Education Majors and Attitude

[Poodle15]

I was really depressed today while talking to a classmate at the attitudes of the others in our Ed program. She was saying how so many of the ones who will be graduating with her this May (with a 2yr degree, not a 4yr) treat it like a joke and skate by with the minimum C grade.

How depressing and how infuriating! Teaching isn't an easy job! I'm passionate about teaching and everything it involves from paperwork to inspiring students to grading. I read the posts here so I can mentally prepare myself for the tedious and the difficult while getting excited for all the good.

To think that people treat the job of shaping minds as a joke makes me sick.

[teacherintexas]

I doubt they'll get the very few jobs available.

[yellowdaisies]

Originally Posted by teacherintexas

I doubt they'll get the very few jobs available.

Exactly what I was thinking. And even if they do manage to score a job, they won't last. Teaching is hard and the job market is brutal. Those who aren't serious about it will eventually be weeded out. Don't worry. Just keep working hard and keep your head up!

[DocuiSedecim]

What is meant by a 2 year degree as opposed to a 4 year degree?

[a2z]

Originally Posted by yellowdaisies

And even if they do manage to score a job, they won't last. ... Those who aren't serious about it will eventually be weeded out

But at what cost for the children! 6 months or one year of a bad teacher can really set kids back.

Sorry you are surrounded by others that are slacking, OP.

[bison]

I don't experience this in my program at all, and anyone with that attitude usually ends up changing their mind about getting their credential and just gets the BA (which you cannot teach with). I just wrote a post on here about how I feel like it's a fairly rigorous program today. We also have to keep a B-average in any teaching methods classes.

That said, I know exactly how you feel! It drives me nuts that people who breeze through their programs will be competing for jobs when I'm working myself half to death in order to become the best teacher I can. I hope that people who hire know the programs and look at my GPA! There are definitely people at my school who do things like fake observations and field work and I just do NOT get it. Yeah, it's hard for me to schedule in too, but it's for our own benefit!!

[EdEd]

Poodle15, it really is amazing how different the various ed programs are, with some being simply awesome and some being just pitiful. I think this is one area that we need to address in the conversation about teacher accountability. Too many of the "anti-reformers" are attempting to make the case that the teaching profession is as good as it needs to be, and that any problems in public education come from socioeconomic issues outside the control of public schools. There is no doubt that those SES issues are huge, but to say that the teaching profession is perfect is also not accurate.

[yellowdaisies]

Originally Posted by a2z

But at what cost for the children! 6 months or one year of a bad teacher can really set kids back.

Sorry you are surrounded by others that are slacking, OP.

Very true. Maybe it's because of the state I'm in, but like bison said, people don't even get a credential in CA if they're not motivated. They stop with the BA. And if they're not very serious about teaching they will NOT get a job. Even most people who ARE serious about teaching don't get jobs in my area. Our job market is brutal.

[HeartDrama]

My program will not issue a credential to anyone whose gpa is under a 3.0, and there are certain classes that require a 'B' or better. You have to care, and the teachers know if you don't. They won't approve your student teaching.

[Peregrin5]

I knew a bunch of people in my credential program that didn't take it seriously either. One thing I noticed: all of those who were serious about the program now have jobs teaching. Those who weren't serious are still subbing or gave up trying to teach in America and they're teaching English in another country or gave up altogether.

There are very few who were serious who are still searching for jobs from my program. Even those who teach non-demand subjects.