Many of my dedicated readers have asked me why it has taken so long for articles to go up on the site. Indeed, I did promise that articles would be posted monthly. However, I also started my first year of teaching on August 7th. The past four months could most easily be classified as trial by fire, and if it wasn’t for the support of countless people around me I think I may have been swept away in the whirlwind.
Teaching is the hardest thing I have ever tried. Easily.
According to studies cited in Ellen R. Kronowitz’s Your First Year of Teaching and Beyond
My brother sent me an article entitled Teacher Attrition: A Costly Loss to the Nation and the States. The article stated that nearly a thousand teachers leave the profession each school day. Another thousand, the article continues, “change schools, many in pursuit of better working conditions. And these figures do not include the teachers who retire.” It is estimated that it costs $2.2 billion each year to replace teachers who leave the field, and an additional $2.7 billion to replace public school teachers who transfer.
There are many reasons teachers leave. We know that common sources of dissatisfaction include a wide variety of problems–unrealistic expectations, lack of physical and mental conditioning, heavy workloads, lack of planning time, isolation, value conflicts, salaries, problematic student behavior, lack of influence over school policy, and the fact that beginning teachers are often assigned to the most disruptive and least academically able students. My own list further included classroom management problems, lack of curriculum, inadequate resources and insufficient supplies. The areas that need work go on and on.
It is said that it takes new years three to seven years to reach the effectiveness level of veteran teachers, and I believe that this is an often unspoken area of concern among new teachers. I know that I feel that despite the hundreds of dollars I have spent on supplies and additional training, despite the support of many mentors, I know that I’m not yet able to provide my students with what they really need. Although there are a huge amount of problems in the education system (many of which I probably can’t yet articulate or even comprehend), it is far easier to blame the system or the students, the administration or the parents, or any other external locus of control than it is to admit one’s own areas that need development.
One of my own areas that needs development is class management. After spending $885 of my own money on supplies, equipment and training I reluctantly decided to solicit donations.
I am raising $124.95 for an e-learning course on class management by Harry Wong, the guru in the field. You can read about the program on http://www.classroommanagement.com.
After that amount is raised, I’m seeking generous souls to adopt my classroom.
All donations are tax-deductible. 100% of the donation goes to my classroom. Adopt-A-Classroom takes $0 out for administration.
To learn how you can support my efforts in the classroom click on the link below (or copy and paste it into your Internet browser):
Yael Grauer Adopt-A-Classroom Homepage
I really want to thank anyone who is considering donating towards the e-learning course I desperately need, which will greatly improve my quality of teaching and the lives of one hundred young ones this year alone. My friends, mentors, coworkers and especially my boyfriend will also be quite thankful, because when I’m having a bad month, they’re the ones that have to hear about it. :) Furthermore, good classroom management skills developed in the course will create a classroom climate where resources purchased or donated are more likely to be respected and taken care of so they can be used for years to come. And of course any classroom resources would be amazing. My students do not have the same resources as students in richer districts do, and yet they have to compete with them. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your love and generosity. Every bit counts!
I am currently going back to school to get my teaching certificate (secondary) and I found this article very relevant. I work at a catholic school as an athletic trainer and for one year before certification was required, I taught an anatomy class and it was definitely a work in progress a baptism under fire (no pun intended). I like the creative ways you have put your student’s needs first by doing the adopt a class program. I have no doubt you will be one of those teachers that makes a huge positive impact on your student’s futures and who will be remembered down the road for along time.