job description

I work at a public high school in Staten Island, New York. I first started in 1983 at Burhani English Medium School in Gujarat, India. My first teaching job in the United States was at a high school in Brooklyn, New York in 2001.

I first approached teaching through my student life. I used to teach a difficult concept to myself over and over while studying. I also used to work in study groups in college, and somehow I always ended up being the one who would explain all the concepts to the group. Before I knew it, I began to think of teaching as my identity and a way of life.

I have stayed with the same job for so long because of my passion for teaching, as well as the novel and interesting responses that I receive from my students every day. They never stop surprising me.

Well, there are so many! I love to watch the motivating response given by students who come from diverse backgrounds and knowledge. For example, in a freshmen class last year, I gave a lesson on minerals and I asked the students, "Have you heard the word 'mineral' before?" A student immediately said, "yes, minerals and rocks!" That immediately led me to believe that the student must have taken Earth Science before. Another instance occurred when I was teaching about moles in chemistry. The students connected this to the skin moles, because one student described the "big mole on [his] mother's face." In this case, I knew that the students had no background knowledge. Over the years, as I have developed lessons, a lot of new perspectives have come from students. Their teamwork and even their never-ending arguments on a particular topic give me new ideas to prepare for the next day's lesson. They allow me to interweave the next day's lesson with the first day's lesson. I love to see the class ultimately taking ownership of their education.

I am involved in curriculum writing, professional development, school safety issues and science fair activities. Some of my responsibilities besides teaching classes are to keep in touch with students' parents and discuss team teaching strategies for students at risk. I also prepare students for various science competitions. In order to tap the resources that are available in the community, I write grants in the interest of students. A couple of years ago, I wrote a grant for the United Way Foundation with the help of my colleagues. Through this, I was able to arrange a science fair involving the whole school, ranging from freshmen to seniors. The fair won awards at both city- and state-level in an inter-city competition with 32 other schools. It was gratifying to see a student who had recently come to the U.S. from Mexico, and was still at ESL (English as a Second Language) level, win an award in the competition.

Some problems that I face on a regular basis are class discipline issues and student lateness and absences. The skills that are required to handle them include managing a well-structured class and following up with the student. This could mean adopting strict measures like detention, or referring the student for suspension or even expulsion. Most importantly, however, the teacher should maintain a good working relationship with the student's parents.

In fact, there was a difficult situation recently when I was teaching the scientific method. The word "hypothesis" was difficult for my students to grasp. They knew what it meant by definition, but it was hard for them to develop a hypothesis, so they were not able to apply the concept. I modified my lesson and decided to take the whole class on a little trip to form a real hypothesis. In preparation for this, I divided my class into groups of two and provided them with a large ruler. Each student was asked to measure the height of his or her shadow at 11 o'clock. I wanted to hear from a few of the students what they thought their shadow would look like. One student said that his shadow would be the longest in the class, while another said that there would not be a shadow at all. I recorded all of these responses, and the results of the experiments surprised the students. Most importantly, though, it helped them to truly understand that they were acting like real scientists in formulating these hypotheses. I am sure that my students will not forget that lesson!

education & career path

As a student in my school, I was always amazed by the way my teachers taught, incorporating different styles in order to get a concept across to us. And, I started believing that teaching is the best way to pursue anything.

After completing my master's degree in India, I wanted to stay with my parents. Because we lived in a small town, we only had one English language school. So, I took a job there. I applied as a science teacher and was hired immediately because there were very few English-speaking people in the town. My first job was in a small town with a small salary.

I was first employed at a High School in Bombay, India after completing my master's degree.

Yes, after you graduate from college with any major, you have to obtain a professional license and a professional certificate before you can teach. In my view, that certificate is really important. One can be proficient in content and even have graduated at the top of his or her class, but education is all about transferring the learned skills to the learner. Education is perhaps unique in that the more you give, the more you achieve.

My influences were my high school principal, Mrs. Hamilton, as well as my English teacher, my high school math teacher and my college botany professor. Also, Dr. Nila Dave, who was the department head and lecturer in the science department at Gujarat College, was a major influence. As you can see, I have had mentors at several stages of my education.

I was impressed by Dr. Dave's concern for students, even at an undergraduate level, whether they were failing or were acing the class. Her way of organizing and preparing lectures was both passionate and motivating. Mrs. Hamilton, on the other hand, was simple and determined. She taught me to be bold and to help myself to achieve anything.

Grades were extremely important. For example, when my teachers saw that I had performed well in my class work in the first grade, I was recommended directly to the third grade and was able to skip the second grade. I also graduated in first class with a distinction, for which the American equivalent is graduating summa cum laude in college.

my day

A typical day for me is always to wake up at around 5:30 in the morning and drop off my son at his school. I then switch gears from a home to a school environment, which is a must in the teaching-learning process. My job starts at 7:55 a.m. with the first class of the day. During breaks and free periods, I grade students' work. At the end of the day, I prepare for the next day's lesson plans, tapping resources online and offline for teaching aides. On the last day of the semester, I usually do something special for my students. For this break, for example, I gave my students a holiday packet of science work and a science portfolio project to be completed during Christmas vacation so that even they while they enjoy the break, they keep their "light bulbs" lit too.

Each day and each class is different from the others in terms of students. Furthermore, class activities, such as lab day once a week, or a field trip during the semester also vary among classes. With the collaboration of my colleagues, I conduct educational trips to places such as Liberty Science Center in New Jersey or the Bronx Zoo. I am often invited to attend pep rallies, where all after-school sports teams, such as the basketball, baseball and track teams come on stage and are introduced by their respective coaches to other students. These events are organized by the student government. As a class, we also do research in library and computer labs.

I work with a pretty diverse set of teachers. In the science department, we have gateway programming advanced placement teachers. Their educational background is different in that they hold doctorates in sports medicine or physiology, and they also work for the Discovery institute. Most teachers usually hold a Masters in Arts or Science, as well as a Masters in Education. I am similar to other teachers in my educational philosophies and my way of dealing with students. But most significantly, we all share a general thirst to provide knowledge. Teachers also tend to share various strategies, such as how to achieve Regents results to meet State standards. We also collaborate on how to help students in writing lab reports, how to increase their reading, writing and math level, as well as how to improve behavioral issues.

The atmosphere is very joyful and welcoming in my department. The attitudes of the teachers I work with are amiable. They are always willing to offer help and share their knowledge and skills with me.

salary & lifestyle

My salary is in the range of $55,000 - $70,000. It grows with education and experience. There is, in fact, a salary scale that is viewable to the public and any interested teacher.

My salary has risen over the years with the credits I have earned and the years of experience I have gained. But the rise in salary varies from state to state. If you work in a high-need school, you get several teacher awards, which are a completely different way of saying thanks.

In terms of lifestyle, this profession is incredibly beneficial compared to other professions. You get vacations, including Christmas, spring break and summer vacation. This is really the time when you can stay with your family and know that your children will be home too. There is a good retirement package. You get paid overtime. We have five sick days per year, which can be carried forward to the next year in what is referred to as a "car bank." We also get casual or self-treated days, where you can take a day off in a month. You also get discounts to places, such as museums, parks, exhibitions - you name it. Most importantly, there is a pretty good health insurance plan.

Around 50-55 hours is what I find necessary to get my job done. But if we have a science fair coming up or if a teacher is involved in after-school activities or student prep programs, such as College Now for college-bound students, there can be extra hours involved. But you can get per session pay, or what most other professions refer to as overtime pay. This range is typical in my profession. Of course, the more you involve yourself, the sweeter the fruits will be!

I feel quite stable in my current job. I have tenure, which means that I have completed my probationary period in teaching, and the assistant principal of my department has observed my lessons and working capacity to satisfaction. Achieving tenure status usually takes around two to three years after you complete your professional certificate or are hired, whichever comes first. There is additional security from the United Federation of Teachers, which is the Union organization that helps and supports teachers in their professional growth. The Board of Education also provides mentors to new teachers. I personally believe that each profession should have that kind of mentorship. It is very useful. Basically, if you are ready to care, share and learn, this job will never die.

It has always been positive. My family life has enriched and blessed my career. My children are in Honors classes and are graduating on the High Honor Roll. My daughters are attending prestigious colleges and share my sentiments and belief in higher education. We have a lot to share and connect with, in terms of education, at our dining table.

No, it does not affect my life in a negative way. Sometimes, however, if a behavioral problem occurs at school, or if a student needs more attention, it is human nature to get upset. But with experience, I have learned to overcome that and I am now able to tackle those situations professionally.

My plans after I retire are to do two things. One is to share my experiences with new upcoming teachers, and the second is to open a small school with an Indian-culture based education system.

pros, cons & trends

What I enjoy most about teaching my kids is watching this bulb of knowledge glowing in their eyes. All these new and curious questions just start to spill out of their sides. It makes me feel younger and more confident to see my kids learning the skills.

Some of the frustrating things mostly arise from dealing with behavioral problems, lack of student attendance, and balancing extracurricular activities with academic achievements. Sometimes it can be frustrating just teaching a concept. Some topics are inherently difficult or boring.

Any cause of behavioral problems that originates outside the school building is out of my hands. Ideally, nothing should be out of a teacher's hands. But when a student is working full-time and cannot study for a test, there is not much I can do. There are instances when a student is absent too often, and even though he or she is intelligent, according to the State's grading policy I cannot pass him or her. It wouldn't be out of my hands if there were alternative ways to help and motivate students like these.

advice

Compassion for your students and enthusiasm for your job are definitely critical qualities for taking on a career like this. Resourcefulness, understanding your learner, and crafting your lessons according to the need of your students are important. You should also recognize the diversity in your students, and remember their names and characteristics. You should reward those who do the right things, and basically create a healthy learning environment.

Definitely, someone with a cool temper, who is also enthusiastic and energetic around people, is well-suited for this profession. As a teacher, you need to understand people's psychology. I know I have said that already, but it can't be stressed enough. Also someone who can truly find happiness in teaching and doesn't use it as a backdoor profession is right for the job. You must also be able to self-evaluate. What I mean is that if something goes wrong, you should be able to understand why it has gone wrong, and then improve upon it the next time. This is important because each learner has his or her own set of needs. So, a teacher needs to address these for each of his or her learners.

The most important advice I can offer is to learn about your student first, and then try to teach them. You must also accept them as they are, and then lead them into achieving higher standards.

The good thing about this career is that you can be a life-long learner. Mentally, you always remain young and aware of the trends, because knowledge never becomes obsolete. The bad thing is that if you don't know how to switch off your role as an educator, you might be in trouble. There is a thin line between your professional and personal life. You may start taking everything personally, and this may affect your personal or social life.