I’m one of the worst teachers in my state

[n2doc]

We must hate teachers. I've won awards, my kids thrive. But thanks to crazy tests, I'm being shamed by Florida
By SIMONE RYALS

I didn’t think I’d like teaching, but instantly loved it when I gave it a shot, and was immediately acclaimed as having a natural affinity for it. I love the children, learning, and seeing them learn and grow. I work tirelessly to give them engaging experiences that bring learning to life.

In the past decade, I have been greatly moved and honored to win numerous awards and been nominated for more still. My curriculum night presentations are always standing room only, because I’m the funny teacher who is going to make that half-hour come to life with hands-on science, leaving them running to the administration to sing my praises.

I initiated and continue to run the chess and drama clubs with no remuneration. I do get a small stipend for being the academic games coordinator, running the Mathletes team and spelling bee for the school, along with keeping the staff and students informed of enrichment opportunities like academic competitions. I organize the field trips for my grade level and a trip for fourth- and fifth-graders to spend three days at an oceanographic institute in the Florida Keys.

My own fifth-grade gifted students will end this year with a full understanding of three Shakespearean plays, as class sets of these and other texts were secured through my Donors Choose requests. Saturday, I’ll be the designated representative picking up free materials for my school. I write the full year’s lesson plans over the summer (then tweak them as I go).

more

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/31/im_one_of_the_worst_teachers_in_my_state/

note- I am just posting this, I am not the author

[exboyfil]

1. I don't know if it is hyperbole or not

but I have to wonder about her statement

"My own fifth-grade gifted students will end this year with a full understanding of three Shakespearean plays, as class sets of these and other texts were secured through my Donors Choose requests."

I homeschooled my daughter in English and Social Studies in 7th grade. We did Julius Caesar (along with studying Roman history as part of social studies). I would not think to take on more than one play a year, and, while my daughter is very intelligent for her age, I do not think she had a full understanding of one of Shakespeare's simpler plays. While I enjoy Shakespeare three plays in a year means that many other things are not being covered that year. Even in my one semester Shakespeare class in high school, we only did three plays. My Honors English classes in 9th, 11th, and 12th only did one per year. Lots of great literature from other periods that needs to be covered.

I do agree with her sentiments about the right way to teach a subject, and the Common Core so far seems to fall far short of that goal. In particular I am troubled about the math approaches which I have seen.

[n2doc]

2. Even if it is a boast, it sounds like she is trying n/t

[exboyfil]

4. I agree but hyperbole

hurts your argument. In the comments section folks zero in on that for example. Based upon what I read I would like my kids to have her as a teacher.

[xocet]

3. Did you happen to read the next entry in her blog?

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Lost My Words
Simone Ryals


On Friday, everything started out normally. I was reading a book to the children in the morning. That's when I started losing the words. I don't know how else to describe it. They thought it was funny at first. Sometimes we all read words incorrectly. This was different.

I'd see the word "Sometimes" in the last sentence, and read, "Eventually." I knew it was a mistake, but couldn't figure it out. I knew it was the word "sometimes," but my brain fought it.

I whipped the children next door to computer lab, thinking I could rest my brain. I must have been reading for too long, must be tired. The children were starting to become concerned,
and so was I. I had never so much as heard of anything like this.

A child asked for assistance with his computer, only he no longer had a name. I opened my own computer to the attendance page, and all my students' names had been replaced with the names of strangers. Some still had the correct first name, but not the last, or vice versa.

http://simoneryals.blogspot.com/2014/03/lost-my-words.html

It is deeply cruel to put teachers under that kind of stress for things they cannot control and for things that are, at best, tangential to their duties - not that they should be put under any kind of stress.

[woodsprite]

5. I would give anything for my son to have such a talent development/gifted teacher like that!

It's not fair what they're doing to teachers who really teach, engage the kids, and love doing it. I wish I knew how to change it. Parents getting active doesn't seem to help much in driving the agenda as they essentially blow us off. I have a couple of friends (teachers) who are trying the administration route, but I don't know if they will be able to effect any change that way, or if it's even above that level. They're trying to talk others into flooding the admin and school board with supportive people, not people bought off by the charter/privatization agenda.

It's not fair to the kids if they're stuck with a teacher who really doesn't want to be there or put much effort into the job but gets lauded because they get 'decent' state testing scores. That's the case with my son's current 8th grade TD teacher. Some of the assignments for assessment grades this year have been carving a pumpkin (sent home justification that the assignment met district standards), forced to participate in Science Olympiad (as last minute participants - so no time to prepare - 5 month difference between the kids who signed up when it was a club offering in September vs. those made to do it for a class grade on January 27th.), love letters to soldiers and shut-ins, Doodle for Google, clothing/change donations for scholarship entry, the final project is for each student to teach an entire 1.5 hour class on the subject of their choice (must include a pre-assessment, homework, visuals (slides and handouts), hands-on group work, and post-assessment).

She did the teaching thing last year too (with no guidance to the students on the project other than "just teach what you know&quot . I just thought it was an easy way to lighten her load since she was new to the position and 7 mo pregnant at the time. She essentially got through the last month of last year without having to come up with a lesson plan. After struggling through this year with her, I think no lesson plan is just her MO. The person before her had very challenging, thought provoking but fun projects (The Poison Picnic comes to mind).

I hope he has a better experience next year when he starts high school! The sky is the limit when kids have great teachers!!!

[LWolf]

8. Maybe he already does,

but you, and he, might never know it if the teacher is complying with top/down mandates.

[Smarmie Doofus]

6. That's OK. Rick Scott is one of the worst governors. In your... or any other state. n/t

[petson]

7. I don't think so

I don't think u r the worst teachers in your state, after reading your post I can say that you are good human being.