Typical Morning:
As a high school teacher my workday begins at 7:30am. In most schools homeroom is first, so the teacher is required to take attendance and distribute any "mail" to students. This may sound like an easy part of the job, but it's actually stressful. In my school homeroom is only 6 minutes long and starts right after teachers are required to sign in to school. Many teachers are seen rushing into school at the last minute (not because they procrastinate, but because their kids' daycare centers don't open much earlier). So, this is a job where you just can't be late, not even by one minute!
Typical Day:
Most teachers teach five classes each day and serve one period of a duty (cafeteria duty is the most dreaded one!). The five teaching classes are not all the same topic. Usually a teacher will teach 2, 3 or even 4 different courses during the day. These courses can change from year to year. Teachers do not get to chose the courses they teach. We can request, but there is no guarantee.
So each class is approximately 45 minutes long. During that time teachers teach, inspire, motivate, manage and control 20-30 antsy teenagers. Next time you're in a mall, take a good look at some of the rebellious looking teens. Now try to imagine teaching them Shakespeare or quadratic equations. I teach math, a subject that is dreaded by most teenagers (actually most adults too!). Math, English and Science are the high stress subjects to teach because schools are under tremendous pressures to meet strict state requirements for student achievement on standardized tests.
The last class of the day ends at 2:15pm. Students can leave, but teachers must contractually stay until 2:45. (Most stay much later!) After school is when students come in for extra help or to make up missed work due to absences. Faculty meetings and the occasional meetings with parents also occur after school. So when do teachers have time to grade papers, return e-mails, phone parents and prepare for the following day? Well, we do have one 45 minute prep period during the day, but that's not nearly enough time to get everything accomplished. So, most work is done after school and at home. Plan on an extra 2 hours of work beyond the school day. (During the first school year an extra 4 or more hours of work is necessary!)
Things I didn't know about Teaching:
1)No one gives you a binder of lesson plans or tests to use during the year. Each textbook comes with supplemental material, but most times teacher end up making up their worksheets and tests/quizzes. Some teachers are hoarders and don't like to share, so don't expect your fellow teachers to help you out by giving you copies of their created work.
2) Visits to the lav must be planned. As a teacher, you can't just go pee whenever you like. You can't go during the class period, because you're busy teaching. Between classes can be tricky too because you're usually cleaning up after one class and preparing for the next one. Between classes you are also supposed to be standing by outside your door, monitoring the hallway. (That's if you have your own door. Some teachers don't have their own rooms and must travel from room to room.) So visits to the lav must be done during prep periods and lunches. (The lunch at my school is only 25 minutes long, so you learn to eat fast!)
Myths about teaching:
"Teachers work half a day, half a year." "You get the whole summer off."
Yeah right! First of all, teachers don't get paid during the summer! Yep, that's right. My school usually lets out during the 3rd week of school and starts back again during last week of August. There is no paycheck during those 10 weeks, so you have to plan ahead or get a summer job.
"You get free health benefits." Teachers usually do get good health benefits, but they are at the expense of lower salaries. By the way, don't expect to get rich teaching. Salaries are negotiated by your union. When you hear that a certain school negotiated a 6% increase in salary, do NOT just add 6% to your salary. Expect your yearly increases to be between $1200-$2400 for quite some time. You will get bigger ($5000-$7000) increases, but they won't come until you've been teaching for at least 12 to 15 years. Salary contracts are complicated, but the salary difference between a first and 10th year teacher is only about $10,000.
Great part of teaching:
Inspiring students. Sometimes being the only stable person in that child's life. Helping students. Watching students learn a concept that you've taught. When a student says "thank you" and means it. Getting through to a student. Making a positive difference in a student's life.
Worst parts of teaching:
Hearing "this is stupid!" after you spent 4 hours to create a review game for your students. Unsupportive parents and administrators. Disruptive students who don't care about passing or failing. Students who curse at you when they don't get their way.
