Teacher motivation focus of plan

Lil John wrote:

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you're telling us that the school doesn't suppy the classes with what they need --- please!
show me where the taxpayers , with the exception of the teachers of course, are getting a constant 4% plus increase year after year-- again please!

I retired two years ago, and I spent hundreds of dollars each year on materials for use in my classroom! So, to answer your question; YES!

wcr wrote:

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I retired two years ago, and I spent hundreds of dollars each year on materials for use in my classroom! So, to answer your question; YES!

Why did you do that? Hmmm ?

we can't stop some people from using their own money on perceived expenses but I will not pay you for unauthorized give aways!!

If educated like you claim, and you can't figure out how to keep your money, that's not the taxpayer's problem.

trc wrote:

All any school administrator has to do is walk through a building while classes are in session, and glance into the classrooms. He/she can tell instantly where learning is taking place! These big, complicated, expensive, time consuming, and PR promotional methods of evaluation are really not necessary!

Aren't you assuming that the administrator looking into the classroom has been "trained" in assessment of teachers. Too many administrators look for quiet, sitting in rows type of learners, mistaking that for a strong learning environment.

trc wrote:

All any school administrator has to do is walk through a building while classes are in session, and glance into the classrooms. He/she can tell instantly where learning is taking place!

I'm going to have to disagree with that.

wert987sg wrote:

Do any of you smartmouths have a brilliant idea of how to measure a teacher's worth?

After reading the posts following yours, I would say the answer to your question is "NO."

I know *I* don't have an answer. And I admit that I DO judge the district on how students perform on the standardized tests.
BUT Test results, while all well and good, are NOT the be all end all.

That is just one area AND a student's performance has a great deal to do with how well they handle anxiety, stress (what with each section being timed) and also how well they remember what they have been previously taught.

You also have to figure out if a student actually even *tried* to do well or if the X-mas treed the darn thing!(In this case, X-mas treed means filled the multiple choice circles in such a way that it produced a pattern.Even if the pattern is only sense in that person's mind.)

I HATE that some teachers (usually the ones who care the least or are just plain worn out)'teach the test' and not real life application. And teachers like this will NEVER be caught by a system that judges based on test scores. Sadly, those are the ones we need to get rid of. Yet, they are the safest.

I wish there was a way to give more freedom in the classroom. The kind of freedom that instills a love of learning, encourages non-traditional thought and allows the students to think for themselves and draw their own conclusions.(Which doesn't mean they are never wrong, it just teaches them to figure out their own way of reaching the correct answer.)

***In case anyone is wondering, my child, myself and my spouse all performed very well on every standardized test we have taken and cared about.
>>> I had to add cared about because my little darling Christmas treed his 4th grade test and only wrote a one sentence answer for an essay test his 5th grade year...he wanted to get back to reading his book!>>> I only mention this because many people believe that the only people against standardized testing are the ones who do not perform well. That just isn't true!***

And before someone talks about how the Special Education and 'dumb kids' who don't want to learn are dragging down the test scores for everybody, I will go ahead and share some wisdom one of *my* teachers gave me.

"The smart kids don't need your help. They were smart before they came to you and they will still be smart when they leave you (whether their grades show it or not.) It's the kids that don't know *how* to learn, the kids always acting out, the kids whose parents don't seem to care...THOSE are the kids that need you.*Those* are the ones that a good teacher can change the life of.
It may not be a big change. It may be nothing you notice.
It may be that a lesson you taught helps them to understand a math problem in high school. Which gives them hope that they can learn the rest instead of dropping out. They may not even remember where they learned it from...but you will have helped them to make their life better.
Those smart kids, they're great. It's fun to teach kids who want to learn, but they can do it without you. If you want to become a teacher for them, you're wasting your time."

And, nope, I'm not a teacher. I considered it once; I love the Sciences, love Literature (English teachers are a dime a dozen) love History (History teachers are pretty prevalent, too.) I love the learning process, I love the look on people's faces when they reach new conclusions or when they try to understand other people or foreign concepts. I love seeing imaginations at work. I love discussions.(duh!)

BUT I hate kids. Well, that isn't entirely true. I hate BLATANT disrespect. I hate parents that teach their kids that bad attitudes and disrespecting other people is alright(accepting the behavior may as well be approval.)

When in public and I see people, especially children or teenagers being openly smart mouthed or disrespectful, I have an overwhelming urge to smack the crap out of them.(yeah, I don't go out much anymore.) I don't, of course, if I could not control these urges you would have already either read about my harassment charges in the Police Log or an article about the 'red-headed *almost* dwarf with perfectly straight teeth' who was running around seemingly indiscriminately smacking people.

AND I don't mean people with disagreements--- disagreeing with someone typically means you are formulating your own opinions and have your own theories, both of which, are good things.
Of course, you should be able to defend said position solely by presenting it's strengths and the other positions weaknesses WITHOUT ad hominem attacks.(People always seem to forget that part.)

But being rude, disrespectful or a smart butt to someone because you can or because you want to irritate them because you don't like them for whatever reason (political views, gender, race, societal views, they're in the band or on the football team) that just ticks me the EFF off!

AND if I see it happen, if I see someone acting the fool, I'm going to either point out the error of their ways or (usually) give it right back to them.

As a teacher, in these modern times, you are not allowed to do such things. Creative punishments and/or failing grades can be overruled by complaining parents or administrators who don't want to defend teachers from angry parents or potentially deal with 'bad press'.

Besides, my *own* kid drives me crazy, why would I want to deal with other people's?!

I suppose what I am trying to say, is I could not do their job.
Yes, I am horribly tired of taxes.
Yes, I wish it was easier to weed out rotten teachers.
The administrators and School District heads drive me bonkers with their wastefulness, overspending
and compensation without work.
I just don't blame the teachers or support staff.

We NEED to spend money on certain things. I just wish we could get a few non-affiliated accountants in there to cut spending and spending in some areas and maybe increase the spending where it is truly needed.

Maybe we would break even, maybe we would have a surplus or maybe we would pay more (I doubt it!) but if it is going to the right places...to real supplies and people who are working the hardest, I think I would be okay with that.

And, no, I could not have shortened that at ALL!

;0D