Do high school teachers deserve tenure?
914754
I'm not sure if they do or not. I know I'm a brand new SSG in the Army and I make more that the teachers on Okla where I'm from and haven't finished my degree yet. They need some security for a very hard job. We, and I imagine most of yo, gave your teachers hell. They deserve something for it.\n\nSorry for the snake Miss Hall (great English teacher, Cute too)
24755
Where I work, we call a moving class a "looping team".  I work in a 7-8 building and we keep kids from one year to the next.  This is a great thing to do, as it builds relationships, and saves a great deal of time in the fall of the second year.  There are issues that can arise, especially if teachers and/or parents and/or students have personality conflicts, but on the whole, I've liked doing it.  I feel I know my students and their families better and as they grow and I learn more about their learning styles and needs, I can cater to that and be a better teacher for them.  Worst case scenario: You get a rough bunch of kids and know you're stuck for the next two years :)
999364
Teachers not being paid enough.  We have a shortage of teachers here in Las Vegas, NV. One teacher was interviewed on the news and asked why she was leaving teaching. She said that she was going to be paid more to teach aerobics than to teach children in a classroom. SAD!
901132
As a teacher, I think school should be year round.  I know plenty of people would disagree with me.  It can be so persuasive because students forget too much over the summer, etc. etc.  Benefits would be that every season you could have 2-3 week vacations!
695788
Bound's hubby here:\n\nTenure does not guarantee a teacher (or professor) a job ... this is a misconception. If an educator has tenure, they can still lose their job, for CAUSE! What tenure really does, is protect an educator from arbitrary and caprecious dismissal. Teaching is a very political profession. \n\nRemember the teacher that you didn't like because you didn't get that "A"? Without tenure, that teacher, no matter how good he or she is, could lose their job, just because someone with the ability, could get them fired. \n\nTenure does not protect an educator's job if they commit a crime, if they assault a student, or anything else ... what it does mean, is that the school board must state a defendable reason why the teacher is being dismissed! Dismissal for a tenured teacher is generally accompanied by certificate action, where they will usually lose their right to teach forever!
598215
I am still in school! What is that shit! Anyway, there are nice teachers who do their job well and try not to show favoritism, just as there are teachers who do not. High school teachers are generally not as open as Middle school teachers.
350529
it is definitely rewarding, but the reward comes at a cost for some teachers...everything's a trade-off...i taught HS Sp. Ed., now i sub...i would rather teach full time again, but it's not always as easy to find a good teaching job as you might think...\n\ni really enjoyed being in the classroom...i would be thrilled when i knew i had gotten through to the kids in some way...\n\nnow, every position/school is different, but here are some everyday basics: a lot of paperwork, a lot of planning (for lessons, etc. - lesson plans are as hard as you want to make them, but there are many things to consider: dept. scope and sequence, state standards, district standards, modifications for different level students in the same class, plus you have to make it work in practice and make it interesting and enjoyable), a lot of grading/organizing, a lot of disciplining (depends on the class/teacher), a LOT of politics (the main thing i hate) - you will have to deal with some very unsavory people - be they administrators, fellow teachers or parents - a lot of meetings (department, school, parents), IEP (even for general ed), hearings, etc., a lot of phone calls and e-mails, a lot of time trying to figure out the grade software and get everything in on time, progress reports - and, of course, periodic professional evaluations/classroom observations by administrators, a lot of "staff development" - the education business is still a business and it's usually run like one...i'm a little cynical about it, but i only enjoyed teaching when i was in the classroom, which is about 50% of the job...\n\nsome people have a natural talent for all these things, but most of us struggle with at least half of them...do the rewards outweigh the negatives? you'd have to give it a try to see if you like it.\n\nyou never forget the kids you work with though, and the hope that you may have changed their life in some way...
514750
Yes, ...Because Considering The Position That A Teacher In School Holds, They Are Not Suppose To Be There To  Downgrade & Intemidate Students....They Are There For An Example And To Upgrade And Prepare You Students To Be Productive For Society!...So, Yes!...That Teacher Is Not Valuble To The Students And Needs To Be EXPOSED & DISMISSED!!
786514
I understand your frustration.  I have taught high school for 8 years and it is very discouraging at times to see the situations that exist in the classroom.  First of all, there is a mandate that Special Education students be mainstreamed into the general classroom population.  I have had a class of 34 students with 9 Spec. Ed. students (this is becoming more and more typical).  There are supposed to be teacher's aides to help in classes like that, but school budgets are spent so unwisely, at times, that there is no money for a teacher's aide for every teacher with a significant amount of Spec. Ed. students (who either have a learning disability, a behavioral disability, or an emotional disability).  This leaves the teacher and the students at a disadvantage.  Teachers now use more time on class management than on class instruction.  And, it's not just because of Spec. Ed. students.  For some reason many students like to "dumb down" on their own as to not be ridiculed by their peers for being too smart, a nerd, or a "lame".  School administration look at teachers with disdain and often let go of teachers with too high of a failure rate, so many teachers, when presented with a class or classes that do not produce on the expected level then create a curriculum that they feel the students have a chance to pass, even if it does not prepare a student to be on level.  Our educational system is in deep need of reforms that work, not just reforms that look good on paper but have no substance or effectiveness in the classroom or to the students.  I try to prepare students for high school and beyond, whether they are college bound, interested in vocational training, or ready to work once they graduate.  Teaching is a many tiered profession (teacher, counselor, mentor) if children are to be educated properly.  I worry about the same things you do, but I also know that the big decisions about education often do not rest upon  teachers' shoulders, but on an administration that is often too long out of the classroom to remember or know the things that work and the things that do not.  I only hope that it gets better before it continues getting worse.
534826
There is no amouint of money that can sufficiently pay those who mold the thinking and lives of the future ... think about it ... teachers show the way to those who become the future parents, doctors, police, judges, scientists, world leaders, etc.\n\nAnyone out there who doesn't understand the value of the work of a teacher after reading the previous posts, please go to the site I've attached and read "Three Letters from Teddy".  They say it all!
235981
Completely agrree, it's all because of the laws the rules and the regulations. If the teachers coiuld punish the students properly without being afraid to lose their job or to be sued by the parents the teacher will earn much more respect.\n\n\ngood luck
610677
If they had the highest grades in the school, then yes.
866328
I think it is.  Substituting a teacher the pay is 105.  In order to qualify you need a bachelor's degree or 90 accumulated units -after high school- limiting to 90 days during the school year.
45445
Tenure is one thing that has been helpful, but it's becoming less available in many states.  So, I would say this.  Do your job well, gain admiration and support from your administrators, colleagues, and the parents of your students, and you'll likely be begged to stay when you're announcing your plans to retire.\n\nBear in mind.  There is a REAL teacher shortage out there, and it is wide spread.  Unless your performance is sheer unacceptable, you're not likely going to be pushed out of the job.
341432
I've dealt with a lot of mean teachers and I know they can't get fired for that. My Freshman science teacher was mean to only Freshman. Now, whenever she sees me, she's always extremely nice. Some teachers are just mean because they don't like their jobs. Nonetheless, if your teacher wasn't teaching properly or was beating the kids, that would be a good ticket out of there. But just "being mean" could be a  matter of perspective and I don't think there's anything you can do.
440409
I have been friendly with many of my students, but do not consider them my friends. I think that if students come and visit you when they no longer are your student, and even when they go off to college, they can be considered friends. But I do not think that teachers and students are really friends when one holds the responsibility of a grade in their hands.  Relationships (healthy relationships) that continue after those roles are completed can be quite fulfilling.
220664
Hello,\n     Well I am only a 16 year old student, but I believe that teachers should have the following qualities...\n\n1) (S)he should know her subject well. (Obvious, isnt it?)\n\n2) (S)he should not be a bully.\n\n3) (S)he should have the ability to keep the subject flowing, without the students getting bored. (Dont ask me how... I just study here ;-) )\n\n4) (S)he should make sure every1 participates. Every1 hates a dictator.\n\n5) (S)he should have a clear, realistic idea of the progress she wants to make in a class. This prevents teachers from rushing through chapters in the end.\n\n6) Also, (S)he should make sure that every1 knows the basics. Often in the higher classes, teachers complain that they always get a bunch of dunces, but in reality, its just because of a weak foundation that a building grows shaky, and ultimately crumbles.\n\nAbout the exchange teacher bit, I have no idea, cuz our skool does not have an exchange program. (Any ideas how I can change it??) Oh, and keep a pleasant face...