Letters to the Editor
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I have given up
After four years as an alternatively certified high school math teacher, I have given up on teaching.
My first three years were at a magnet school that was ranked in the top 100 public high schools in the nation. The administration was hostile to me as an alternatively certified teacher. If I could be successful with no education classes, then the principal's Edd wasn't as meaningful as she wanted it to be. I was also punished for being subversive.
Even though it was a magnet school, there were many students there, a majority my students, who had little or no motivation to learn math. Of course this was my fault. Of course their low standardized test score were due to my failure as a teacher.
I then moved to a small rural district where I had maybe 20 out of 115 students who were motivated to learn math. That includes the students who were motivated solely by grades, not by a desire to learn. I was repeatedly cussed at, had objects(rocks, pennies, etc.) thrown at me while I was writing on the board, and was threated to be punched in the face.
I took advantage of all the professional development opportunities I had time for. I gave the students all the help they asked for. I gave my life to my job as a teacher. But I can't do it any more. I can't continue to put this much of myself into my job for so little return.
At least while I was working in the corporate world I got a salary commensurate with my effort. All that work for virtually no money is more than I can do.