Calling All Teachers..

My daughter is a teacher and loves it. Her namespace is cyclonewriter.gather.com
I know she would be more than happy to touch base with you !

Take it one step at a time. And take Michelle's advice--email her! She's a huge help.

The real difficulty is when you get into the classroom, but it's not with the things they tell you will be hard. All you can do is take it one step at a time. Really. I'm in my first year of teaching and it's harsh, but I've never felt more fulfilled than I do right now.

I'm hoping for a college thing, too, eventually. The really great program I want, though, wants you to teach in a classroom for a few years, first. So I'm doing it. When you get overwhelmed, talk it out.

Feel free to email me anytime you want, too. For anything. Really.

I've been working in the special ed department of our local elementary school for just about two years now (I've been on maternity leave for a while, but can't wait to go back!) and the day before I started the school couselor approached me and said, "I promise you, before the semester is over there will be more then one occasion that you go home and cry. But if you stick it out you'll realise why teachers are so pationate about what they do." And I can tell you, the first time (there have been a few occasions) that I did just that, I came home a bawled! And as I was calming down I came into the bedroom to see my husband on the computer. He said he was emailing a friend of his whom he hadn't seen in years and he was telling this man all about me. (Of course, I had to read over his shoulder once I knew the email was about me! hehehe) And he wrote, "My wife is amazing. She's probably the most grounded person I've met. She's a Special Education teacher, says something about her heart. In truth, she does a job that goes completely un-noticed, and completely thankless. Unless you count smiles and first steps as benifits... I respect her for what she does. Because I couldn't do it." When I read that I thought, I do count smiles and first steps as benefits! There is not a job on the market as rewarding or wonderful feeling as teaching!
I promise you, it's difficult, and there are moments when it feels like you can't do it. But as soon as those moments are over it becomes unmistakably clear why teachers love what they do. It's a job that requires so much emotion, passion, and truely hard work and there are far too few people who get to feel that! Good for you! Good luck! You'll love it!

Yes, my husband is a college professor. I encourage you to stick with this. You can do it! If it is any comfort, he used to feel challenged when making the transition to teaching as well. Now he is totally at home in the classroom.

The world needs as many excellent teachers as possible. If you have a passion for this, then you'll find your own unique way to reach those students and to get through the required course work. Feel free to contact me via Gather mail any time.

Thanks you guys!! YOU ARE ALL So Special to me and so supportive..

I THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!! I promise I will email you when I need to!! LOL

I dont have any advice but I wish you luck...althought you dont need it you will do great.

I have a lot of friends that teach, or taught. They said times have changed a lot, and they weren't pleased with it anymore. However, if you enjoy it, and want to do it, go for it and good luck.

im not a teacher...but i am a teachers assistant. you will be fine! just dont give up! i work with a teacher who has done special ed for over 20 years. she still loves her job as much as she did day one! youll do fine if this is what you really want to do! good luck!

i teach computer applications at the college level.... I love teaching... and my students... not so happy about the computer part of it... but someday I'll get my degree and move into teaching English :) That's the plan, anyway

Danielle
The only advice I can give you is from my darling wife who happens to be a junior high sped teacher; " Take care of yourself/stress and find and utilize a teachers support group.
And I am new to this site so I hope I am not breaking any rules or laws by sharing this with you but I found it on this site this morning.
Please be advised it is a tear jercker but may help to answer some of your question.
Thoughtfully yours David.
Robby's Night
True Story -- Worth Reading

At the prodding of my friends, I am writing this story. My name is Mildred Hondorf. I am a former elementary school music teacher from Des Moines , Iowa . I've always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons-something I've done for over 30 years. Over the years I found that children have many levels of musical ability. I've never had the pleasure of having a prodigy though I have taught some talented students.

However I've also had my share of what I call 'musically challenged' pupils. One such student was Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single Mom) dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer that students (especially boys!) begin at an earlier age, which I explained to Robby.

But Robby said that it had always been his mother's dream to hear him play the piano. So I took him as a student. Well, Robby began with his piano lessons and from the beginnin g I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as Robby tried, he lacked th e sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary pieces that I require all my students to learn.

Over the months he tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him. At the end of each weekly lesson he'd always say, 'My mom 's going to hear me play someday..' But it seemed hopeless He just did not have any inborn ability. I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited in her aged car to pick him up. She always waved and smiled but never stopped in.

Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons.

I thought about calling him but assumed because of his lack of ability, that he had decided to pursue something else I also was glad that he stopped coming. He was a bad advertisement for my teaching!

Several weeks later I mailed to the student's homes a flyer on the upcom ing recital. To my surprise Robby (who received a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the recital was for current pupils and because he had dropped out he really did not qualify. He said that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to piano lessons but he was still practicing 'Miss Hondorf I've just got to play!' he insisted.

I don't know what led me to allow him to play in the recital. Maybe it was his persistence or maybe it was something inside of me saying that it would be all right. The night for the recital came. The high school gymnasium was packed with parents, friends and relatives. I put Robby up last in the program before I was to come up and thank all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he would do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his poor performance through my 'curtain closer.'

Well, the recital went off without a hitch. The students had been practicing and it showed. Then Robby came up on stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked like he'd run an eggbeater through it. 'Why didn't he dress up like the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his mother at least make him comb his hair for this special night?'

Robby pulled out the piano bench and he began. I was surprised when he announced th at h e had chosen Mozart's Concerto #21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo. From allegro to virtuoso. His suspended chords that Mozart demands were magnificent! Never had I heard Mozart played so well by people his age. After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo and everyone was on their feet in wild applause.

Overcome and in tears I ran up on stage and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I've never heard you play like that Robby! How'd you do it? ' Through the microphone Robby explained : 'Well Miss Hondorf . ... Remember I told you my Mom was sick? Well, actually she had cancer and passed away this morning And well . . She was born deaf so tonight was the first time she ever heard me play. I wanted to make it special.'

There wasn't a dry eye in the h ouse that evening. As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stag e to be placed into foster care, noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy and I thought to myself how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as my pupil.

No, I've never had a prodigy but that night I became a prodigy. . . Of Robby's. He was the teacher and I was the pupil for it is he that taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself and maybe even taking a chance in someone and you don't know why.

Robby was killed in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in April of 1995. And now, a fo otnote to the story.

If you are thinking about forwarding this message, you are probably thinking about which people on your address list aren't the 'appropriate' ones to receive this type of message. The person who sent this to you believes that we can all make a difference. So many seemingly trivial interactions bet ween two people present us with a choice : Do we act with compassion or do we pass up that opportunity and leave the world a bit colder in the process?

You have two choices now :
1. Delete this.
2. Forward it to the people you care about.
You know the choice I made. Thank you for reading this
May God bless you today, tomorrow and always
If God didn't have a purposes for us.
We wouldn't be here!

good luck with your goal

Looks like you're getting plenty of good advice here - good luck!

I am not a teacher, but the statistics that you mentioned gave me a thought. It may be so high because a lot of people go into teaching as a fall back position right after graduating and when they get a job in their field, they leave teaching. I am in school and I know a lot of students that do this.

My sister is doing it right now. She graduated last June and has yet to get into grad school or find a job in her field, so she has turned to teaching. My BF's daughter is thinking about doing the same thing.

I am sure that you would do great. We need more teachers that want to be there, so don't be scared, be excited!

I know one teacher personally and she seems to like what she does but is disappointed with the way children are becoming so rude and hard to handle in the classroom.
As a one time student all I can add is...teach the truth. I was appalled when I got out of the school system and learned history on my own, the way it was taught to us in the 60's and 70's was very slanted in my opinion. I hope now that teachers are allowed to teach and not be tied down with Americanism.
And good luck...I'm sure if you feel the calling to be a teacher you'll be a great one.

It's true ... the attrition rate is high. Students work so hard to develop sample curriculums and lesson plans, take all the theory classes, and then come into the classroom, where the one thing you need to succeed is classroom management. Doesn't matter how good your curriculum is ... if you can't muster the respect of your students and create a positive learning environment in your classroom, you won't do well. And yes, it's true ... students are more rude than ever before. The sense of entitlement is high, not only from them but from their parents. On the other end you have those who for whatever reasons are not at all involved.

An accounting professor and very good pal of mine once told me that
teaching was his " Joie De Vie" , meaning , his reason for being.
The best teachers are those who are teaching what they love and they feel it fulfills their sense of purpose.

Remember in the movie where Curly tells this guy-"There's only one thing you have to know." Pause...Finally the guy says "What is it?" Curly says only you know". I trained to be a teacher. But after the army that avenue was closed. But as a pastor I taught often and so what I learned to be a teacher helped. I learned two things teaching. It helps to be creative and color outside the lines. And make sure the kids feel some kind of power in their own learning. Younger children need love and assurance. As to the two year drop out rate. A professor once said that when people drop out it is a victory because they found out it did not work and could do something else. I see you as caring, creative, and able to solve problems in class and with the administrators.

Hi Danielle