Column: Mrs. Smith’s reign has come to an end
By Ragan Phillips
Many years ago I had a sixth grade teacher we knew as Mrs. Smith. This lady was small of stature and soft of voice, a kind of sweet grandmother up in the front of the classroom. With some 25 or so 12-13 year-olds in the room, full of energy and hormones, we were a rowdy bunch. And Mrs. Smith was the antithesis of a Marine drill sergeant.
But, this is the critical point, when Mrs. Smith said “Class…” the rowdiness disappeared and the room became quiet. As our teacher, and regardless of her demeanor and personality, she had authority. Not a single student in that classroom wanted to face a parent as a result of not showing respect for Mrs. Smith. This small, quiet teacher–all of our teachers–had the respect and full backing of parents and of the community.
David McCullough, the Pulitzer-Prize winning author, is quoted as having said, “…Teachers are the most important people in our society.”
But today, as a society we are losing respect for our teachers. We think nothing of asking our teachers to mange 25 children, take on a 20 percent greater teaching load, and accept more work year after year without a pay raise. We cut back on the number of teachers in the classroom, allow teacher-pupil ratios to rise, eliminate support staff and provide those teachers who hang in there with technology that is a decade behind the times.
When I was in school, teachers could manage and teach 25 students. But have you ever thought about how different the teaching job today is from 50 years ago?
Teachers can no longer concern themselves with just the “Three R’s.” They are challenged to prepare their student for today’s hyper technology world, to gear up for government-imposed standards testing, and to meet state and federal mandates on a myriad of administrative aspects.
When I was in school it was rare for a child to come from a single-parent home. Today with single mothers, divorces, two full-time working parents, etc. the classroom has a majority of students from non-traditional homes. And with that situation the student brings a different dynamic into the classroom. (I am not saying a non-traditional home is a formula for a problem student; but it does create a different set of teacher-related issues.)
The teacher of today has to be highly sensitive to being sued or fired for some interaction with a self-entitled child. Classroom discipline is maintained not by the teacher but, if maintained at all, by the school’s principal. The consequence of a student infraction of behavior is to be marched off to the principal’s office rather than resolved on the spot by the teacher.
So, In My Opinion, today’s teachers have a much greater burden in their classrooms: a broader scope of classroom work, a different set of student issues brought on by today’s society, and a loss of authority, of the mandate to discipline, and, most unfortunately, of the respect of their community.
But the real problem we face is that today many people who could effect change do not take time to study and understand the situation. There are certainly some parents of school children who are involved and even worried about the school system and the role of teachers. But for the most part we older citizens along with those who own and manage businesses are not paying attention.
We are too busy with our own jobs, our social clubs, our sporting events, or watching our favorite programs on TV to worry about our schools. The competition for our time is so great that involvement in education is now a low priority. We don’t have time to worry about the difficulty of a teacher’s job or even to worry about whether our teachers are properly trained for their work.
We leave the financial aspects of our public schools to the school board, appointed and under the thumb of the county’s Board of Supervisors. Our Hanover County School Board, consisting of mostly competent, well-intentioned people, is unable or unwilling to fight back when the county continues the decade-long disinvestment in our public school system.
The reported success and the avalanche of awards garnered by Hanover County Public Schools over the past decade, along with the well-publicized leadership of Stewart Roberson, has lulled our county into the belief that our public school system, still strong in 2012-2013, is with us forever. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Without a commitment from the community as whole, not only parents and teachers, but from citizens of all ages, from business, from the media, our school system is going to crumble.
But, as I said, I fear that no one cares, no one believes, everyone is in a state of “What? Me Worry?”
We can now say “Good-bye, Mrs. Smith.” That era is over.
But are we preparing our students for the new era of globalization, of world-wide competition for jobs, of critical thinking?
The teaching challenge in the classroom of today is twice as difficult as in the past. We need to understand that and we must face the facts: we need more highly qualified teachers, smaller classrooms, and up-to-the–minute technology. And we need a community that is willing to invest time and resources to assure a better school system in Hanover County.
Why not be the best?
About the Writer:
The writer is a semi-retired business executive who lives in Ashland with his wife, the author Phyllis Theroux. They have three teenaged grandsons who attend Hanover Public Schools. The writer can be contacted at rtphil504@gmail.com.
Teaching Assistant pursuit in Harrow – Timeplan
Job Description
A smashing propagandize set in a precinct of Harrow. This school’s ethos is to teach certainty and to safeguard a certain training environment.
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Teaching Assistant pursuit in Kensington and Chelsea – Timeplan
Job Description
This good primary propagandize in west London is now looking for a TA for Year 3/4. This purpose is to start on 29th Apr and will run until a finish of a Summer term.
This is a poetic state Community School primary propagandize in West London. It caters for children from 5 to 11 years with a 1.5 form entrance and some churned groups. The staff work intensely tough and are really unapproachable of their joining to formulating a protected and caring sourroundings where children can flourish.
Candidates for a purpose of long-term training partner during this good primary propagandize in west London contingency be gifted and eager classroom practitioners.
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Job market compromises teaching positions
We’ve all heard it. We’re in the midst of one of the worst economic slumps in decades. Along with increased prices and decreased job opportunities, recent college graduates are stressed about being forced to take multiple part-time jobs just to afford a tiny studio apartment and a used sedan. While living paycheck-to-paycheck isn’t ideal, it is the situation that many college graduates are finding themselves in.
However, earning certain degrees can result in even lower rates of employment after graduation. Specifically, people hoping to put their education degrees to good use are most likely going to be disappointed.
Recent statistics show the number of people searching for a teaching job greatly exceeds the number of available jobs. While this seems to be common knowledge, there are many factors that make up the difficult situation.
Due to the recession, there is less money being put toward programs revolving around education. The government cut hundreds of millions of dollars out of the state budget for education. As a result, classes are getting bigger and teaching jobs are being cut.
Also, our government and our culture doesn’t stress the importance of a quality educational system. We are far from leading the world in education. This is because education is one of the first aspects of our society that loses money.
Statistics aren’t the only thing that shows how desperate the situation is getting. I’m sure we all know someone who is on the hunt for a job at a local elementary school.
My step-mother is a third-grade teacher. She is constantly being berated by the administration about how much money she’s using, whether it’s on textbooks or the paper he or she uses to print out tests.
In fact, this year the school stopped using textbooks altogether and have been relying on one book and the use of media to teach children everything. The lengths they are going just to save money proves just how desperate the situation has gotten.
My sister went to SUNY Cortland and earned a physical education degree in hopes of becoming a physical education teacher and coach at a local high school. She graduated from college in 2009. She had an impressive GPA and was a collegiate athlete. However, she has spent the last four years trying to find a teaching job to no avail. She recently decided to give up all together and take a job as a salesperson for a small company. She devoted her entire college career to becoming the best teacher she could be and had to give up her dream because there weren’t any jobs available. So, like many other people her age, she chose a job with a salary that may be a little less satisfying than the one she grew up thinking she would have.
On top of having a shortage of available jobs, there is also a shortage in teachers certified in specific areas of teaching. For example, students within the education major can concentrate on special education or a specific subject. Instead, a great number of students are choosing to concentrate in elementary education, a degree that wouldn’t allow them to teach at the middle or high school level. This, on top of budget cuts, are greatly diminishing the probabilities of getting a job within the first few years after graduating.
It’s the university’s job to better prepare students for their post-graduation endeavors by making sure they know what will give them the best prospects. It’s important the institution that is getting paid tens of thousands of dollars per student to educate students is taking responsibility for the readiness of these students when it comes time to start combing through her job market.
As someone who witnessed a loved one watch her lifelong dreams slip away because of a lagging job market, it’s important to stress how necessary it is for these students to mold their dreams to fit reality. When it comes time to start paying back loans in addition to monthly rent, car and phone bill, any job at all may be worth explaining.
The fact of the matter is you are going to be spending 40 hours a week doing something so it might as well be something you enjoy. Finding a balance between realistic opportunities and enjoying what you do is the most important and hardest thing you will do after graduating.
There’s a difference between compromising and settling. The hard part is knowing the difference.
Sbrow7@brockport.edu
Huge crowd turns out for MPS teaching jobs
Burbank School principal Angela Smith did not finish this past workweek relishing the idea of spending part of her weekend at a Milwaukee Public Schools job recruitment fair on the city’s far northwest side.
“I was dreading coming here, because it’s Saturday, and I don’t want to work Saturdays,” said the veteran elementary school educator.
Then she saw the turnout at Milwaukee Vincent High School early Saturday morning, and four hours later she was beaming as she stood over a stack of nearly 100 résumés for the four jobs she has available this fall.
“I’ve never seen so many candidates,” Smith said as the event wound down and candidates in the school’s sprawling gymnasium were still lining up for interviews. “I’m going to be able to be picky!”
School district officials estimate more than 1,000 job candidates turned out hoping to land one of the roughly 700 teaching job openings for the next school year in a district that recently bumped its starting teacher pay up from $37,721 to $41,000.
Aaron Wanserski is hoping one of those jobs will be his. The 40-year-old recently moved back to Milwaukee from Minnesota, where he worked as a special education assistant. He wasn’t surprised by all the competition, and he remained undaunted in his plan to land a full-time job as an elementary teacher by this fall.
Wanserski has been teaching in some capacity ever since he started teaching English in Taiwan after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a degree in fine arts.
“When you have successes, you really feel that,” he said of his work in the classroom. “You feel really good about it.”
Thirty-one-year-old Andy Netzel is similarly motivated to get a job as a special-education teacher.
Public school teaching jobs in Wisconsin might have lost some luster since Gov. Scott Walker brought sweeping reforms limiting the ability for teachers to collectively bargain, something that Netzel said he wasn’t happy about. But he remains committed to his chosen profession.
“It upset me,” he said. “But job number one is teaching kids, helping students. If I have to walk through fire to do it, I’ll do it.”
© 2013, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved.
Tips to Make Your Teaching Resume Stand Out
School 2 ic
Teacher’s desk in classroom
Posted: Tuesday, January 15, 2013 10:23 am
PhillyBurbs.com
It is no secret that there is stiff competition for teaching jobs. Numerous applicants apply for one teaching job opening, so getting through is no easy task. Hiring experts state that applicants can benefit a great deal from seeing things from a recruiter’s perspective. This will show them the need to have an effective resume and cover letter—one that grabs the attention of the recruiter straightaway.
For each job opening, the recruiting administrator has to go through scores of cover letters and resumes. The recruiter has to select candidates for interviews on the basis of these cover letters and resumes submitted. Usually, all cover letters submitted are the same. They contain the same clichéd statements such as “I am an experienced teacher, and I am certain that I will not only meet, but exceed your expectations”.
In such a scenario when all cover letters contain more or less the same information and resumes have the nearly same the level of experience and education, it pays to give attention to the details and do things a bit differently.
Here are a few tips that will make your cover letter and resume stand out from the heap piling on the recruiter’s desk.
• Mention the recruiter’s name
Hiring experts state that it is always a good idea to mention the recruiter’s name in your cover letter. It shows that you have done your homework and are serious about associating yourself with the concerned institution. If you are unable to find the name of the recruiting manager, you should consider mentioning the name of the school. You may also consider mentioning the name of the principal as well. You can find this information easily on the school website. The focus should be to personalize your application, cover letter, and resume.
• Use a bit of color
This is an effective tip only when done correctly. Writing the resume in colored text is a strict no-no. You should never do this as it makes you appear unprofessional or, worse, slightly eccentric. On the other hand, giving your resume’s header a touch of blue or green is highly recommended as it lends a professional touch to your document.
• Use keywords
Most recruiting managers do not have the time to go through all information listed in a resume. What they usually look for is keywords. As such, it is recommended that you incorporate keywords related to the job role you are applying for in your resume. Use keywords to highlight your teaching skills and classroom management skills. You can check out great examples of teacher resumes that incorporate such keywords at http://www.resumeindex.com/Education-Resumes/
It will be foolish to think that to get a teaching job all you need is a good cover letter and resume. With that said, these documents are, without a doubt, very important. A well-crafted and professional application, cover letter, and resume increases your chance of getting a call for the interview. Back up your resume with good interview skills, and you will surely find the dream teaching job that you’ve wanted for so long.
© 2013 phillyburbs.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted in
Career-advice
on
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 10:23 am.
Want To Teach In Indiana? Without An Ed Degree, You’ll (Still) Need Some …
Kyle Stokes / StateImpact Indiana
State superintendent Tony Bennett (center) and State Board of Education members discuss the REPA II proposal at their meeting in Indianapolis on Dec. 5.
You don’t have to have a degree in education to become a teacher in Indiana — a fact the State Board of Education underscored last month.
But after a last-minute addendum to a package of changes to the state’s teacher licensing rules, known as “REPA II,” non-education majors will need to receive training on teaching strategies in order to keep a teaching job.
That’s an eleventh-hour change to the REPA II package, which the State Board already approved in principle by a 9-2 vote in early December.
Late last week, state education officials put the change on paper, meaning the Board will have to take one last vote on the final piece of REPA II at its meeting Wednesday.
Related
Topics
That final piece dials back a controversial provision of the package, called an “adjunct permit.”
As initially proposed, anyone who earned a Bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA could have taken an exam to earn the credential. It’s not exactly a teaching license, but it’s enough for anyone who gets good evaluation ratings to hold down a teaching job.
But the final change — which board member Neil Pickett proposed just minutes before a final vote on the REPA II package — adds a requirement that teachers must complete a “pedagogy requirement” if they wish to keep their jobs.
What ‘Non-Traditional’ Teachers Will Have To Learn
According to the final language, if a permit-holder wants to renew his license in five years, he’ll need to receive training in these areas:
- “Literacy for adolescents in content areas and across the curriculum based on scientifically-based reading research”
- “Differentiation of instruction and instructional methods, including methods for students with exceptional needs” (Differentiation is basically edu-speak for teaching a bunch of students of differing ability levels at once.)
- “Classroom and behavioral management, including legal rights and responsibilities of teacher and student”
-
Kyle Stokes / StateImpact Indiana
A teacher at Christel House Academy in Indianapolis.
“Curriculum development, lesson planning, assessment strategies and using data to inform instruction”
- “Psychology of child development, including the development of exceptional needs students”
- “Competence in multicultural awareness and technology as an aid to education”
Where will teachers receive this training? They could receive it in the school itself, “through school-based professional development,” through a college, or a “professional education organization.”
Some Context
The above requirements should look familiar to one demographic: vocational education teachers.
As we pointed out in our initial story, the “workplace specialist” license allows for someone who has experience in an occupation — but not not an education degree — to receive a teaching credential. Workplace specialists have to complete professional development courses if they want to keep their licenses.
The adjunct permit riled officials at the state’s higher education institutions, among others, who charged the adjunct permit would “de-professionalize” teaching in Indiana. They also say it was inappropriate for the State Board to have passed the rules despite opposition from incoming state superintendent Glenda Ritz. Her concerns about REPA II became central issues of her campaign.
But REPA II supporters say the new rules place greater importance on teachers having robust knowledge of the content areas they’re teaching. Schools and districts, they say, will not necessarily hire teachers with adjunct permits in large numbers, but need the flexibility to hire the best non-traditional applicants for teaching jobs.
We break down the arguments, pro and con, in more detail here and here.
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All They Want For Christmas Is … A Teaching Job
Media release: 10 December 2012
All They Want
For Christmas Is … A Teaching Job
New teacher
graduates on the hunt for jobs have been flooding the New
Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) with
stories of a bleak outlook for 2013.
“Based on early
feedback the outlook for next year looks like it will be
especially tough on graduates who were recruited into
teaching courses but who won’t be able to gain teaching
jobs,” says Pete Hodkinson, NZUSA President.
“From
comments made to us finding a teaching job for beginning
teachers is, at best, a 50:50 prospect next year. In some
areas the oversupply of applicants is so pronounced that as
few as one in five expect any success. This isn’t for want
of trying – of the students who specified the number of
applications they had made, 31% had lodged 20 or more
applications.
“All of the 193 students we have heard
from have made huge sacrifices and a significant investment
based on the promise of careers in teaching our nation’s
children and young people. They are the ones who are the
future of teaching in this country and they deserve to be
listened to and valued more highly.
“The on-going
tragedy is that they’re all being let down by a system
that lacks genuine workforce planning and that continues to
aggressively recruit without any alternative approach,”
says Hodkinson.
Within the next week NZUSA will be
compiling a report of the in-depth comments made by student
teachers about the deeper concerns they hold, including
criticism of the information provided to student teachers
before they were enrolled and the quality of the initial
teacher education they receive.
NZUSA convened a national
Student Teacher Summit to focus on students’ concerns
about a wide range of issues affecting teacher education in
New Zealand in July 2012. Since then NZUSA has taken part in
the yet to be released review into the workings of the NZ
Teachers Council, and, through its latest questionnaire, has
been given strong support to hold an even bigger Student
Teacher Summit in 2013. This aligns with its collaborative
role in assisting to provide learner feedback to government
agencies.
ENDS
All they want for Christmas is … a teaching job – NZUSA
New teacher graduates on the hunt for jobs have been flooding the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) with stories of a bleak outlook for 2013.
“Based on early feedback the outlook for next year looks like it will be especially tough on graduates who were recruited into teaching courses but who won’t be able to gain teaching jobs,” says Pete Hodkinson, NZUSA President.
“From comments made to us finding a teaching job for beginning teachers is, at best, a 50:50 prospect next year. In some areas the oversupply of applicants is so pronounced that as few as one in five expect any success. This isn’t for want of trying – of the students who specified the number of applications they had made, 31% had lodged 20 or more applications.
“All of the 193 students we have heard from have made huge sacrifices and a significant investment based on the promise of careers in teaching our nation’s children and young people. They are the ones who are the future of teaching in this country and they deserve to be listened to and valued more highly.
“The on-going tragedy is that they’re all being let down by a system that lacks genuine workforce planning and that continues to aggressively recruit without any alternative approach,” says Hodkinson.
Within the next week NZUSA will be compiling a report of the in-depth comments made by student teachers about the deeper concerns they hold, including criticism of the information provided to student teachers before they were enrolled and the quality of the initial teacher education they receive.
NZUSA convened a national Student Teacher Summit to focus on students’ concerns about a wide range of issues affecting teacher education in New Zealand in July 2012. Since then NZUSA has taken part in the yet to be released review into the workings of the NZ Teachers Council, and, through its latest questionnaire, has been given strong support to hold an even bigger Student Teacher Summit in 2013. This aligns with its collaborative role in assisting to provide learner feedback to government agencies.
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