I teach high school and my break just started. Ask me anything.

[Goblinmonger]

[yellowcanine]

1. Don't you have a bunch of papers to grade or some lesson plans to work on?

[Goblinmonger]

4. Hey shut up

buzzkill. Yeah, I have to get lesson plans finalized before I leave. And worse yet, I teach English so I have a shitload of essays to grade over break. But still, I can grade in my jammies with a white russian on the end table.

[yellowcanine]

8. Heh. Heh. Only a FORMER H.S. teacher knows how to stick the knife in.

Just don't let it all pile up until the last day of Christmas break. Hee hee.

[Goblinmonger]

10. I'm usually better than that.

The general plan is that tomorrow I will set it all out and then divide it up for each day that I want to do something and just do that much each day. When I don't do that, that is when I have to come back and say, "I didn't get that graded."

[yellowcanine]

11. You could always try, "My dog ate your essays." I always wanted to say

that but my students had no sense of humor when it came to teachers.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

19. I thought ALL Russians were white

Well, I guess there's a few immigrants there too.

But you have good taste. They're HOT! http://www.elenasmodels.com :evilgrin:

[tiddlywinks]

21. Oh yeah baby!

That's how to grrrade!!!

I have 6 English as a Second Language essays to grade for my HS ESL students. :toast: (Not too bad, is it?!!)
And I need to begin thinking about what we're gonna do after skoo starts back.

I'd love to post of pic of my kids here for ya but I don't have parent permission...yet.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Same as above

I brought home a box full of stuff to work on. We got out yesterday. The box is still in my car. LOL

[Goblinmonger]

5. I imagine my box will stay in the truck

for at least a couple of day. No little shit heads, though. Only 11 days of my crappy study hall left before the semester ends and I have no study hall duty next semester.

[CalebHayes]

3. What do you teach?

[Goblinmonger]

6. English and Communication

Specifically a 10th grade writing/speaking course, American Literature, and an advanced public speaking class.

[richmwill]

7. Do high school teachers have the ability to like their students?

Mine were generally COLD as ice- they just acted like they hated everyone lol. Do teachers actually go home and say "Oh, you should hear what Roger said today, it was so funny- he's a good kid..."

[Goblinmonger]

9. For the most part, I really like the kids I teach.

Even for the kids that are complete shitheads, I try to remember that something made them that way and their home life is probably way fucked up. But, I love my job. I really do, on a weekly basis, think to my self how lucky I am to be able to go to work each day and teach great literary works to kids.

I talk about the good and the bad with my wife. She is an attorney, but taught high school for 3 years before going to law school.

[proud2BlibKansan]

12. I like most of mine too

The problem is the ones you remember are the shitheads.

[Goblinmonger]

15. Yeah

When it is bitchfest in the lounge, I always try to remember the ones that are really great. They are the ones that make it all worth while. And don't even get me started on the parents.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. I don't eat lunch in there anymore

I got tired of the constant bitching.

And the parents - hell that is a whole nuther website. Too much for even a thread. LOL

[mwooldri]

13. What about summer vacations.... why are they so long?

Excuse me for being a bit on the dim side on this but what is it with American schools having 3 month long summer vacations? When I went to school (in the UK), I enjoyed a 6 week summer vacation - which one year got cut down to 5 (and no those were not snow days or storm days - it was simply extending the school year). I must admit that there are more generous "half term" holidays where there's a whole week off for each of the three terms.

And what does a teacher do in this 3 month vacation?

Mark.

[Goblinmonger]

16. I think we get too much time off too

I think it hurts the students and the continuity of the learning.

Most teachers, at least the good ones, spend the time taking classes or doing reading to improve their craft. Sadly, a lot get summer jobs to make up for the low pay. Some do nothing, but they suck.

[ulysses]

20. they're a holdover from more agrarian days

when kids were needed to help harvest crops. Sort of the same reason we still have daylight savings time.

I agree with the OP that the long break means that a lot of kids regress, but a lot of us are, in fact, going to school and planning for the next year. Me, I'm going to spend this coming summer reading, creating better learning stations than I have now, and playing with my son. Not necessarily in that order. :)

[ulysses]

14. mine did too.

Middle school here, though. :toast:

[Goblinmonger]

17. I taught middle school for two years (along with HS)

and never again. Bless you and all you do. When we moved to Wisconsin and I applied for my license here from ND, my wife asked why I wasn't requesting middle school certification (which I am qualified for in Wisconsin). I told her if I had the certification, they would make me teach it and somebody would die if I taught middle school again.

[ulysses]

18. actually, I kind of like this age,

annoying though they can often be. ;-)

Much peace to you and all of us in the classroom!