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Being thrown to the wolves?

Can anyone give me a reason not to quit? I have to develop lesson plans from absolute scratch. Is that the standard? I shouldn't be having to spend 30+ hours per week on lesson planning. It's outlandish. My mentor is worthless. She doesn't deserve a dime. Students who curse me out and disrespect me in class are allowed right back into my classroom the next day. Nights like tonight I think of just not going in anymore. It's not worth the stress, or is it? Thoughts?

Asked By: sirtitan45 - 10/22/2007
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Take a deep breath. What you are going through is totally normal for new teachers. (I'm assuming you're new, based on your questions.) You have every right to be frustrated and overwhelmed. But don't make any big decisions just yet.

The reason not to quit is because it's still the beginning of the year. EVERY NEW TEACHER FEELS THIS WAY. Wow, that was so important I'm going to say it again: EVERY NEW TEACHER FEELS THIS WAY!!!! And some of us even came back for year two and beyond...amazing, huh?! :-) I promise you this: your frustration right now has nothing to do with your ability as a teacher. It's simply a sign that you're still figuring it out.

OK, to your questions:
1) Re:developing your lessons from scratch...well, sometimes, yes, that is normal. Are you the only one who teaches your subject in your building? I am, so guess who does all my planning? Me, myself, and I. But it only feels overwhelming for a little while, I really promise you this. Soon, you will have a whole bag of tricks, a whole stack of lessons that you can reuse and alter quickly as needed.

2) If you're NOT the only one who teaches your subject, then find another mentor. You don't have to tell your official mentor, just go find somebody who smiles at you during the faculty meetings and tell him/her you are an overwhelmed new teacher and would they please help you out? Any teacher with half a brain and a sense of compassion remembers just what that feels like and will lend you a hand.

3) Re: the discipline problems...this is more complicated. Fact is, you probably don't know all that happens between the kids and whoever your campus disciplinarians (Principal, AP, Dean, etc.) So a couple strategies for you:
-go talk to whoever this person is and let him/her know how you're feeling. Remind that you are a NEW TEACHER and need extra admin support. Ask what the procedure is when you send kids out. Let them know if you have repeat offenders...they need to know if what they're doing isn't working in your room.
-ask that new mentor you're going to adopt for some strategies that work well for your grade level, subject, and/or building.
-go talk to your school's counselor(s). They can be another resource for kids who are having issues. AND...they have power of the master schedule! Last year I had amazing counselors who would put kids in different sections of their classes if they were fighting with others in my room.
-if you don't already own a copy, go tonight to the bookstore and buy Wong + Wong's "First Days of School." It is an easy, reassuring read, designed for stressed-out teachers. It will help you get a handle on classroom management.
4) Don't hesitate to take a Mental Health Day once in a while. Maybe tomorrow is a good time!! Teaching is super-stressful, and sometimes we just need to be an adult for a day and come back to the kids the next day. Why do you think we get all those sick days, anyway??

The most important thing I can tell you is this: it's going to be ok. Not every day is going to feel this lousy. I wanted to cry pretty much every day my first quarter. By second semester, I was actually liking my job...most of the time! It's not you--we all go through it--you can do it. Get some resources and hang in there!

Keep us posted.
~waldy, a 5th year teacher and still breathing....
Answered By: waldy - 10/22/2007
Additional Answers ()
With the exception of the amount of time you spend planning lessons, things don't change much. What does change is how you react and how you feel about teaching. You learn to let things roll of your back more easily. You learn better classroom management and the problems are reduced. You realize that some of the lovely ideas they teach you in college aren't workable in the real world, and you stop trying to force your kids to be the ideal students we are taught they can all become if we just TRY hard enough.

I don't know if the stress of teaching is worth it for you; it is for me. This is by far the most stressful and demanding job I've ever had, but there is nothing else I'd rather be doing. One hard-working, grateful kid with one "ah hah!" moment a week is enough to keep me going.

In short, it gets better, but it will never be the ideal situation we dream about before our student teaching begins. Letting go of that impossible standard and accepting your kids for who they are and the screwed up discipline system for what it is might make it easier for you.
Answered By: ruth_bader_ginsburg - 10/22/2007
You are very lucky to have had some very meaningful answers. Their answers are honest and sincere with very positive support for your decision to continue.

Before you ask the question of why you should not quit, ask yourself the following very practical questions:

Why are you teaching now?
What motivayed you to get into teaching?
What subject are you capable of teaching?
Do you know what teaching means?
Do you knw what a teacher is?
Were you aware of what it entailed?
Were you aware of the institutions and systems of teaching?
Were you aware of the people within the institutions? What their roles were and what they actually performed?

Can you see where I am going with this now?

Ask more of those questions and then find your own answers to each.

Then ask yourself again these fundamental questions.

Really.... What is your ROLE?
in relation to the students
in relation to the school / institution
in relation to the parents
in relation to society
in relation to the world

Really.... What is your POSITION?
in relation to the students
in relation to the school / institution
in relation to the parents
in relation to society
in relation to the world

Then put them into "perspective" that you can understand, feel and appreciate.

(Personally...
I find that I do not "teach"....
I find myself "guiding"...
I find myself "supporting"....)

With all that in mind, I do not "judge" others but "learn" from them. And in reverse, I do not let others "judge" me, but "evaluate" me and help me to get better.

So your school/institution is asking you to help them "create" meaningful lesson plans that make sense for your students... not necessarily for yourself.

So your mentor is helping you to understand not to do some things that are meaningless or harmful.

So your students are telling you in their actions, they need another approach to the way you associate with them.

The entire school appears to be asking you for your "help" in making it a better environment for everyone in it and associated with it.

After asking all the questions above... ask yourself this last question:

Do you have the "heart" and the "strength" to continue?
Answered By: byron s - 10/22/2007
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