Comments on: Teaching without a net http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/12/teaching-without-a-net/ Free-linking and thinking on education by Joanne Jacobs Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:23:18 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: nyceducator http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/12/teaching-without-a-net/comment-page-1/#comment-65491 nyceducator Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:57:14 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/12/12/teaching-without-a-net/#comment-65491 I learned via the sink or swim method as well, and quickly learned to rely on no one for help. But I had no parenting skills when I started. I had quite the opposite experience--my teaching skills, I think, made me a better parent. I learned via the sink or swim method as well, and quickly learned to rely on no one for help. But I had no parenting skills when I started.

I had quite the opposite experience–my teaching skills, I think, made me a better parent.

]]> By: ms_teacher http://www.joannejacobs.com/2007/12/teaching-without-a-net/comment-page-1/#comment-65383 ms_teacher Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:21:27 +0000 http://joannejacobs.com/2007/12/12/teaching-without-a-net/#comment-65383 my first day of teaching I heard a student make a threat of physical violence to another student. Prior to stepping foot in the classroom, I had two days of orientation the week before, but was luckier than my younger colleagues because I at least had experience at parenting. I was hired literally the day before school was to start, got my keys to my classroom on my first day and was told to "go teach." Nobody sat down with me or the other newbies at our school site to discuss any type of procedures, so when I heard this student make a threat to another student, I called him up to my desk, wrote him a pass with a brief explanation of the incident. This student came back about 10 minutes later. As he entered my room, he handed me a paper and told me that the VP wanted me to have it. Our VP had highlighted the proper procedure for sending a student to the office for this type of infraction. It felt like a slap to me and I can only imagine what that student must have been thinking as he came back to my classroom. She didn't even bother to staple it together or put it in an envelope. I quickly learned that any type of support I thought I might receive as a new teacher was nil to none. It was a sink or swim situation. I strongly credit my parenting skills (knowing how to set limits, setting up appropriate consequences, following through, etc.) for getting me through my first two years (along with the occasional margarita). my first day of teaching I heard a student make a threat of physical violence to another student. Prior to stepping foot in the classroom, I had two days of orientation the week before, but was luckier than my younger colleagues because I at least had experience at parenting.

I was hired literally the day before school was to start, got my keys to my classroom on my first day and was told to “go teach.” Nobody sat down with me or the other newbies at our school site to discuss any type of procedures, so when I heard this student make a threat to another student, I called him up to my desk, wrote him a pass with a brief explanation of the incident.

This student came back about 10 minutes later. As he entered my room, he handed me a paper and told me that the VP wanted me to have it. Our VP had highlighted the proper procedure for sending a student to the office for this type of infraction. It felt like a slap to me and I can only imagine what that student must have been thinking as he came back to my classroom. She didn’t even bother to staple it together or put it in an envelope.

I quickly learned that any type of support I thought I might receive as a new teacher was nil to none. It was a sink or swim situation. I strongly credit my parenting skills (knowing how to set limits, setting up appropriate consequences, following through, etc.) for getting me through my first two years (along with the occasional margarita).

]]>