I'm just me......my book title. I am not a super star, not a plumber, just an average teacher

[greenbriar]

working my ass off to try to make a difference and provide a good home for my daughter

MY JOB:

I used to love teaching but NCLB has all but taken that away. See, I teach Social STudies and in our building (and district) because of the testing, little things like Social Studies and Science don't matter. We are not math or reading you see.

So, in our building we get the number of Social Studies teachers and science teachers cut while the math and reading teachers are doubled.

On my team there are 3 reading teachers, 3 math teachers and 1 science and 1 social studies teachers. So the result is. Reading and Math teachers get to have no more than 65 students a day at 82 minutes a day. The science and Social studies teacher get their 146 students each for 41 minutes a day IF there are no "sexual harassment" "Bullying" or anything that they use our classes for. This is the same set up for every grade.

I am not even going to talk about the documentation that we must keep to prove that we are important ie...teach reading and math on our content areas...


MY FAMILY:

One of the reasons hubby and I work so hard is to keep the insurance benefits as I have Crohns Disease yet my doctors have been careful not to specifically say that on any legal papers so as not to create a pre=existing health issue just in case insurance wants to be buttheads. Hubby has very bad asthma and a severe food allergy. WE need our insurance. AND daughter has had 5 migraines in the last month and this morning woke up with one eye swollen shut. Cat scan is scheduled for next week.




So you see, this election is more than just getting a D in office, it is restoring my life and my hope and my dreams. I can not continue to live in fear and dread every day. I can not continue to bust my ass trying to make a difference for some student whose SES category would make others cry in shame and be continuously told that I don't matter because my class is not teaching him or her to read .


I have to have hope

[riley3]

1. I teach all subjects, and feel the same way you do with regard to NCLB.

I do not think there will continue to be free public education in this country if Obama is not our next president.

[greenbriar]

2. I am seriously thinking of writing this book

and talk about life as an 8th grade social studies teacher in the building with the highest number of low income famlies in the biggest district in Kansas. That these students even care about school is a testiment to what we do.


Just this week, we had a student come to school after spending the morning trying to help his mom whom he couldn't wake up from an over dose. That was after she spent the night before beating the shit out of him!

Yea, we do more than teach

[Greyskye]

4. Hang in there, Greenbriar. The times are changing.

I think you should write that book. You obviously have a way with words, and you sure have a story to tell!

That's a hell of a combination. :thumbsup:

[greenbriar]

10. thank you

I have been thinking about it for a long time

[TomInTib]

3. Teachers have always been my own personal heroes.

I have always held good teachers in the highest regard, just for doing what they were educated to do.

Now that the fucking ideologues are calling the shots, teaching has become almost like trench warfare. Good people such as you, greenbriar, are trying not only to make a difference, but to attempt to do so while constantly on the defensive.

My heart goes out to you, greenbriar, and to all the other underdog heroes who make their stand in those classrooms everywhere across our Nation.

Good luck, greenbriar, because you are going to need it.

Tom

[greenbriar]

5. thank you

Do you really think anyone would read a book such as this?

[TomInTib]

6. Well, I know I would.

I would initially market it through the NEA, see what happens.

[greenbriar]

14. good suggestion

thanks

[pnwmom]

7. They dropped social studies altogether in my district -- what a crime.

But the health insurance crimes are even worse. I'm so sorry about your situation. I have a family member with a life threatening pre-existing condition so I know what you're going through.

[greenbriar]

11. dropped SS even in high school?

that is just a crime

its bad enough trying to teach 6-8 graders about continents and latitude/longitude ect that they SHOULD have had before us but I used to teach high school and if those skills are not learned by then it is really bad

[pnwmom]

12. No -- just in elementary school. But it was my son's favorite subject.

And instead he was stuck doing incredibly stupid "grade level" reading exercises for double periods every day.

In third grade, for example, he was reading Lord of the Rings at home for fun, so you can imagine how painful it was to be doing the regular third grade reading at school. And for two whole periods! It got to the point where the only thing he liked at school was PE -- and his friends, of course. I gave up and sent him to a private school in 6th grade.

[greenbriar]

13. so that when we get them in middle and high school they do NOT

have any clue even as to N,s,e,w directions and latitude/longigude ect

[pnwmom]

15. Much less any clue as to the political and cultural world around them. n/t

[bigtree]

8. yeah, this election is important

best wishes for your family. (thanks for teaching)

[greenbriar]

9. thank you

.

[TooRaLoo]

16. Another DUer encouraging you to write that book.

NCLB is such a detriment. I can't help but be angry about it. :mad: Especially knowing that W's brother Neil profits from it. Just like all of W's policies, it's a freaking giveaway.

I'm sure everyone here has seen this stuff, but here are some links for those interested:

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/62528/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/1/8/125556/7027

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_42/b4005059.htm

http://www.democracynow.org/2004/3/12/no_bush_left_behind_when_youre

[greenbriar]

17. thanks

and thanks for the links too

[LWolf]

18. I certainly feel your pain,

as a teacher myself.

I don't expect things to get better in public education by winning this election. Obama is not exactly a shining star on education, and NCLB is a bipartisan nightmare.

I do expect us to have a bit more influence, and that's a good place to start.