Core vs Elective Teachers: Why the Animosity?

Common interest can draw people together. As teachers, students should always be the common bond between one another. Good teachers all have a love and passion for what they do. They value students and the success of their students above everything else. Countless hours are spent on minute details and activities to help students understand the content. As teachers, the success of the students is what drives us, so why is there the constant struggle and animosity between core teachers and elective teachers? Shouldn’t we value one another as much as we do our students?

Day One From a Teacher's Perspective

Why haven’t I been tweeting? Why haven’t I posted a blog?

Why am I feeling as if my body is against me? Here I will answer all of these questions. I am a teacher, this is my day job. By evening (early evening, and I do mean more like late afternoon), I am a blogger, a tweeter, and a website manager. I am also a wife, mother, housekeeper, and student. I feel very fortunate to have a husband who is also a teacher and who knows exactly the toll of beginning a new school year takes on a teacher (this makes him more understanding of how I will feel later in my story). My husband and I also teach at the same school which is a blessing and a huge convenience. As far as why I haven’t been able to do everything I usually do all week...it is because so many things about the first day of school conspired against me and would not allow me to function properly.

Working Smarter Not Harder

At the beginning of last school year I was asked to lead a training for teachers on how to work smarter instead of harder in the classroom.  If you are like me, you are already one of those teachers who pours themselves into your learning, planning, and teaching.  In essence, you already work hard.  For the purpose of this training, my job was to discuss ways that teachers could work smarter in order to be more efficient and get the most out of their work.  Here are a few of the things I suggest for working smarter as a teacher:

#1 Establish Routines and Procedures

Teaching Using Technology Takes Time

Today is orientation. This means a kick off to the new school year, a new beginning. Students are proud to tote their new school supplies that have been labeled with their names. A lot of them are wearing their new uniforms and shoes with their heads held a little bit higher than last year. So much opportunity is ahead of them. Just like their teachers, this is a student’s fresh start. They have new teachers with a new group of students and new courses to learn. Students walk with their parents from class to class so they will know where to go on their own in the coming days. I watch students walk through my door somewhat hesitant until they quickly see all of the computers. They are instantly curious when they realize they are going to be taking a computer class. I teach high school courses to 7th and 8th grade middle school students. I also teach keyboarding to 6th graders. All of this being said, technology is all I do. The only piece of paper my students will get from me all year is their syllabus. This can be overwhelming for students and parents, but the thought of technology can be overwhelming for teachers also.