Monday September 15

I am not very creative with blog titles.  Maybe as I get more experienced I will add in fancier things.  Of course by the time that happens I will have a full schedule and permanent placement, and will not have time to blog.  Of course I wouldn't mind that.

One thing that annoys me is that we are supposed to be called for interviews starting this week.  How could schools still have openings?  Would I want to teach in one of these places?  I do want to teach.  My fear is being sent to a school like the one in Queens run by a principal I used to have as an AP who was a total nightmare of a boss.  Yes it's better I am not in Bergtraum, which by all accounts, has gotten worse and not better.

I hope I won't ever be observed having to teach out of my license.  Not sure what I would do with a math/science lesson.  English I could probably work my way through and wing my way along admirably.

Being an ATR is boring...

So I did not get that position at Millennium.  Damn!  Stinks for them though, they missed out on a great teacher.  In the mean time I have met my field supervisor, or principal for ATR's.  He doesn't seem so bad really and seems earnest in trying to help me.  Has sort of a laid back attitude.  We shall see.

In the meantime, I have to explain to kids that I am not a sub, just a teacher who does a bit of everything.  Sub is like a dirty word and I hate that kids use it.  Basically, my schedule gets written out by the secretary but most of my time is spent in the teacher's lounge.  Which is fine, because most of the time I spend is reading the Kagan strategies book.  That was one of the few good things I got from MBHS.  Of course, I am sure if I did everything perfect in Kagan's eyes, they would still find it developing.

Today my schedule was pd1 Government, pd5 Government and pd7 a maybe with middle school.  The pd1 class was just there till they could go to brunch and the pd5 teacher returned.  Pd7 I was told they were testing so basically, I spent most of this day in the teacher's lounge.  I really would rather teach! I like teaching actually.  I had thought I was teaching pd5 so I made a lesson for government with lots of kagan strats.  The idea is to get a class at some point, get observed, get a high rating and use that to get into a school.  Although, what kind of school hires teachers mid year?  I don't know, guess anything can happen.

Praying for a miracle

I interviewed at a school in Downtown Manhattan yesterday.  No, it was not Bergtraum, a school further down with a much better reputation.  Met with the principal and we just based talked education for over an hour.  That was really nice, just myself and him, talking about interests, experiences.  I always hate the interviews where it is you at the end of a table and 3 or more people firing questions at you.  I never know how to respond.  In my personal opinion, when schools do that what they are demonstrating is that the principal is not comfortable talking to you, so they need backup to support them.  When a principal meets one on one with you, this demonstrates they are confident in what they are doing and you know what they want.

Sooooo hoping I get this position.  Especially since school already started.  I guess I took for granted having a teaching job all these years and not having one is annoying.  Sure, I don't "have to" lesson plan.  But maybe I enjoy doing that.  The environment at this school really seems like something that would add to my professional growth as an educator, which is what I want.

Yesterday I was assigned to lunchroom duty.  There's nothing more humbling than being a teacher of 7 years and having to help organize the lunch line.  Then I had to cover an 8th period class of 7th graders who need literacy help but there are no actual teachers for these kids yet.  So the principal told them they should read a book.  Of course, few of them actually did that.  I wasn't so interested in that class, but I think it is possible I will be here longer so I will have to just go into teacher mode and assert myself.

Of course, if I get this teaching position, none of this will matter.  I can already see myself, though I try not to think of it too much.  Though I did get some news from my last chapter leader for people who got ineffective or developing.  If anyone reads this blog, apparently there is a workshop saturday at 52 from 10-12.  Or you can call this number: 212.598.6800.  Apparently you can schedule an intake.  Not that I am confident this will work, but I believe it's worth a try.  The last time I called on the UFT for help was for my U appeal from a few years ago.  It wasn't much help, but the guy definitely tried.  What have you got to lose?

Developing? I'll show you developing

http://www.piratesplunder.com/images/products/flags/Beatings_450.jpg

So I received my rating last night.  I kind of knew it would be developing.   When I did my MOTP last year I was just on the edge of under effective.  Not that I agree with those ratings (who would)?  I did the best I could in a "failure factory" within a structure that did not support teachers in any way shape or form.  Of course, now I feel like less of a teacher because every other blog I read people complain about being only effective.  Not that it really means anything, does it mean anything?  I'm not really sure.

What I do know now is that I am supposed to have some kind of Teacher Improvement Plan.  Which is supposed to come from the principal.  My question is this: What if the main problem with my teaching is that I had bad principals and assistant principals? Would I be fair in requesting that I have competent administrators who will provide me with immediate and actionable feedback (as opposed to waiting 3 weeks or more before scheduling a Post Op)?  Furthermore, I am an ATR now.  Who will schedule this?  The principal who doesn't know me at the school I am at now?

One more day for the official school day.  As I came in this morning the secretary told me "you're card is in that separate area, not with the teachers." I had half a mind to say "Well, I am a teacher."  But I don't think she meant it as a slight, I think she more meant the teachers who are at this school permanently.  I hope I am not an ATR long.  So far this place seems pretty good, but my roommate regaled me with a bad experience yesterday.  If I don't lock up something within the month, I might get sent to a horrid school.  That would not be good.  So far though I am just waiting to see what we are doing today.  People say "hi" but that is about it.  I get it, they are focused on their rooms and what they are teaching on day one.  Still...

New Year, New Role, New School(s)

Began the new year of teaching, 2014.  This will be my 8th year.  What's different about this year is no longer am I going to be at Murry Bergtraum High School.  Instead, I will be an ATR, which stands for Absent Teacher Reserve.  I am holding out hope that this is temporary, though I have heard horror stories, I have also heard success stories.  Considering that I don't want to teach at Murry Bergtraum High School, I'd just rather try this ATR thing out.  Trust me, that school is that bad!

I was sent to Thurgood Marshall Academy, which is up in Harlem, in the Bronx.  They greeted me like I was one of their own, everyone was smiling!  And happy.  I don't think this was an act, it seemed rather genuine.  They had a nice spread for breakfast and the staff meeting was pretty short.  The principal, who seemed to be an energetic young-ish man talked about their success and what they want to improve on.  Then did some introductions and then that was it!  No boring presentation lead by suits from the DOE.  No lecture by the principal about how this is "your" problem and not "our" problem.  I can believe it when they talk of those who stay late.  I get the feeling this is the kind of place people "choose" to stay late at.

They didn't have much for me to do, so that was kind of a bummer.  Everyone was nice though, setting up their classrooms, I offered help here and there.  I mostly spent time talking with one of the AP's who is in his last year and seems like a nice, fair guy.  He was gracious enough to offer talking to some of his principal friends to see if they have any openings.  I figure, yeah, sounds like a good idea.

Of course, it's Day One.  Then there is Day Two, then Day Three is the REAL Day One.  Still, I am excited to help where I can and hopefully get a position somewhere soon.  Which, btw, if anyone is reading this and knows a school looking for an excellent Social Studies teacher, I would appreciate any guidance :)

This just in...

So the California Supreme Court is saying that tenured teachers ruin education.  What a load....just more proof that all you need is a big fancy corporate law firm and you can erode any decision.  Here's the link http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/11/us/california-teacher-tenure-laws-ruled-unconstitutional.html?emc=edit_au_20140610&nl=afternoonupdate&nlid=55289402&_r=0

Seriously, how does this happen?  My school is a total FAIL FACTORY, as you may have read in the NY Post.  There are several articles related to my school, just type FAIL FACTORY NYC Schools and you will find it.  The latest in a series of miscues has us proctoring for 6 hours straight with two bathroom breaks, starting at 12pm.  This is the weirdest schedule I've ever received.  12pm to 6:55pm with 47 minutes for "dinner?"  And I get two 10 minute bathroom breaks in between?  Yeah, us teachers, JOB FOR LIFE, RIGHT? RIGHT?

Drives me up the damn wall.  I go in each day, love working with these kids, even the annoying ones, implement the different strategies, Danielson and the like and they have some nerve to say it's all developing.  Like, what the heck.  Developing?  Developing is someone who barely tries anything, has little interest in the kid's lives and spends all their time telling kids to log on to some website like castlelearning while they check espn.com.  Which by the way, does happen at my school, it's just called Blended Learning and that brings up another point.  How are these "teachers" being evaluated?  They can't really differentiate since everything is on the computer.  They must be getting ineffectives across the board....though I wouldn't be shocked if they were rated "highly effective" while poor schlubs like me who works with live students have to stick with "developing."

Met some fellow teachers as part of the MORE protest in front of TWEED.  Was good to meet people and listen to their stories.  It still amazes me, as bad as my school is, some are far worse.  The incompetent morons the DOE sends into schools to run them as principals and then I have to read about what is going on in California and be subject to more anti-teacher propaganda.  And bet your bottom dollar, the Post, The Daily, the Times will all having glowing editorials tomorrow praising this victory against those "evil" unions!  Because we all know, teachers hate kids.  The only people that love kids are corporate ceos and super rich charter school operators like Eva Moskowitz, who want to destroy unions so they can hire Teach For America kids who will use their experience working with urban area kids as a resume line as they tried to get into Harvard Law.  All of it...makes me sick.  Good day!

I have returned....

Dusting off the cobwebs here.  For some reason I feel like blogging again which I haven't done in quite awhile.  Seven years of teaching! Wow.  You know before I moved to NYC I never envisioned teaching would be like this.  I remember in Grad school they made it seem like all teachers were just not getting it done.  That there were more constructive ways of reaching kids.  Boy, was I misled!  Teaching is hard!  Especially if you want to do right by the kids.  Sure, you could take the lazy man's way and just copy something off the internet but that kind of stuff doesn't work with kids who lack the motivation.  They want to be engaged, to be inspired, so I have learned that I have to find different ways to engage them.  Which is fine, I enjoy the challenge nowadays, just wish some of them would remember to bring their pen once in awhile.

New principal, well her second year.  She's different from the last one, but worse.  I harbor ill feelings from the last one since I was unjustly "U"'d in my 5th year.  This one is never around.  Today was a NYC snow day, which means schools are OPEN.  In truth it wasn't that bad, but we who know know that kids just don't come to school when it snows, or is icy, or if it rains.  Come into school, see one of my students in the halls then see security come out and be all like "all students need to go to the auditorium."  This was 8:15am.  So I think, hmm ok, no 1st period?  Go into my room, do some editing, teacher walks by and says I have to go to the auditorium to get my students.  I go down and manage to get the two that were there.  Ended up even teaching them something.  Rest of the day passed with bells out of order.

But here I am thinking is.  Would it kill administration to make an announcement?  They never make announcements, ever, unless it is AP security announcing a fire drill.  But surely the magnitude of this storm and its effects would warrant some kind of announcement to teachers.  I was one of the few who was informed to pick up his kids.

Well, at least my lesson is already done for tomorrow!  Just hope more kids show up, so I can teach them the common core "skills" which are so damn important.