STORM2K

Posted: **Wed Aug 18, 2004 9:43 pm**

I am nervous, excited, and so many things all rolled into one. At least I only teach the second half of the day! LOL!

Posted: **Wed Aug 18, 2004 10:34 pm**

What subject/grade are you teaching??

Posted: **Wed Aug 18, 2004 10:39 pm**

SWEET!! You are going to be awesome Garrett!

Posted: **Wed Aug 18, 2004 11:15 pm**

where are you teaching at? that sounds like an awesome job... enjoy it

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:41 am**

good luck

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 5:56 am**

You'll be great Garrett!! Enjoy your new job!

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 6:11 am**

Thanks everyone. I will be coaching/teaching debate at the high school.

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 7:14 am**

Garrett - wishing you only the best today as you start your new job. Check in with us later and tell us how it went! You'll do great!

Mary

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 7:36 am**

I will do that Mary! I don't go in until around noon. I was hoping I could sleep in, but my nerves wouldn't let me.

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 7:47 am**

Garrett - I have two examples of teachers that students either liked or dreaded! In Middle School Nina had a teacher that just tried too hard to be cool with the kids. He would give them his own nicknames and joke around with them. I began hearing not only from her but her friends (car rides to the mall or movies) that they all couldn't stand this guy! I asked another teacher about it once (b/c the nicknames weren't always so nice) and she said - oh he's just trying way too hard to fit in. He wants to be friends with the kids, not a teacher!

Then last year I went to Nina's high school's open house. Each teacher impressed me but one stood out in particular. He was very, very calm and spoke to each parent in such a way that you really felt like he was being sincere. He told parents what to expect for homework, tests, projects and mostly I could tell right off he had a deep respect for his students and thanked us all for raising such neat kids as we left. I might add this mini-meeting was only 9 minutes long! But in that time he managed to really impress me. Came home to ask Nina about him. She said - oh yeah, he's my favorite teacher this year Mom! Over the year we'd talk about it and she said if she was ever having a bad day, she just knew that the minute she walked in his room, it would be a no-stress environment. She said he was always calm, really cared about ALL of his students, and she never dreaded his class. So there you have it - the first teacher wasn't liked much but the second teacher I gave you an example of has never had anything negative said about him. He's been teaching at her HS for over 25 years now! Respect is the key I think. Just look at those kids as people and individuals you want to get to know. You'll do fine if you do that I imagine.

Mary

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:00 am**

Good advice Miss Mary! After 25 years in an industry I loved.....I had no choice but to change jobs because I needed the fantastic insurance benefits for my young daughter's serious illness.

I learned a lot in that first year.....I'm STILL learning!! (18 yrs.)

That first year, a wise co-worker told me to "start off tough.....you can always loosen up, but if you start off being everybody's friend, you'll have a hard time getting respect." Very true! That doesn't mean you can't listen and kid around.....just have boundries and stick to 'em!

My advice is to always have HIGH EXPECTATIONS.....each student is so different.....but most are looking for what YOU have to offer them!

My school year starts tomorrow!......p :wink:

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:01 am**

Your words of wisdom and advice, as always, Mary are very much appreciated. (((HUGS)))

Posted: **Thu Aug 19, 2004 8:06 am**

Petal - good advice for Garrett from you now. Spoken from an experienced teacher. My viewpoint was of course from the parent's side of it. I've 99.9% of the time supported teachers unless of course I hear they're abusive or being truly unfair. The middle school teacher was the one I was concerned with. He never targeted Nina but she said other kids just dreaded walking into his class b/c he did single kids out and tease them relentlessly. To contrast, the other teacher (World History) encouraged good behavior by being calm and respectful of students. She said his approach to bad behavior or disrespect was an instant 20 push-ups. He's also a track coach! So he's into physical fitness. Instead of sending the kid to the Principal or Dean, he'd say okay give me 20 push-ups! Not many kids had to do push-ups, I might add. Maybe one or two and afterwards they were out of breath and ready to sit still at a desk. And it never went on their record either! No disciplinary actions needed. Not sure if that's the type of discipline you'd enforce Petal but Nina said it worked in his class - rarely anyone disobeyed and more importantly, they paid attention to his lectures (which were more than that, he discussed current events in his class a lot, for comparisons all the time).

Mary