I've been a high school teacher for the last 16 years. I started at the age of 40. This is my third and last career. Mainly due to state an federal laws(loop holes districts have jump through for funding), it's a broken system. Students that are considered special education, that are main streamed, that have behavioral issues can stop a class's teaching environment dead in it's tracks and these students do not necessarily need to be be considered special education and then there is the BIP(Behavioral Intervention Process), you have somewhere bertween 90-140 students in 7 periods of an 8 period day. You do referrals and the student is back in your class generally within a day. You would have to see it to believe the environment, much smaller rural schools tend to be a much better environment for teachers and students alike. You generally have 30+ students cramed in to a smal classroom that the teacher can't even walk up and down the isles. Large schools of 2,000+ schools are small cities with all the problems that go on in cities. Turf issues, gangs, drug dealing, bullies, etc. On any given day at a H.S. of 2,000+ students, I guarantee you there are several loaded guns on campus, held by students. If I had school age children now, if I could afford it, they would be in private schools. Teaching is for a younger person now who is is good physical condition and the attrition rate is still less than 5 years before they leave teaching. Retention is some what better with a bad economy but you end up with old physically worn out and burned out teachers(like me) that have too much invested into the pension system to quit, even though you have come to hate a job, that once you loved. You can no longer physically discipline a child(some districts do, but parents must sign a permission slip), still if the lick process bruises the student you may very likely still get sued. Most of you poster except for one have never spent one day in a class room at a large public high school, since you graduated, needless to say attempting to teach. I have had two mini-strokes in the last 2 years and I have Severe Spinal Stenosis, in my the Cervical and Lumbar area of my spine. I'm going through the process of seeing Orthopedist's in an attempt to obtain a disabilty retirement becuase I can no longer mentally and physically perform my duties. I wake at 4am walk through the school doors at 6:30am and leave generally between 4-5pm. I'm living on Vicodins to just make the back pain bearable. I'm so physically and mentally exhausted that most nights, I'm in bed by 8:30. So next time you start complaining about schools try to look at it from the teachers perspective. Students are a product of their home environment and 40% of you parents, if you received a grade in the way you raise your children, would be an F, because of their behavior at school .
Parents have empowered their children with a confrontational attitude, mainly because what they see at home and are allowed to get away with at home. About 75% of the children/students are great and a joy to deal with but they get short changes because of the other 25% of the students, who are little monster because they are crack babies, mother's who abuse drugs and alcohol while pregnant and adults who have children, when they themselves are basket cases(my sister's children is a good example. Everyone of you that have high school children, should unexpectedly, show up and request to sit in your child's classroom for just one day in the middle of the school, year and also walk the halls or sit in the cafeteria during lunch. It would be better if you just somehow viewed your childs classrooms on video without anyone knowing but that's not going to happen due to laws in place by school districts. If they know you're coming you'd get the prestaged Dog and Pony Show. It's a broken F'd up system that you and I are paying for.
At 57, I'm pretty much a crippled up old man that is only there for the health insurance. If I'm granted my disability retirement, I will be living on less tha $18,000 a year. I don't believe, that is cheating the system. I teach Health Science Technology, a Career and Technology(Vocational) program for students interested in Health Career Training after high school. I occasionally run into my ex students that are Nurses, Physical Therapists, Paramedics, Radiologic Tecnologist and I'm quite sure there are a couple of Doctors out there. I have made a difference in some of my students lives and believe me it, makes all the negatives go away for a while. I have probaly had 3,000+ students in my 16 years in the classroom but it's time for me to retire and I won't have one regret and will never look back because of decline of our public schools. I would like to still work part time as a Career Counselor, we'll see if I can still walk in a few years. Life isn't fair but really No regrets! Unfortunately most of today's problems in the USA, have been cause by my generation "The Baby Boomers"!:banghead:
JT
