About a year and a half ago, I was glad to be officially fired from my teaching job. I never expected to enter the classroom ever again as a teacher, but this past September I did. I was asked to substitute in a different school.
In one of those "great timings" my mother fell and fractured her pelvis just as the school year began. So, during Succot (early October) I traveled/flew to New York and brought my father back home to Shiloh. Then after trying to teach and care for him, I admitted that it just wasn't going to work, so I left the classroom yet, again. And this time it should be for good. I don't belong in today's classroom. Today's kids aren't the students for me. And I'm not the teacher for them either.
One of the reasons has common roots to this New York Times article about... would you believe dog training? Nothing in the article mentions high school students, but the advice to parents and dog owners is to make sure it's clear "who's the boss."
One of the classes I taught was filled with students who considered themselves my boss and constantly criticized me. The other classes were much nicer, but the school allows and encourages the students to report their complaints about the teachers. And the complaints are taken very seriously, without allowing the teachers the right to defend themselves.
I wasn't going to blog about this, but after reading the article, I began feeling better about myself. I think that part of respect for a teacher should be that the students accept the fact that there's a hierarchy. Students are not their teachers' superiors, nor their equals.
With all that I was going through, I did not have the physical nor emotional strength to devote to strengthening my teaching persona. When we're tired and stressed out, charisma is weak. I was not going to endanger my health by pushing myself too much. As much as we need the money, I need my health, too.
hello from a long lost friend
ReplyDeletei hopped in for a quick hello and read ur post. u r so 100% right
Derech Eretz Kodmo L'torah. and its no wonder why most of society is so failing.
I cant bring up kids with out a minumum derech eretz!!!
and u r right for quitting, ur health is first!
Parnossa, hashem will i,y,h, provide, he has his ways,
epes, thanks so much
ReplyDeleteI also agree that there's a halachik difficulty here in the new ways. In addition, I wouldn't have minded that the principal is my kids' age, if he had been respectful of my age and experience, even if I wasn't doing a great job in the classroom. The principal at my previous school balanced that much better, contributing to mutual respect.
you know, i struggle with this. what should a kid do if he feels a teacher is not treating him/the class justly? he should have the right to protest the [perceived] misjustice, as you do when you feel you have been shortchanged.
ReplyDeletewhat say you?
And what if the teacher sees that one or a few students dominate the class, preventing learning and then report back to the principal that the teacher doesn't know how to teach?
ReplyDeleteOne of the things a student must learn is how to listen and obey and not to disturb others.
I know what you mean- I taught at a college several years ago (here in Israel), and one day the head of the department called me in and told me a student had complained to him about one of my teaching methods. I don't even remember what it was- but I was SHOCKED that the "kid" went right over my head- and that he was taken seriously! (I was right in the end, and the head of the dept. agreed with me.)
ReplyDeleteAnd can we repeat the "students should not call teachers by their first name" issue one more time? Some might say it's not a big deal, but it definitely changes the classroom dynamic.
I don't plan to ever teach again, either- forget college, I'd NEVER teach elementary, junior high, or high school kids in Israel. Isn't that sad?
Wow. I've never heard of grammar, middle school or high school kids being given the opportunity to complain about a teacher's teaching methods.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think of it, I can't recall a single teacher's first name. Mr. Mrs. Miss XYZ is all.
In college we all had to do teacher evaluations at the end of every semester. I gave all teachers A+ if I learned from them, even if I didn't like their personalities or teaching style.
My logic was that I learned from them so they earned their pay and I got my tuition's worth of education.
The only time I ever complained was when a teacher gave a group of students an advanced copy of a final exam from the previous year. And I didn't go to the registrar or college president but rather my academic advisor.
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Maybe when things settle down with your parents you could consider being a tutor.
In the meantime, your health comes first. Hashem will provide for you.
RR, you're lucky you could defend yourself. My complaints were pooh poohed.
ReplyDeletekeli, it's a different world. I love tutoring, must advertise in our local newsletter.
You seem like a natural born teacher.
ReplyDeletekeli, acutally I am, but I just don't get along with this new generation.
ReplyDeleteThat's part of the problem. This generation should be learning to respect their elders and especially teachers, religious and secular.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, even though I am an adult I sent email to an online friend and gave him the bracha for a Torah, since he is very knowledgable in Torah and the Talmud and has been a wonderful mentor long-distance.
Not to mention a great friend.
I have little contact with this generation since I don't have children or grandchildren. But if I did I'd be teaching them to respect teachers.
And like my mom, to respect books. She felt all books were sacred and was appalled if we made any marks in them.
Sadly, I learn best by underlining and highlighting things in books.
It's a tough generation, since respecting the elders isn't on the curriculum. They also expect to or demand to "connect" with the material as a prerequisite for studying. The idea that "you just have to" isn't readily accepted.
ReplyDeleteIt'll make things even more complicated later on.