Thursday, May 24, 2018

Teaching or the lack of.....


Teaching is the one thing I love the most or have loved since I am in forced retirement. After reading, listening to, and seeing what the world is coming to I hate leaving and or going back.

First, I really miss teaching and mentoring student teachers get ready for their turn in the pit. I have so many very fond memories of student teachers in the past; even good memories of the ones that turned out to be bad both in my class and in their job.
Over the years I have more that two dozen STs and only one bad one and I still remember her fondly. Most of my STs were female but there were a few males and several of them have moved on up the ladder to APs or Principals. I never did nor even want to move up. I was happy right where I was.
 
Over the years I worked in the 'salt mines' of teaching while others moved up. I was two classes short of getting supervision certification but never went on to get it because I knew it would mean might be 'tempted' to leave the classroom. So, there I worked with all those who had future dreams of moving up.
 
I kept on till I had my mini stroke, a TIA -transient ischemic attack- and I had to medically retire. But my brain still works just fine and I am still writing lessons, working with teachers, and dreaming of subbing which I know is not going to happen, but I can still "dream" can't I?
 
When I formerly retired  from a job I loved it was because my wife retired so I wanted to  retire with her - stupid mistake. Within a week I was looking for another job and found one or it found me. A friend at the local Episcopal school and I talked about a part time job teaching 8th grade history. I went for an interview that afternoon and had the job when I left. The job turned out to be a 'good' job from my perspective but after two years I was let go. No one has ever told me why.
 
After being released I contacted the local charter school and go the job after just one short interview. I knew the principal and she knew me and 'my work style and ethics' and began my summer of prep work for teaching in the charter school.
 
After weeks of prep with other 'new' teachers we were told by the principal that "our employment could be terminated before 90 days if they did not see that we were going to fit the charter mold…no questions asked". But she also told us that before 90 days we could leave the job… no questions asked. I did leave before 30 days was up.

The charter school stories have all been lies and the education spotty at best. The lady that took my place when I left was and is not certified. I never looked back at that job.

I miss my years in public school and my years at the Episcopal school. I even look back fondly at my days subbing at the area's Catholic schools.

Now my only 'teaching' is writing materials for TeachersPayTeachers where I have over 600 items covering world history, American history, Louisiana history and much of the U.S. state histories. Plus art projects, bell ringers, crosswords, many Do Now worksheets, etc.







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