Ask a teacher on Summer Break

[Cecelia]

I'm a high school history teacher, and currently on summer vacation.  So I figure I have time for one of these now.

[Silver]

What part of history do you mainly focus on teaching in your class?
Do you ever teach summer school?

[Minimalist]

How do you react to stories like this?

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion...82744.html

When schools open this fall in Oklahoma, the 2016 Teacher of the Year won’t be there. Instead, Shawn Sheehan will be starting his new job as a teacher in Texas.
Leaving Oklahoma isn’t what he wants to do, but he and his wife, both public school teachers, can’t afford to stay.
In Texas, Sheehan will make $20,000 more than he did in Oklahoma, a state where some schools are open only four days a week and lawmakers are asking the education department to make more cuts. Class sizes are large, resources are scarce, and math teachers like Sheehan are being replaced by people with emergency certificates. Support staff have been let go, textbooks are out of date, and electives such as art and music have been eliminated.

[Alex K]

Why does your Summer break start 3 weeks before mine?
What is your general opinion on math and physics teachers?

[Jesster]

Do you have any fun stories about your students or their parents? (leaving names out, of course)

[vorlon13]

what's the most fanciful and outrageous demise of a student you have ever imagined ?

[Cecelia]

What part of history do you mainly focus on teaching in your class?
Do you ever teach summer school?

I teach US History as well as Government and AP European History. 
I haven't taught summer school, but I won't rule it out in the future.  

How do you react to stories like this?

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion...82744.html

It saddens me that we don't prioritize education as much as we should in this country.  School districts like those in Oklahoma that are cutting down to 4 day school weeks are going to see bigger problems in the future. 

Teachers have to do what makes sense for them.   For years in our district we weren't getting step increases, and cost of living was going up.  That meant we were getting the same pay, while our cost of living was rising.  Nearby school districts pay a good deal more, and the cost of living is about the same.  A lot of teachers in our area--particularly in my department--left.   And it was hard to attract new teachers.  If you can't afford to live in an area on your salary, then it's not going to work out.  That's just common sense.  The only reason I've been able to make it is that my husband has a pretty good job.  It also helps that we try not to spend much. 

The problem will only get worse, because they won't be able to attract good teachers.

Why does your Summer break start 3 weeks before mine?
What is your general opinion on math and physics teachers?

My summer break actually began on June 21st.  I'm not sure why it starts earlier--maybe you get a longer breaks throughout the year?  We don't have year-round school here. 

I like and respect all types of teachers.  Though sometimes I feel that some math teachers give out too much homework.  Though that's more from a parent's perspective than a teacher's perspective.  I think Math in particular is difficult to teach, because every student doesn't learn the same way--and some methods will be harder for some students to get than others.  Nothing but respect for anyone who teaches (and takes their job seriously, obviously).

[Minimalist]

The problem will only get worse, because they won't be able to attract good teachers.

You're being very polite.  I regard what is happening as a national catastrophe.

Reports like this are commonplace.  We are already there.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/c...nd/2327610

At USF and elsewhere, education schools reboot as enrollment declines and teaching gets harder

It was 5 p.m., mid monsoon, mid summer, and many seats were empty — a common sight these days in teacher preparation programs around the country, including USF's College of Education. Many of the students in Dodson's classroom said that they often meet skepticism when they share their career dreams.
"Really?" people ask them. "You want to be a teacher?"
Between standardized tests, stagnant pay and crowded classrooms, teaching has become a political battleground. Since 2010, enrollment in teacher prep programs has plummeted 42 percent nationwide. At USF's college, a major supplier of local teachers, enrollment has dropped 40 percent — despite local districts desperate for teachers.

[brewer]

What do you typically do during summer breaks? Any fav activities?

[Aoi Magi]

Do you poop?