Owlnotes.com

I am an 8th grade language arts classroom teacher.

I'm responsible for teaching writing to students. I try to improve their writing skills. I also teach reading, literature and grammar. We cover four areas: writing, reading, grammar and spelling.

My duties include being responsible for planning lessons for the students, making sure I cover what's on our state-mandated pass objectives, which tie into the national No Child Left Behind Act. I'm responsible for planning, assessing and adjusting the lessons to fit all my students, and assessing and adjusting the lessons as needed.

The main problems are to make sure I can meet the needs of all students. In middle school, you have a combination of all kinds of students, all the way from special service to gifted in some classrooms. I'm constantly making decisions about what's going to work best and what will keep my students' attention.

The most difficult situation for a classroom teacher is when a student puts his or her head on his or her desk and doesn't want to do anything. You have to try to find something that gets them interested. Sometimes it's getting to know the kids, and getting to know what interests them. Sometimes you have to find out if there is something causing their lack of motivation. Sometimes if you look hard enough, you can find something.

I don't do a lot of major projects, but I do a lot of smaller projects that go along with my units. One of them had to do with Paul Revere's ride poem. After we analyzed the poem and used it to study poetry, we did a virtual tour. There is a Web site that takes kids on a virtual ride. There's music to go along with it. I put the kids in partners and they took a virtual tour. The kids enjoyed it, and I thought it was productive.

Also, we did a foldable for the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. There were four parts. Under one flap they had to come up with a vocabulary word and try to illustrate it. On another one, they had to come up with something interesting about the author, Washington Irving. Then they also had to find a descriptive sentence or paragraph about food, which was a common theme in the book. The last thing was a description and sketch about one of the main characters. I wanted them to learn about descriptive language.

It's public education, and I am a classroom teacher. I have never gone above a classroom teacher, but I have never wanted to. I'm what you would call "down in the trenches." But it's also probably the most important part in education to be honest. Above me, I have two assistant principals. Then we have a principal in our building. Then there is central administration with a superintendent, and then a school board.

It is easy to work with the people that I do. In the middle school, we have teams. There are four teachers. I'm language arts, and there is also a math teacher, a science teacher and a social studies teacher.

It hasn't really been an issue. We are expected to dress somewhat professionally. Women can wear pants and appropriate shirts — not spaghetti straps. On Fridays, we can wear spirit wear with jeans. We can wear boots or flip-flops. Men can have beards and mustaches.

Most of my time is spent in the classroom with my students. I do take them to the media center and sometimes we go on field trips. But most of my time is spent in the classroom.

It was really kind of by accident, because I started out as a journalism major with a broadcast emphasis. When I was a junior in college, majoring in speech, I decided to go ahead and get a teacher's degree, just in case, never really knowing where I would end up. I never really intended to teach, but I took the teaching courses. My last semester of college, I did my student teaching. The man I did it for thought I was really doing a good job. Some of the students I was teaching also came up to me and said I was doing a good job and said they really enjoyed having me as a teacher. I was still toying with going into broadcast at this time. But I did apply for some teaching jobs, and I ended up getting a job in a small school district.

In the spring semester of my senior year, when I was doing my intern teaching, I put a few applications out. But for my first job, the superintendent called me and asked if I would be interested in interviewing with him. I did, and I got the job. I only stayed one year, because it was a really small school, and I had six different types of classes to teach. But it was definitely a learning experience for me.

I will probably teach for a few more years. I will not continue on to a different level, I will just stay a classroom teacher. Once I retire in a few years, I may do volunteer work. I was never interested in becoming an administrator. I realized the classroom was where I wanted to be.

Generally, you take courses in college and it takes approximately four years. During that time, you will do some pre-observation watching students, and then you will do your intern teaching. Some people do substituting, although I did not do that.

My past jobs were kind of unique. I worked at a fast food restaurant. I learned to work with people and to be nice to the customers. That gave me experience working with people, and I had to work with other kids my age. I also worked as a lifeguard, and that gave me more experience working with kids. At one job, I worked with the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service making checks. I got to work with adults, a lot of divorced women just trying to make ends meat. Almost all of the jobs I did were really people-oriented. I had to wait on customers or work with kids. It gave me the experience of people skills.

Well, we don't have to actually punch in, but we are supposed to try to be at school about 20 minutes to half an hour before school starts. We are supposed to stay about 10 minutes after the school day ends. Our school starts at 7:50 a.m. and I try to be there about 7:15. School gets out at 2:30 p.m., so you can leave about 2:40, but I usually stay until about 4 p.m. And I bring things home. It's the kind of work where you've got to be there when the kids are there, but you can put as much into it as you want.

The first thing I do once I get into my room is turn on my computer. We are supposed to turn it off every night, so I turn it back on and check to see if I have any email from parents, other teachers or administrators. I also check messages on my voicemail. I try to email or make phone calls before the students come into the hall. I usually have about 10 minutes. I always have my room set up the evening before I leave because I don't want to have to worry about that in the morning.

This year, my break schedule is a really good one. It's the first time in several years that I've had one like this. My break is at 11:00 a.m. I get in at 7:15 a.m., and I start teaching at 7:50 a.m. I teach three classes and have a home base, and I have my combination lunch/conference time at 11:00 a.m. I have an hour and forty minutes for both. It works out well, because after that I have two more classes. It also allows for a lot of time for parent-teacher conferences and other things during that time.

The variety is pretty much up to the classroom teacher. There are some interruptions with assemblies and such, but we try to keep those to a minimum, so the variety is pretty much up to the teacher. Students will keep you hopping, too. I try to vary things and change things. The students still know my procedures, but they know we aren't going to do the same thing day after day after day. I change things a lot.

The salary range in Oklahoma is probably not that high. We're ranked 47th or so in salary in the nation. I think starting teacher salary, just with a bachelor's degree, in the Jenks district is around $28,000. Someone like me, who has been teaching for 32 years and doesn't have a master’s degree, can make about $45,000. Most teachers at my level who have their master’s make about $47,000. In some states, you can start at $47,000.

We have benefits. We have the option of health insurance. We also have a life insurance policy during your contract year. It doesn't continue on, though. So there are a few benefits.

In my case, I feel I need to be thorough, so I put in 50 to 60 hours a week. I get to work a little after 7:00 a.m., and don't leave until 4:00 p.m., sometimes even later. When I get home, I usually work for one or two more hours at night. We're not required to do that, but it's a job where you're expected to do what it takes to get it done.

It's been a good job for when you have small children. Although it takes a lot of time sometimes, it's a job where I could come home and take care of the kids. I also had holidays and breaks with the kids.

It hasn't changed a whole lot, to be honest. We've maybe added a few minutes here or there. It's really been pretty much the same. We have added a few school days each year. And we're probably going to add some more soon, because we still have fewer days than most states.

I think as long as you are doing your job, and the number of students is consistent, there's usually quite a bit of stability as long as you are doing your job and keeping test scores up. There are some districts that lose students and must make budget cut backs. I've never been affected by a cut back.

I don't know for sure when I will retire, probably somewhere between three and four years. Of the time when you retire you make about half of what you do as a teacher. Each year I can stay on, I will get more benefits. So, once I retire, I will have teacher's retirement, and I've been saving money in other places, as well.

Well, the most satisfying thing is when a kid has finally been able to understand something, and when they come back later on when they're older and tell you they appreciated what you did and enjoyed your class. The most frustrating is dealing with kids who aren't motivated, and you don't know what's keeping them from being motivated. It can be very difficult. I'm sure it is for their parents, as well, when we are trying to figure out what needs to be done.

I would say the biggest sacrifice was when my kids were young. It used to bother me when they were younger and I couldn't see them during the day. Even though I always knew I could see them pretty early in the afternoon, I still felt guilty at times.

One of the biggest things is that because we have such a variety of kids in the classroom, they've gone back to mainstream teaching. We have lots of students with different abilities in the same classroom. It's hard sometimes meeting the needs of all the students — challenging the gifted students and students who catch on quickly and teaching the special service students, at least the basics. And trying to maintain normalcy between those groups, that can be challenging. You don't want students to know who is on a specialized education plan. Another thing is the No Child Left Behind Act. It can be challenging to constantly try to raise test scores.

Probably, a little bit. You go back 40 to 50 years ago, teachers were expected to be very careful about anything they did. I think that's still important, but people realize teachers are still going to have a social life. In some states salary has become competitive with other professions. But in some states it's still an issue.

Technology is changing it a lot. We use computers a lot. Students are taught to write on the computer. This spring, when we do our reading test, it will be on a computer. We also have this thing called The Smart Board. It hooks up to your white board, and you can use your computer to type things on it. You can write on it also. Students also use computers for research. They don't even use encyclopedias like they use to.

The economy does affect it very much so. In passing bond issues, if the economy is not good, people don't want to pass bond issues. It can also affect salaries.

I had this vision of a teacher having complete control over a room. You do need to have control, but you aren't going to have students just sitting there like little robots. You aren't going to have students just answering every question, and sitting on the edge of their seat hanging on your every word. You have to find different ways to get through to them. I've also learned to relax a little bit and just be myself. I've learned kids are going to surprise you every day.

Someone who is flexible. Someone who likes the subject they would teach. Someone who likes kids and wants to teach kids. Someone who doesn't mind doing a lot of planning and organizing. It takes flexibility. You're going to be shocked every day at things you may have to change.

You need to look at their experience. It's really good if they have some experience with kids, whether it's intern teaching or some observation. They now have a new alternative certification where people don't have to have an education major, but can test out. I think you need to find someone who really does enjoy students and can plan things to make it interesting for them.

If you want to advance, you have to go back to school and look at different ways to have students learn. You can join committees. A lot of times they recommend doctorate degrees also.

The books will show you suggested ways to make lessons plans, but you are going to have to actually experience the kids and see their different personalities to really be able to make lesson plans.

One thing really important is to actually observe some classrooms. If you are going to college for teaching, you will do what they call pre-intern. I think it's really helpful to be an intern. If you are not going to do it that way, and are going to do the alternative certification, I think it's important to observe some classrooms and maybe do some subbing and be sure to have a strong mentor to help you.