Work is a funny thing.
You need to have some to do...at least, if you're like me you do. When you don't, things get bad; you start to disappear into the "free time" void. It helps to have something keeping you going...a purpose, an environment where there are goals and expectations...even a little competition. Its not the highlight of my day...but its a necessity nonetheless. Which is why its really aggrevating to have my ability to work properly thwarted.
Well, as you know, I work a couple of different jobs. Teaching very part-time is one of them. Its become more part-time than it originally was. I started out teaching high school U.S. history and middle school World history at the Gorman Learning Center. The Gorman Learning Center is essentially a program for home-schooled kids to get formalized classroom educations, allowing the parents to have a direct say in the education, but freeing them up from the responsibility of understanding the special details of every subject (math, history, etc). Sounds like a good idea, right?
Well, in theory, yes, I think so. In practice, no, not so much--at least in my experience.
First of all, I have no accountability when it comes to how the students perform in class. I teach "enrichment classes", which account for something like 20% of the grade...and most kids don't sweat that 20%. So I don't have the leverage of grades. I also cannot give detentions...there's no systym in place for such disciplinary actions. Once again, no leverage. And, I cannot assign real work or demand real attention to my subject. When I do that, kids complain to their parents and get themselves pulled out of my class. No leverage there either...and I actually lost one of my classes, resulting in a real cut in pay. I put myself out of work by trying to do the job I was being paid to do.
Its kinda ridiculous really. I get paid $28/hr. I get paid for 2 1/2 hours every week at this place, now that I lost a class, which rounds out to roughly $120-$130 every paycheck (subtracting taxes, of course). Well, while I am teaching, we have to pay someone to watch Aiden...about $50 a day. So every two weeks I receive a paycheck for roughly $125, and every two weeks we pay someone $100 to watch Aiden so I can earn that money. The gas it takes to transport Aiden to and from babysitting, and me to school takes easily half a tank of gas...so I spend everything (and probably more) that I make from this unsatisfying job trying to make it possible for me to continue working there.
If I had more than 1 week left, I might care enough to quit. For now, we maintain the status quo, and I learn an important lesson...I honored my commitment to provide classes for this group, even when they broke their promise to ensure I would have these classes. Never again.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Now you know why I walked out on STAR. Homeschool supplemental classes are a joke for the very reasons you mentioned. The teacher has no control, and it becomes a chance for parents to get the kids out of the house rather than actually teach them anything when there's no accountability at home. In fact, I find there's more accountability at home for public school students than homeschooled ones. Urgh.
i've talked extensively with 2 public school teachers here in the LA area. they both say that the public schools are essentially a joke; for some of the same reasons you describe. the kids basically just expect to pass the class with almost no work on their part. cheating is rampant (even the "good" students cheat) and the teacher can get in big trouble with CA law if they take too strong a rule with the kids.
That's not entirely true (about the public schools anyway). California law isn't on the students' side anymore (seen the news on the exit exam?) That said, the system isn't anywhere near perfect, but having taught in all three settings (homeschool 'schools', public school, and private school), private school has the most accountability for students (at times - when parents view you as an employee that makes it hard), public second (the habit of passing kids who should fail because there's no room for them is damaging), and homeschool 'schools' none whatsoever.
As far as student expectations are concerned, you're right on that, but it's not limited to public schools. I'm beginning to think it's a generational thing, because the problem is so widespread.
Post a Comment