I have talked with several people just yesterday about how this year is different, more challenging. We have all felt more pressure, more demands, and less reward. We are not celebrated for strong scores, we are not commend for hard work, we are not honored for doing an excellent job. Instead we get more work, are work is criticized, and we are given no help. The teachers I spoke with yesterday range from 3rd year to over ten years, and they are all tired and frustrated.
Here is a specific example. One of the teachers I was talking with shared that a second year teacher at her school, who I actually know, got amazing scores last year on her ACPs after her first year teaching. Her scores were above her co-teachers that had been their longer and above the district. This is awesome right! She was clearly successful and taught her students well. What should happen is that this teacher should share her strategies, share her lesson, and work with her co-teachers so they can all have strong scores. Well that is not exactly what happened. Her school thinks she cheated. They think she told her students her answers. They think it is impossible that a first year teacher could be that good at their job. So now this teacher cannot be in room during ANY exam her students take. Not an interim exam, not a 6 week exam, nothing. All because she was good at her job.
This is what I mean. Instead of celebrating hard work and those that do their job well they are criticized. What is the incentive to do a good job? We are not in this job because of the money, we are here because we feel good doing are job and helping students. Well if we keep getting treated this way, it is not going to feel good much longer.
Here is a specific example. One of the teachers I was talking with shared that a second year teacher at her school, who I actually know, got amazing scores last year on her ACPs after her first year teaching. Her scores were above her co-teachers that had been their longer and above the district. This is awesome right! She was clearly successful and taught her students well. What should happen is that this teacher should share her strategies, share her lesson, and work with her co-teachers so they can all have strong scores. Well that is not exactly what happened. Her school thinks she cheated. They think she told her students her answers. They think it is impossible that a first year teacher could be that good at their job. So now this teacher cannot be in room during ANY exam her students take. Not an interim exam, not a 6 week exam, nothing. All because she was good at her job.
This is what I mean. Instead of celebrating hard work and those that do their job well they are criticized. What is the incentive to do a good job? We are not in this job because of the money, we are here because we feel good doing are job and helping students. Well if we keep getting treated this way, it is not going to feel good much longer.
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