Calling all teachers! Introduce yourselves.

Hey all. My name is Kevin. I just recently ended my teaching career in the public schools in order to pursue a PhD in Education. I taught high school special ed (and co-taught "inclusion" science classes) at a Baltimore County HIgh School. Before that, I was an instructional assistant at another high school (dealing primarily with autistic students). And prior to all that, I was a substitute teacher at middle and high schools.

I am looking forward to meeting some of the other teachers on Librarything.com. I hope that we can get a good group together.

Hi. This fall marks my 15th year teaching- currently I am a second grade teacher. My teaching experience ranges from Kindergarten to fifth grade in parochial, private and public school settings. Last year, I completed my coursework to be a school principal and I have a master's in ed. Would love to obtain a ph.d in the future but I'll wait- not ready to leave the classroom.

Nice. I actually just wrote a piece on my blog entitled "teaching in the blood," where I write about the addictiveness of teaching and the reason we say, "Once a teacher, always a teacher." It can be quite, quite challenging and sometimes heartbreaking, but there is something about it that I just love. (When I get out of PhD I want to teach rather than research, and still get pangs of "jealously" when reading teachers' biographies.)

Good to meet you!

So true- I have always felt that teaching is a passion. It's always hard to explain to others that do not share the same perspective. When others tell me that I am lucky to have "summers off"- I have to laugh because most of my summer is spent preparing for the next year or doing something to enhance my teaching. Just curious, what focus do you have for your PhD?

My PhD is in Education, with a subdiscipline of "curriculum inquiry." I tend to gravitate towards conceptual issues pertaining to curriculum (like how to juggle competing demands of inclusion and differentiation).

You are going to read for your PHD congratulations. I am a Jamaican teacher. I have taught in the primary and Junior High school all primary subjects at the primary level. For the past 29 years I have been teaching Home Economics in the Junior high School. I am also one of the vice Principals.

Teaching is very challenging and sometimes one gets really frustrated.But having been in the system as long as I it can be very rewarding when you see many of the students you have have taught become citizens holding prominent positions and contributing to the country in a positive way.

Welcome!

Monie2,

I was not in the system as long as you, but what made it rewarding for me was those moments where you saw a student who didn't believe in herself start to believe in herself based on something she was able to do in your class. Sometimes, I caught myself tearing up at some of those moments because working with special ed kids, many of them have already given up on themselves. Then to see them really get a hint of excitement and motivation.... the feeling is hard to resist.

Unfortunately for me, I taught at a school that was horribly underperforming. While the school was socioeconomically middle and upper-middle class, the students really had a "don't care" attitude (that I think unfortunately was adapted from their parents "don't care" attitude.) So, the most frustrating part for me was seeing students who had no reason to do poorly do so poorly. It was a constant upstream battle.

Hello,
I am just beginning my teaching sojourn, I am a Education grad student. I have taught English in Japan but now I am working on getting certified to teach High School Earth Science and Physics. I am always open to advice or recommendations.
Evy

Physics is an ultra-fun subject to teach! Many, many interesting labs to do and concepts to explain (many that can be grasped "intuitively.")

I hope that this group can continue to grow and we can start some good threads and discussions. If you have a question or want advice on anything, start a thread in this group.

Hello,

I am a special education facilitator for a small New Hampshire elementary school. I've been a special educator for 15 years with a majority of that time spent in HS/MS. I've done inclusion, resource room, self-contained and taught my own class of general education language arts specially designed for struggling learners. I loved the last best. We read all the great classics of Western literature and had an opportunity to compare them with world literature. The kids thought the flood story in Gilgamesh was especially cool.

Hi, I'm Jeremy Short and I'm a business professor at Texas Tech.

I’ve written the first graphic novel management book.

Action! Mystery. Romance. Odd jobs?

Mediocre college student Atlas Black works to fund his college expenses, start a new business, and court favor from his ex-girlfriend. With the help of his quick witted sidekick, adorable local barista, sage management professor, and a mysterious advisor known only as “Black”, Atlas Black provides a whole new meaning to the term ‘business time.’

Chapter 1 available to view free online

http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/node/15264

BusinessWeek coverage

http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/blogs/mba_admissions/archives/2010/03/tktkt...

Wall Street Journal coverage

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704869304575110051869245646.html

Wikipedia page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlas_Black:_Managing_to_Succeed

YouTube ‘movie’ trailer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIeXdP0Hq2A

Available now on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Black-Managing-Jeremy-Short/dp/098236184X

“It very well could be that this year’s best business book is a comic book!” – Duane Ireland, Distinguished Professor and Bennett Chair, Texas A&M University

I would be honored if you would consider a story or review and feel free to contact me with any questions. The second book in the series, Atlas Black: Management Guru? will come out next week.

All the best,

Jeremy

Short, J., Bauer, T., Ketchen., D.J., & Simon, L. (2010). Atlas Black: Managing to Succeed. FlatWorld Knowledge, Nyack, NY. ISBN 10: 0-9823618-4-X. ISBN 13: 978-0-9823618-4-9.

Short, J., Bauer, T., Ketchen., D.J., & Simon, L. (2010). Atlas Black: Management Guru? FlatWorld Knowledge, Nyack, NY. ISBN 13 978-0-9823618-7-0. ISBN 10 0-9823618-7-4

My name is Daniel and I have worked in education for 6 years. I am qualified to teach preschool to fourth grade. I taught third grade for four years but due to a conflict with an administrator, had to resign. I could probably get a job in another sector of society, but as was stated above, teaching gets in your blood. I was a substitute for a year, was an aide in a self-contained special ed room for a year, and now am back to substituting. I would like to get a position in a regular classroom in the lower elementary grades, but the schools in this area are flooded with applications.

Hi-This is my first time here. I've been a special education teacher in New York City for 35 years: first, as a preschool special ed teacher, then for the NYC Dept. of Ed. For the last 10 years, I've been teacher high school students with autism, all degrees of severity. Now, for the past 2 years, I'm working with high functioning students. This year, the program decided to departmentalize and I'm teaching ELA. I love teaching but I get tired of being demonized and/or treated as brain damaged. I love to discuss educational theory and curriculum. I did my undergrad a million years ago at Barnard, my graduate 20 years later at Bank Street and recently completed a post-grad certificate program at Pace (scholarship) focusing on teaching students with autism. I have 2 children-a 20 year old daughter (at home) and a 17 year old son with (I get the irony) Asperger's Syndrome. I've mostly read in the field of teaching students with special needs but now I really need to find books more connected to general education, curriculum and professional issues. I love the work of Paolo Freire (not directly connected to my work, obviously).
EllieNYC