Why would one be a teacher in America?

Schools vary greatly, for various reasons.
Some students are just a rabble, but most are either reasonable or excellent.
Discipline policy is the good students are not supposed to suffer because of the bad ones, who should be dealt with on the spot or forwarded up the line.
It's important that parents are contacted as soon as there is a problem. Often, there is a home-based reason why the student is causing problems. For example, students whose parents are separated and the child floats between two homes sometimes turn up out of uniform or not having done homework because of the actions of parents. You do wonder what goes on in some homes.
Non-government schools seem more able to expel dangerous students than government ones.
I think the average person probably doesn't really understand what schooling is like nowdays. There is a huge amount of pastoral care because students are bringing personal problems to school with them.
Where I work, we have a reputation in the community for being a safe environment, unlike some other nearby schools. For example, I heard about a school where female staff were not allowed to do playground duty because it was too dangerous for them. I also heard about a school where many students had never learnt how to use knives and forks because they ate with their hands.
Of course, while we often focus on the problems, there are actually many students who are just great and making it.
My opinion is the most important thing students learn in school is not academic, but things like how to get along with others and get their own lives organized.

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Originally Posted by frantic

It's a very different funding system in the USA. It's based on the taxes collected In that schools region. This means poor areas with high unemployment get very little, but rich areas end up with library's , basketball halls , pools and excellent facilities.
A few other things not covered, if you take a sick day , in certain states you pay for the replacement teacher. Some schools and districts are so poor that the teacher provides the pens and paper . A few of my wife's friends did 12 months as a teacher in a southern state near an army base, which was the only major employer in town.

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That may be the case, but culture isn't determined by funding. There are many financially challenged schools and communities with excellent cultures. I would say that there are some pretty big issues in that school that related probably to funding as you say but the dysfunction will be from the top to the bottom, people, system the lot.

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Originally Posted by Ausfree

I wouldn't be a teacher, here or America for anything. Having the ill-disciplined rabble on the bus I drive is enough. I'm probably showing my age but to me......if you haven't got discipline how can you teach.:confused:

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My daughter has spent just over 2 years teaching at a country town, Gayndah, in the North Burnett region. A small school by most standards, about 300 students, I suppose. Catholic school, but that means little here, across the road is the State School. Same same. It's been the best start to her career she could hope for. My wife and I traveled to Gayndah many times in the past 2 years, really got to like the place, and the people.

Because of the small number of teachers, each one had to take on more than their normal duties. Her normal working day started about 6.00 am, finished about 9 pm, what with teaching preparation, after school activities, class room setting up, etc. It was full on for 2 years, she loved it. The headmaster was 34 years old, his first school as head, a real good bloke, he & his Wife were involved with the townspeople as much as they could. His policy was that teachers were to get involved with the town as much as possible, he didn't want to see those from Brisbane going home every 2nd weekend. In the first year daughter rang once in tears telling Mum she wanted to come home, her fiance lived here, it was her first time away from home.

The children were fantastic, the majority came from cattle properties and citrus farms, and most normally had jobs to do before coming to school, and after. Respectful, well mannered, just a delight to be around, in the main. There were some with learning problems, the usual few " little Johnnies" , If ever our daughter met them in town, it was " Miss Kathryn". Show & tell was like " this is the tusk from the pig that ripped me dogs throat out".

The children taught daughter all about citrus farming, cattle stations, what to do when brown snakes came on the school grounds, all in all a great country teaching experience. My heart swells with pride when I think of the nervous, homesick young woman who went to Gayndah, and the confident, self assured young teacher who came back. She has a contract to a school in Brisbane close to where their home is, she can walk to work. [ her old headmaster put in a good word for her] She spent the better part of last week sorting out her class room, getting it set up. People who don't know have no idea how much extra work teachers do.

It will be interesting to see how this new big city school experience goes. And, we are all going back to Gayndah for the Orange festival next year. Cheers.

Leadership can make a big difference to the culture of a school. Boundaries have to be set and sensitively enforced or it can break down pretty quickly.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Leadership can make a big difference to the culture of a school. Boundaries have to be set and sensitively enforced or it can break down pretty quickly.

Sent from my SM-G900I using AULRO mobile app

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A polite way of saying DISCIPLINE!!!!:p

Setting boundaries is a way of managing before something happens, hopefully to limit or prevent it.
Discipline is a response to unacceptable behavior after it has happened.
For example, students are not allowed to hit each other - that's a boundary.
If students do hit each other, that's discipline.
Many behavior problems result because boundaries were not set. Once boundaries are set, people know what is acceptable or unacceptable. Most people then observe that. Those that don't, get disciplined.
Good leaders ensure sensible boundaries have been set.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Setting boundaries is a way of managing before something happens, hopefully to limit or prevent it.
Discipline is a response to unacceptable behavior after it has happened.
For example, students are not allowed to hit each other - that's a boundary.
If students do hit each other, that's discipline.
Many behavior problems result because boundaries were not set. Once boundaries are set, people know what is acceptable or unacceptable. Most people then observe that. Those that don't, get disciplined.
Good leaders ensure sensible boundaries have been set.

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Ahem! :twisted:

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

behavior

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Originally Posted by p38arover

Ahem! :twisted:

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Does someone still have the spell checker set for the US rather than Aus?

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Originally Posted by vnx205

Does someone still have the spell checker set for the US rather than Aus?

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Yes, quite right. My laptop was recently reloaded for the new year and I hadn't changed it yet.

Yes it's arse about now. My brother thought it was bloody hilarious .... One of the guys he works with, one of his kids come home from school with documentation on "their rights". "Look dad, your not allowed to lay a finger on us, we can have you charged if you try and make us do anything we don't want". Control has been taken away from even those parents that actually try to discipline there own children to the point where kids are being "educated" on there rights.

This guy however sounds just like me ... He got straight up and gave the kid a good belting for being a smart arse and said "It's a damn shame that doesn't apply to you isn't it... Here's the phone, ring them and see how much you like it in a home".

One of the guys I do taekwondo with ... He's in his early 50's. He's amazed by the lack of discipline in this generation. If one of the kids does something wrong with the parents go in and raise hell at the school and blame the teachers. He said, they used to cop a flogging at school (him and his brother, they sounded like real ratbags). He said you would NEVER go home and complain to your parents that the teacher had belted you for bad behavior ...... His parents wouldn't storm into the school and raise hell that the teachers layed a finger on his kids. No, his old man would give them a follow up hiding .................. 'Cos if his kids something bad enough they got the strap at school, he figured they sure as hell needed a follow up treatment at home.

It sure hasn't hurt that generation from what I can tell.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think physical violence is the answer to anything. Kids need to learn appropriate behavior and boundaries though. My kids have probably only been smacked half a dozen times in there lifetime.... And it certainly would be with very good reason ( I have it easy though .... 2 gentle girls ). The 3rd will probably be different. If he's even half as stubborn as me, were going to have discipline fun in the future for sure.

seeya,
shane L.