Busy Sisters

cybrscrybe

Long-time educator supporting individualized learning for all students. Earned BS in elementary education, Master's is Technology for Teachers, and Ph.D. in Computing Technology for Educators. Teaching experience in all grades from Pre-K to adult. Currently retired, but still involved in education through Learningbyts, as an educational consultant and CEO and author.

You may also like...

3 Responses

  1. CybrScrybe says:

    If you now click on the topics on the right side of the blog, and be sure that taht “Show original post” and “Show all comments.” are enabled, you’ll see the posts that relate to that topic in one blog window.

    You should now be getting email notes when something is blogged, if you set up your pop mail to check sisterhood@learningbyts.net account. (See email sent with directions).

  2. Anita says:

    I think it’s a sad commentary when you can’t walk a kid to the office…Puleeses.

    All the things you said are true.

    I thought you fixed this so comments would be on out pages?

  3. CybrScrybe says:

    This is the third time I’ve started this comment… both other times, I somehow lost the window, then it disappeared, and it was empty… I feel PR’s pain…

    I can also feel the teaching buddy’s pain. As teachers we all have to come to that realization that we can’t “mother” them all. While we’d love to, that’s not our role, and usually the trying leads us to burnout. They need us as a teacher, guide, and facilitator for their learning, and while we hope we are soothing some souls in the meantime, we also need to learn that kid’s need structure and a safe environment in which to learn. I once said, and others have quoted….

    “I have long thought of children as roses (complete with thorns for their protection). They can bloom beautifully by following the trellis and with a good gardener to trim and train. Or they can fall on the path and be trampled by life. We are the gardeners that build the trellis and can guide them to full blooms…….” -Barbara Schulz

    Let her take hope that she’s come to this realization as a substitute rather than a full time teacher, which has pros and cons. First of all, the fact that she was subbing makes this one of many references she can earn in the rest of the year. The others will overshadow this one. So now that she’s learned a valuable lesson that all teachers have to grasp or they burn out, she can use that lesson to make herself a better teacher and substitute. And the many references she’ll get will make this one look like nothing.

    The sad part is that she was only a substitute. This has two pieces that made the situation worse than it would have been as a first year teacher. First of all, the parents were probably harder on her to start with. They are always hard on first year teachers, AND on subs because they want someone permanent and experienced for their child. It takes experience in learning to deal with parents as well. The second part is that if she were a first year teacher, she would have gotten more support through the induction program where she would have others (than her principal) to talk over situations, and give her possible solutions. In addition, as a first year teacher, she would have gotten an improvement plan and time to fix the situation, as well as more guidance and district training.

    The taking the child to the office is a common problem for all teachers, and many times teachers have handled it the way she did. After all, do we trust a child who is already in trouble to take themselves to the office? I’ve heard of kids walking out the door instead. Most teachers will instinctively trust the kids left in the room more than the kid who is in trouble. This is where it’s necessary to bond with your colleagues. If you can ask them to keep an eye on your class while you are escorting one to the office, they will at some time need the return favor from you. They can also give you tips on handling that problem parent, who has probably been trouble for other teachers through the child’s life. This is where it’s also important to bond with previous teachers, who have survived that parent.

    The best way to get it off her mind, and get her confidence back is for her to think on the positive things she made happen for the kids. And to remember the lights in their eyes as learning occurs. And then…. Start planning for all those substitute positions where she’s going to wow them all… and make them want to hire her again.

    Best wishes,
    CybrScrybe

Leave Your Comments here:

%d bloggers like this: