Teacher Career Guide and Counseling

Question: How is teacher tenure harmful to the school system and what are bad effects teacher tenure has on schools? Teacher tenure, due process employment, basically offers teachers a guarantee that they cannot be fired for no good reason. This basically means that teachers in general, who have disagreements with their administrators, cannot summarily be laid off without any cause.

Answer: How do you get rid of bad teachers? What happens if your enrollment declines or you want to add teachers with expertise in a different area?

Question: Can a retired teacher collect pensions from two different states? My husband is a teacher and has just become fully vested in his retirement program. We are considering moving in a year or two out of state where he will get another teaching job. Therefore he will be in a different pension system. When he retires he will be fully vested in two different states Teacher's pension system. How does that work? Can he collect from both? Do we have to submit taxes in both states?

Answer: Yes. When he retires from the first state he can start collecting from that state immediately while working in the second state. When he retires from the second state he may start collecting his pension from them as well. If you have been contributing to Social Security during any of this time; (Some states do not.) you may start collecting your social security at what ever age you think would be advantageous to you. Sadly, yes you must file each year with the state he retired from if it has a state income tax, and don't forget your Uncle Sam, he wants his share also. I know this to be true because you have just described - me.

Question: How does sex between a teacher and student affect the teacher-student dynamic/relationship? I am not talking about the legality or the moral/ethical side of it, or whether you think it's gross. I am talking about the relationship/dynamic between a student and teacher, or master and pupil, or within an apprenticeship or whatever you want to call it. I am also talking about male teacher to female student, male teacher to male student, female teacher to female student, or female teacher to male student. Does introducing sex into the dynamic alter the dynamic in any way?

Answer: There are two main problems. The first is the issue of consent. Where one party has power over the other, no matter how limited you may think that power is or how little you think about it, it is difficult to see if consent has been validly given, and it can be extremely hard to withdraw consent once given (how do you break up with your teacher without affecting anything? If you can't, and you must continue, then you are not really giving valid consent). The second is that if you have an existing teacher/student relationship that is complicated by a sexual relationship, it's extremely unlikely you will maintain the two separately. So, you will find the student receiving easier marking, favouritism, extra "tutoring", etc. etc. and being given an advantage simply because they are providing sexual favours to the teacher.

Question: What if a teacher is giving unequal attention to other students in class? There is this teacher at my school, he's the "cool teacher" of the school. All the popular kids are always hanging out with him, especially popular girls... I really enjoy him as a teacher, but it seems like I get hardly any attention from him (as a teacher). Is this fair at all? I'm sure I'm not the only student that feels this way. People out there, what are your feelings/views on this situation?

Answer: It is not fair but the truth is that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If the 'popular girls' are the ones that are asking a lot of questions in class and being loud, they are going to get more of his attention during class. I would not suggest you talk out and scream for attention during class but maybe you can ask him if he will tutor you after class. I would not blame him on this one because it is very difficult for teachers to give equal attention to every child in the classroom. Its always the loud ones that get their questions answered. Thats just life.

Question: What can you do when a teacher accuses a student of handing in a paper that is not the student's? My nephew handed in a paper. The teacher emailed my sister and said that he believes that the paper was not written by her son. My sister is furious with the teacher. Luckily, my sister found the rough draft. My sister even kept the second and third drafts with the teacher comments on it. She had a meeting with the teacher and the teacher still insists that he believes that my nephew didn't write it. What can my sister do now?

Answer: Prove the teacher wrong or suck it up....that is the two avenue's I see you taking.

Question: What are the benefits of being a teacher? I would like to get a certificate on teacher assistant. I would like to know what are some of the benefits a teacher assistant has. For those of you who are teachers/teacher assistants, how does it feel being one? Where can i learn more about being a teacher/teacher assistant in the state of Illinois. Thank you.

Answer: Teacher assistants are an integral part of the teaching process ... a good assistant ... Serves as an extra set of eyes and ears in the classroom Serves as an auxiliary when needed Serves as a extra person to assist with student understanding Helps immensely when there is a shortage of materials and someone needs to get them Helps to organize materials Assists in working with students with specific needs Is a working partner in most cases and not seen as an assistant It is great to hear you are considering such a wonderful position ... you are very much needed ... Good Luck ...

Question: How can a teacher maintain the students not so noisy and loud in class? 1. When the teacher is away, or busy in doing something, students(of age group 7 to 15) are obvious to make a noise. some are so loud that they don't obey the teacher to be clam. 2. Nearby classes do contribute in making a noise. 3. Monitor (Prefect) system is of no use. they always come to teachers, complaining against some or the other. How can a teacher keep her cool in such situations?

Answer: I don't really understand what situations you are explaining. However, if your students always have something (an activity, task, etc.) to do, you consistently enforce classroom rules, and you indicate the importance of all activities/tasks assigned, then your students will stay on task.

Question: What is the average salary for a teacher? I am interested in becoming a teacher in the future, and am curious as to how much they actually earn. Do private school teachers earn more than public school teachers? Do some teachers earn more because they are in a richer district? Please state your sources. It would be really great if you are an acutual teacher.

Answer: For a summary of teaching as a career, http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos069.htm click on "earnings" As you can see there a is a wide variation in salaries. A lot depends on where you work. Private school teachers usually earn less. The "rich district/"poor" district inequity does exist in some places, especially in states where large portions of school funding come from local property taxes. Other states attempt to even things out by awarding state aid. Most public schools pay teachers according to a salary schedule. Advancement on that schedule may be made by longevity and by earning advanced degrees. I was an "actual" teacher in a medium-sized midwestern city.

Question: What do you do if the teacher who you wanted to write your college recommendation? What do you do if the teacher who you wanted to write your college recommendation is leaving? My teacher is moving to a different state, but she's the only one I absolutely KNEW I wanted to write a college recommendation for me. I have to start applying to colleges next year, but she won't be here, and it's important that *she* be the teacher to write it because she's the English teacher, and I'm planning on majoring in English.

Answer: Why don't you ask your teacher to write you the letter of recommendation now keep it until you need it, then when you start applying you can make copies for the application packets to the universities that you will apply to.

Question: How do teacher recommendations work if you're applying to college online? I'm applying to most of my colleges online, and the teacher recommendations are attached to the application. How can my teachers access this if I'm the person filling it out?

Answer: You need to print out the recommendation portion of the application. Provide copies to your teachers or counselors. Your teachers will then send them to the colleges to which you are applying. The folks in the admissions office will put together your entire application, including transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, and letters of recommendation.

Question: Can a teacher or principal forcefully make you empty your pockets at school? At my high school we are not allowed to have cell phones on us during the school day. The phones must be in our locker and turned off. During study hall someones phone went off. The teacher then asked who's phone it was, and no one admitted to their phone going off. So the teacher said that she was going to make everyone empty their pockets. I had my phone in my pocket, and was wondering what would happen if I refused to empty my pockets.

Answer: Yes they can. It is school policy, you are on their grounds, you are under their rules.

Question: How can teacher accountability have a positive and a negative influence on the classroom environment? Standards-based education can sometimes put pressure on teachers to be sure they 'measure-up' to the expectations of state standards. How can teacher accountability have a positive and a negative influence on the classroom environment? Respond to classmates' post from a parent perspective

Answer: While I can't possibly imagine a teacher giving answers to a test (but I'm sure it's happened), a bigger more general problem with teacher accountability is that the teacher naturally places more emphasis on how to pass the test than on the intended curriculum of the course. From a parent's perspective, this means the teachers are "teaching to the test" and only worried about the bonuses that come with good scores. On the flip side, some teachers NEED to have standardized testing to truly hold them accountable. I personally think this means these particular teachers have no business in the business, but either way, it's good to make sure teachers are doing their jobs. From a parent's perspective, it's certainly nice to have concrete numbers about your child's educational progress. Standardized tests do this for them.

Question: As a teacher assistant in a preschool would you feel comfortable to change diapers? As a teacher assistant in a preschool would you feel comfortable to change diapers? Is this teacher's duty? Could you please share your experience? How it was? Thanks.

Answer: Yes this is typically the job of the assistant, not the teacher. At least in some school districts teacher contracts specify that teachers do not have to change diapers. If I was male I would not want to change diapers of young children, but would not choose to work with young children given our society. Otherwise this is a routine job duty and should of been disclosed during the hiring process via a job description so if you are not comfortable with it you can choose another job or different age group etc.

Question: What did you do for your teacher for teacher appreciation week? Today, me and another student in my class collaborated and got our teacher two cards, signed by everyone in our class, a chocolate bunny, sweetarts, flowers, and an inside joke. We had to sneak out of class to get the flowers, so it was fun... Anyways, what did you all do for your teachers? Whoever I feel did the nicest thing for their teacher will get best answer.

Answer: I advised them to leave for a more lucrative profession.

Question: How do you find a good vocal/singing teacher? I want singing lessons. I was watching "American Idol" and one of the bad contestants said they were trained for 10 years in singing. The last thing I want is to spend a boat load on lessons just to suck! So, how can U tell if a teacher is a good teacher? How can you check to see if they're certified? (I know it's should be hanging up some place, but what if it's not?) Are there somethings that I should look out for when searching for a teacher? (i.e: scams, habits of a bad teacher...). What type of vocal training do U recommend classical, pop, rock, r&b, or anthing else? Are there any teachers in PA, NJ, or DE you'd recommend? Any other helpful hints or tips you'd like to add or more than welcome! Tuyo...your link is cut off by "..." And...I don't like singing in public cause I dont' like my voice. I'm hoping to get rid of this by getting private singing lessons. That, among a few other things, is the reason why I am getting lessons.

Answer: I saw that, it was crazy! I would suggest going to a performing arts school, if you have one in your area. A local university should also be able to give you good references in the music department. I don't think an established school would hire someone who can't sing. Before you purchase lessons, talk to some of the other students. Also tell the teacher that you want complete honesty from him/her instead of false hopes. Good Luck!

Question: How do I send teacher recommendations for college applications? I am applying with the Common Application to most of the colleges I am applying to, and I am a bit confused about the forms they have given me for teacher reccomendations. Do the teachers send the recomendations themselves? Do I need to give them separate forms for each school that requires a reccomendation and ask them to mail each to the right school? Do I get to see what they write before they send it? If I am applying online to most of my schools, how does the teacher reccomendation find its way to my online application? Will the school match it up? Any answers and advice on this step of the application process would really help. Thanks.

Answer: Every school has their own way to elicit teacher recommendations. They can range from a pre-printed form with check boxes and some space for written comments to just leaving it up to the recommending teacher to type up a letter on letterhead. So you have to follow their instructions. Getting the letters of recommendation to the requesting college. Again, pretty much follow the rules...some want them sent directly from the recommender to the college, some want them enclosed in a sealed envelope that you include with your application. In the case of direct mailing, you should provide the addressed and stamped envelope to your teacher. Most times, you don't get to see what is written...though some faculty give a copy to you...never hurts to ask. But almost always, the recommender is asked to indicate a preference to allow you to see the letter (after it has been received by the college) or not. Some times the recommender is told, before they write the letter, the file is open to the student. Again, it depends on the college policy. To make sure independently sent letters match up to your application, be sure your name is clearly printed on all relevant materials. In the past, Soc Sec # were commonly used with the name. But in this era of identity theft. you need to so something to make sure there is no mix up. So, perhaps your mailing address should be put on all the documents so there can be little chance things won't match up with your application. [Hint: I would also put a pre-paid post card in with the letter of recommendation. The post card was addressed to myself and on the back, I created a form that indicated / stated: this is to acknowledge receipt of ____ for (my name) and I would leave space for them to fill in the date. I put a sticky note on the front of the post card saying something to the effect, please mail to confirm receipt of this letter of recommendation. Additional suggestion: Think carefully about who you ask....you want to stack the deck in your favor and be sure that person will write an excellent one for you. If you ask a teacher, consider how well they know you. Your approach is simple. Ask if they would write a letter of recommendation for you. Explain your situation and needs, and provide sufficient information so they can do a good job for you. (The info you provide is detailed below.) Consider the true intent of the letter of recommendation...to fill the gaps and gain insight about you that don't show up in a GPA number or test score. It doesn't matter so much WHO writes the letter as much as the quality of the content relative to the needs of the committee evaluating your application. (Some schools want a letter from a teacher and one from a non-teacher.) From my experience on application review and scholarship review committees...most schools are trying to find "outstanding" students. So a key factor in the letter has to clearly set you apart from other applicants. You need to figure out what criteria or characteristics the school values in students they see as outstanding. Generally, consider what makes a good worker...because in one sense, your job as a student is to study...and the college/university and professors are like your bosses...only they usually pay you with a grade. Consider you goals...what you want to do, and why you want to do it...and AFTER you graduate, what will you do to with your education and degree. It's a given one of your goals is to graduate...and what you want to do is associated with your major....but what they don't know is why you are interested in the major...and once you are educated, what will you do with your degree....and how that might reflect on the college. And now, the challenge is to find someone who knows you well enough to answer those questions for the school by writing a letter of recommendation for you. And get real, how many of teachers really get to know their students that well...unless of course, you engage them in conversations through the term. Many schools are concerned how well you will study and function in their institution. If you need an idea of what characteristics make a good worker (and believe me, there are many of them that apply to being an "outstanding student") visit http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/public/c... and learn about SCANS...a study done by the US Dept of Labor. Use the SCANS checklist to document your studies and performance. In other words, do a personal inventory using the SCANS checklists. Look at job descriptions for your intended major / profession. Do a SCANS checklist of the job description....compare/contras... it to your personal inventory to see how well prepared you are for that job....any differences point out what you may need to study to acquire the necessary knowledge/skills for that job. Use the SCANS checklists to assess your college course...and know what knowledge and skills you got from them. Put it all together....be sure the letters of recommendation include specific facts to support the statements...and that key words from the SCANS checklists show up in the letter. Best way to have that happen is to give a draft letter to the person you ask for the recommendation....along with a copy of your resume, transcripts, and a biographical essay or an essay about why you chose your major. In other words, do your homework and provide the writer with all the tools and facts necessary to do a good job. They can toss your draft....or, they can use it...modify it...embellish it....but if they have to start from scratch...and have little to go on...how can you reasonable expect them to do a good job for you? I have read many letters of recommendation from various sources....its the quality and factual content of the letter that is more important than the title of the writer. When a teacher writes "one of the best students I ever had" I really have to wonder...so how many students is that? and best is relative...if all of the other students had bad grades and one student was on the high end of the bad grades...that makes the high scorer the "best" of the low grades... Whomever you approach, do them the courtesy of providing them with the background materials to do a good job...along with sufficient time to do it...clearly stating the deadline, where the letter is to be sent, along with an pre-stamped and addressed envelope. Sure hopes this helps. Good luck and best wishes...