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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Teachers...opinions please!!
Currently, I am a guidance counselor at the elementary level. I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Anyways, there are huge budget cuts in my county right now and the newest idea is to eliminate us. they guarantee they will put us in a teaching position. My school happens to have built a new campus this year and will be taking more students next school year so there are open positions here. I spoke with my principal about it and she said that if this DID Happen I could definitely teach here and not have to go somewhere else. There are going to be openings at the following grade levels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6th. Thoughts on what would be best? I almost want to do 1st or 2nd because I love that age group. But, I also really enjoy the other grades too. I may not get a choice, but it is something I have been thinking about. What do you teach and why do you love it?
Re: Teachers...opinions please!!
What are you qualified to teach? Do you need to get a license to teach? I know here (in MA), there are VERY different licensing standards for guidance counselors and teachers. You can't just hop between the two.
Don't go for 1st grade because you love the age. Think about what you'd be teaching and how you'd do it. My mother was a 1st grade teacher for 30+ years and was great at it. She was trained for it. She was licensed and qualified for it. I'm a teacher and am licensed in another area/grade level. I could not just walk into a 1st grade room and do those kids justice just because I like that age level. There's more to it than just interest.
I totally disagree. I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. My 6th grade kids are awesome!
I absolutely love teaching Kindergarten and Grade 1, but it is a very personal choice. Where are you most comfortable starting? Each grade has their own perks. I love that the little ones are brutally honest and say the funniest things, I love their enthusiasm for learning. I also love that you can joke around in a more adult way in the older grades, they understand things like sarcasm and they are capable of so much!
My fingers are crossed that you get to keep your counsellor position, but if not - I wish you the very best in teaching
I teach 1st and LOVE it but it is not an easy grade! First graders are super energetic, and it is a huge responsibility to lay the foundation and teach them to read. 1st requires a lot of patience for sure!
2nd and 3rd are great for "beginning" teachers. Kids are more mature, independent, but still sweet and adore their teachers. Also, most kids know the basics of reading at this point which means it's a little less of a responsibility on you.
This, except my mom teaches 8th and I've taught K/3/4. My mom, a teacher for 34 years, has told me more than once she could never ever teach kindergarten like I did. I really think everyone has their onw niche. Ditto PP in checking to see what you can teach. In my state not only do you have different certificates for teacher and counselor, but you have different certificates for EC, elementary, middle school, etc.
Totally disagree with this! By 2/3 most students are taking high stakes state testing-the result of which are HUGE! I'll see your "responsibility of teaching reading" and raise you getting your students ready for the pressure of state testing.
Every grade level teacher is important in their own way and if the one before didn't "do their job" that makes it harder on the future teacher(s) from K to 12.
I totally agree with you! Our 3rd grade teachers feel SO much pressure. If their students don't pass the state test, they don't go on to 4th grade. I wouldn't want to be a 3rd grade teacher here! "Responsibility of teaching reading" is a responsibility of ALL teachers, not just K-2. Yeah Kindergarten teachers are a special breed, but there is a certain kind of pressure on all teachers.
This, totally. I have been teaching 6th grade for 4 years. My 6th graders are awesome. They are at a great age - they are starting to figure out who they are, are starting to question the world around them (never a bad thing), and have personalities/senses of humor. Can some of them sometimes be hormonal and rude? Sure. The key is (and you'd be good at this, since you're a counselor with training and experience), teaching them the correct way to handle themselves. It's a very rewarding experience all around.
GP buddy to blenderdance
I am certified in school counseling as well as K-6th grade (elementary ed). so, I am covered.. Also, I do A LOT of guidance lessons in classrooms and spend a big portion of my time in classrooms teaching. I really like K-2 the most out of all the grade levels. I really don't want to do 3rd, with the state testing beginning in this grade there is a TON of pressure.
Don't worry, "this chick" is fighting for her job. With that said, this has been on the table for several years now and it just now seems to be coming to fruition. So, yes we have been fighting, and fighting and fighting. But with it looking like a go, I also need to do what is best for my family. The school I am at has several teaching positions opening for the next school year because we are expanding our programs and just moved into a new school that was built for us and can now take more students. If I want to stay here, I need to think about taking one of these new positions! What if they DO keep the counselors this year, but next we are in the same boat? There might not be a position here at that time and I LOVE the school i am at. It is a great school, and my son will be starting here next year, so I would hate to have him start and then lose my job and have no position here for me to jump into. So, I am thinking for the long haul, but at the same time I am fighting too.
I don't mean this to be disrespectul, but coming into my (or any) classroom to teach a guidance lesson is nothing like having a classroom to be 110% responsible for. You teach a lesson and leave and come back days/weeks/months later. (In my school the lessons are given once a month) You aren't responsible for 20+ kids teaching 5+subjects and everything that comes with that. To me that's like saying that being a sub is doing the same thing I do every day. It just isn't the same.
I currently teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. 6th graders are awesome. They are just starting to find their own way. However, my favorite age level is 5th grade.