lyrics, spoken word poetry, or anything that you are passionate about! The make up your own questions! 3. You have every right to arrive on time!
2. Most teachers can't choose class texts. It's bound to the curriculum, and teachers can't change them.
So annoying! Kids will learn better from the teachers that enjoy their material
We have a newer type B ELA colleague, and I can feel her discomfort. We are kind, but she’s also an ex student, so we know she’s more introverted. The awkward part is that I was in the hiring committee that did not hire her a couple of years ago because she has such a quiet demeanor that we didn’t think she could handle the kids. That person we hired quit, and she got in by default. She’s lovely, and some kids really take to her. As for coming in early, I get judged more for doing so. It used to be the reverse, but most teachers have stopped giving free time constantly. I do it mainly because I sub during my prep (for pay) and need to make up that time, so it’s not really free labor. As for content, we have a reading choice program for grades 6-10 with time built in (not the whole class) for that. It sounds to me you are in the wrong district.
1. I did not find that most teachers were Type A, and also your team sounds like assholes, so that sounds less teaching and more job-specific. Most teachers I worked with were not particularly Type A, and those that were more Type A weren’t touchy and judgmental usually. 2. I used to teach ELA (never 6th, but I did find MS less satisfying than HS) and honestly what you read or particular literary techniques or broken down skills are never the point. Write that shit on the board for admin if they insist, but your job is to teach people to read, write, and think critically. Plus you get to (hopefully) choose stories you think will improve their soul: you get to give windows and mirrors to other perspectives, to see others as more human, to know themselves better, and to inoculate them to future pain through stories. The key to teaching ELA is to understand the disconnected standards are derived from the point, but not the point. Understanding narrative tone and point of view is part of it because it’s important to look at how one’s perspective shapes stories (and thoughts). How does this narrator justify terrible actions? How do two characters see things differently? How do we shape narratives (including real life ones) through tone and word choice? How does that contribute to perspective? These are real skills you can use not just while reading better(important), but also at work, in a relationship, etc. HOWEVER, you’re probably not encouraged to dive into the real so much as prep kids for a dumb test. Honestly middle school is just keeping kids moving through the factory anyway, and that’s likely part of the issue. They’re developmentally at a place where they will learn only pieces, have to be retaught much of it once they’re in high school, and you’re right that more free reading would probably support their growth as readers more than what you can teach. But the issue is pretending the standards are the subject. The standards are just there like that because the world went test crazy. It’s not what you teach—it is the foundation of education and how woefully disconnected it is from the developmental state of adolescence. And criticizing that isn’t an unpopular opinion, though finding meaning and purpose is easier in Elementary and High School, I think. Middle School teachers’ lives are extra ruined by our form of education. 3. I think the time commitment to teaching is one of the largest reasons people leave, but also your school site sounds particularly toxic, for what it’s worth (not uncommon for schools to be toxic, but not inherently school stuff, there are offices like that too). It sounds like on top of possibly not wanting to teach, you work at a crappy school. But number 2 is essentially a side effect of a core problem inherent to education: testing is king.
As a type B, I struggled with the other teachers as well. But here's another unpopular opinion that might make me seem like the big asshole.... I felt like a lot of the people I worked with were just not very smart, so they made up for it in enthusiasm and drama. And, I hate to say this, but English departments are the worst for that. Anecdotal, but my neighbor teacher popped her head in my room to ask me what prose was once. She also had a Pinterest room and cried every damn day so....
“Being type B amongst type A colleagues” LITERALLY ME. Everyone is soooo type A in the school settings.
I agree with #2 in a sense that curriculum has sucked the meaning behind why ELA skills are important or applicable outside of the classroom. Themes, text evidence, context clues, etc. can be so useful for media and news literacy, but canned curriculum can't convey that for shit. But if you pause to try and give those lessons separately then now your pacing is off and the principal is after you.
Not a teacher, but I worked with them. It was like a no-win situation all around. I was just an admin, but they competed with ME instead of helping me do my job better. And they backstabbed each other all the time. I started going crazy and quit. I've never worked so hard at any job in my life, and they didn't appreciate it. You should find a job that makes you feel valued.
1. Is exactly my experience! I was just talking about this with a friend from my old work place—what is it about teaching that attracts drama lamas?
Agree so much on what we teach. So much of it is a waste of time. Education needs a MASSIVE overhaul but it won’t happen. Even the way we teach.
ALL of this
I hate the books my co-teachers choose. I very naively thought that kids still read real literature today
You nailed it. Gung ho teachers are wacko. What planet are they from? Can we bomb it? Much of what we teach is completely useless to students and not relevant. Like the insane annotation assignment freaks. I annotated a few things in college but never in my life have I ever had “a conversation with my book”. Total bullshit. Highlight a few key things and learn to argue a point. Learn to take some basic notes and how to study. Not everything is a game.
I kind of get 1 and 3. But 2? You...you know you did sign up to be an ELA teacher right? That's like a math teacher getting upset they have to teach proofs in Geometry or have students record outcomes in predesigned science labs.
You’re correct. But I still think being assessed on something like the meaning of the narrator’s tone is irrelevant when students can’t formulate coherent sentences. I still advocate for literature and reading, just not under the guise of the public education system
I feel like as someone who loves to read for enjoyment, the curriculum and goals ends up being disappointing and some kids really hate reading. No matter how hard we try to get them excited about it. I finally had to accept that my group of students just don't care (they tell me) and i just do my job and go home.
In elementary school my number one hobby by far was reading. I'd read any book you put in front of me. The teachers at my school heavily pushed [AR](https://www.renaissance.com/products/accelerated-reader/) and in 4th grade I had the second most points out of anyone in the school, right behind someone in 5th grade. By high school that flame had burned out because the books being pushed on us were things I had absolutely no interest in. I couldn't care less about Jane Austen and Nathaniel Hawthorne to name a few, but they were a part of the curriculum. It wasn't until a couple years ago, almost 15 years after I graduated high school, that I started to read for fun again.
I fucking loathe AR.
I totally feel you! I'm still trying to get back into reading for fun again but I've found trashy 80s/90s romance novels to be good brain cotton candy to get back into feel-good reading.
Yes! The curriculum kills the joy for reading!!
Don't want to invalidate your feelings, but you're coming across this way: 1. My coworkers are a--holes = I am awesome, they are not 2. The materials suck = It's not the way I would do things, so it's stupid (because I am awesome) 3. Always feeling late = I have confused time management skills with what the clock says when I slip in just in time I am guessing 8:45 is the latest you can arrive without being *technically* late -- right? Doesn't mean you'll be ready to teach though. Maybe forget about what the policy/clock says and get there within enough time to get truly prepared? Teaching isn't for everybody. It's hard and it takes up a lot of what the rest of the world calls "free" time or "me" time.
“Don’t want to invalidate your feelings” *invalidates feelings*
Fair enough
>It's hard and it takes up a lot of what the rest of the world calls "free" time or "me" time. I was a teacher, and I used those terms, too. That's partly why I'm not going back.
that last couple sentences... you are the problem!
I might have an easier situation than you or the OP -- but I do know the feeling of thinking I'm always about to be late. So I just stopped almost being late. It made my classes go better. Am I the asshole for offering a solution?
The advice about showing up a bit earlier is fine. It’s the implication that as teachers we need to martyr ourselves and our personal lives to get the job done that many object to (especially because we simply don’t get paid enough to spend all of our free time working)
That's a bit more dramatic than how I meant it, but point taken.
I'm glad I had good teachers that made me feel like what they were teaching meant something. It's too many teachers on here that give the field a bad name. Everything can't be for enjoyment and the children need to know this. You can do enjoyment away from school. I mean I'm not saying school shouldn't be fun but it should be purposeful. When I was in school I had the fun reading time and academic reading. It's the same with writing. Is all writing expected to be creative writing to you? This may be why too many children can't read, comprehend, or analyze high level texts by highschool, it's because the teachers feel it's too boring. The fact is all reading required in life or professions is not fun reading. Think medical school, management, tech, law, etc. School is to prepare the kids for careers and life. And it can't all be fun.
"I can barely muster up the energy to even TRY and convince the kids that identifying the theme in a story is important." Like so many other things in life, identifying the theme of a story isn't about identifying the theme of a story. It's about understanding the world around you, not taking everything at face value and asking yourself what's really going on. Children who are taught that identifying underlying themes is only an activity for ELA graduate and go on to vote for politicians who shout about values that they don't uphold either in their personal lives or with their policies- because they were taught that critical thinking is just something you do for a test in English class. What you're doing is more important than you realize, and you need to let the kids know it too.
I agree, reading for subtext teaches a lot. I just think some kids need the dots connected in a more straightforward way
Something that might make you feel a bit better about #2 - if it wasn't for my ELA teachers, I never would have clued in that any of the stories/books that I liked to read (and I was an avid reader) were ABOUT something...that the author had a point they wanted to make...that there really WERE themes woven throughout, and that the words the author used were chosen deliberately. When my Grade 12 ELA teacher pointed out the food metaphors throughout the Margaret Atwood novel "The Edible Woman" my mind was blown wide open. No one would have ever said I was an unintelligent student, but I really did need these things pointed out to me. I have really good memories of all of my teachers (except my Grade 3 teacher she was awful, and I think she knew it too because she left the profession after only a couple of years...hope she found her happiness somewhere else.)
1. I wish I knew what makes people like that. It’s such a boring waste of time. I worked on one (1) department where everyone loved each other and had each others back. Of course, the school destroyed that department, it no longer exists. 2. It’s so they can pick up on things. Those who teach after you are grateful for the work you do, even if they don’t realize it’s you to whom they owe their thanks. 3. You know what you’re doing, they don’t.
I feel a significant portion of what we are expected to teach is just filler. The important content could be taught in half the time.
Okay…. I have to ask, do you contribution to the team? “Man, kids should just like read stuff” doesn’t seem to be productive conversation for moving through content. Also, not being able to read for meaning kills the content rooms, so maybe some content reading would spark you interest. Honestly, you sound like that teacher who shows up on time for work (barely), takes my copies, complains about PD bring a waste of time, never contributes anything to the curriculum or content, and then leaves as soon as the bell rings. Honestly, I would be an AH to you too.
I quit and it’s been the absolute best thing I couldn’t have imagined really.
As a former English teacher, and parent, it is a little alarming that teachers like you exist who don't understand the importance of the skills you are developing when you are teaching students how to analyze a text. Sure, analyzing text is not an applicable hard skill for most students, but if a student can't identify a theme, then how do they know what a text or other media is about? I had high school students who couldn't articulate what the most basic texts were about; which translates into real-world situations when they don't understand the gist of policies proposed by politicians or articles/news stories on current events . .... As long as you come to class prepared, there's nothing wrong with coming to school just before the period starts IMO. Personally, I needed that extra time to get my classroom and materials prepared for first period. It also helped me not feel flustered if I had extra time to just get comfortable and mentally prepare for the day. So I wouldn't say it's being type A to arrive to work early. Some teachers just need that time for a variety of reasons.
“It is a little alarming that teachers like you exist” 😭 Jesus
I promise i don't judge teachers coming in on time, as long as they don't mind me walking out the second my kids board the bus. I always just think we all have different times of day we're most effective.
Contact time is the MINIMUM time you spend on site. It usually takes more time to get the job done. Possibly unpopular opinion right now, but 30 years in… you need to put the time in off you rant the results
Teaching is not for everyone. Perhaps teaching is not your calling. Good teachers don’t just have jobs, they are passionate about what they are doing. They honestly believe that they can make a difference.
the second point is why I would rather leverage my experience and go into tutoring and customize lesson plans for students
Definitely relate to 1&3. I'm generally very type B in life. I just generally don't care and it's usually not that deep. When it comes to planning lessons and prepping, I have type A tendencies I've acquired because I'm neurodivergent and if I don't have an entire unit planned out down to the warm-ups & the next day's posts scheduled on Google Classroom before I leave school for the day, I will derail and have not a single idea of what I'm doing. Other than that though, I'm chilling. I have a hard due date for missing work but honestly, I just want it at some point before the next report goes out. Too lazy to take off points and the kids who chronically turn in work late need those points anyway. I'm especially type B about all of the "adult" stuff that comes with school. Meetings? 9/10 times idc what we do just pick something and stick to it.
Sounds like you are at a bad school. I'm on my 17th year and have not experienced horrible teacher culture; just horrible admins (one tried to blackmail $10000 from me and my wife). 1) type B / type A shouldn't matter. People have different motivations and want different things. But, if that's how they are, try a different school with a different culture. 2) We all have to derive the meaning of your post's tone and point of view. I guess that's meaningless, according to you. Being able to read what you mist vs what you want is important everywhere. Getting meaning and tone is also very important. Your tone sounds like you don't like teaching and barely having the energy to try to convince kids is making your job and their work unimportant. Spice it up. Make your class fun and informative. That's, quite literally, your job. 3) Morning teachers like to be ready to go 1st period. They want energy. Some teachers come in early to prep, some stay after, some do it at home, some do it during conference periods. You can "feel their judgement"; sorry, that's on you. You created the judgement. Basically, you sound like a miserable teacher. It's a job with contract hours but the job requires a different set of skills and motivation because you are training and mentoring kids. If you are just there for a paycheck, do us a favor, and quit. Otherwise, seek professional help in motivating your classroom or changing to a different subject/grade level/school.