Student teachers enjoy urban experience

The Morning Call.com ^ | 5/08//07 | Melanie A. Hughes

[Jakarta ex-pat]

Kayla Nesbit's roots run deep in a small town of sprawling farms and old covered bridges.

New Bloomfield, Perry County -- population 1,077, according to the 2000 U.S. Census -- is home, but not where the 21-year-old wants to leave her mark.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

I can only presume kids don't read Aesop's fables anymore.

[BenLurkin]

"''Where I live, there's no diversity. It's all white, Anglo-Saxon and Christian, and everybody's a Republican,'' said Nesbit, a senior education major at Kutztown University."

Where is that? What's the weather like? Are there any houses for sale? Do they have high speed internet?

[DumpsterDiver]

Where is that? What's the weather like? Are there any houses for sale? Do they have high speed internet?

LOL. What's the job market like?

[Clara Lou]

I actually read this article. I didn’t notice student loans being mentioned. Certain federal student loans are forgiven if the student agrees to work 3-4 years after graduation in federally designated economically disadvantaged areas. I wonder how 4 years’ worth of free tuition figures into these student teachers’ enthusiasm?

[Lancey Howard]

The naivete if these “student teachers” is staggering.

Philadelphia school teachers hope merely to keep their classrooms in some kind of semi-chaotic state (as opposed to full-blown anarchy) until the day is over and they can escape their masonry babysitting prisons known as “government schools”.

[Lancey Howard]

I wonder how 4 years’ worth of free tuition figures into these student teachers’ enthusiasm?

I wonder if they realize that that money amounts to combat pay?

[tennteacher]

Been there. My question is not “Will they lose their idealism?” but “When will they?”

They deserve combat pay.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

"They deserve combat pay."

It may seem harsh.

But, They deserve all they get.

[Malacoda]

My naive butt "enjoyed" my student teaching at an inner-city Philly school until I was mugged in my classroom at knifepoint -- and decided on a safer major. It wasn't so much the mugging -- which was scary enough -- but the administrations response, which was, "Yeah, that happens. Next time, just hand them your stuff." That was in the late '80s and early '90s, so I can not imagine how bad it is now.

I'd rather teach in Basra, Fallujah or Ramallah than a Philly public school.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

"They deserve combat pay."

It may seem harsh.

But, They deserve all they get.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

sorry for the double post

[Clara Lou]

There are so many things at play here: 1) They're in school and are immersed in a certain kind of idealism that doesn't seem idealistic. They're learning techniques and maybe going over research data. Of course, after 4 years, they're immersed in the "language." All of this isn't necessarily bad--it's just different from reality. 2) They're young and enthusiastic and they're going to give a good interview, of course. And, of course, the profs had some hand in selecting the young lady interviewed.

Note: I'm a teacher. I work with new teachers, and I just finished a master's degree in a related field.

[Clara Lou]

“When will they?”
It starts for most they first day of school. The turnover rate for new teachers is very high. Last I read, something in the neighborhood of 50% [I believe it's actually higher than my estimate] of these new teachers leave teaching within 3-5 years. A formal mentoring system for these new teachers is the remedy currently being used to give them a kind of support that will make them want to stay in teaching.

[aberaussie]

"I love being with all types of people of different cultural backgrounds. If you respect kids and show them you care, they're going to respect you,'' she said.

Let's see if she says that after a year of teaching in that environment. My daughter graduated (summa cum laude)with a teaching degree and sought out the lowest performing school in the southern urban district she choose to teach in. After a year, she decided teaching is not for her and is now working in sales, expecting to make twice what she was making as a first year teacher. I can't tell you what an awful experience it was for her. The lack of support from her administration was appalling. They did not expect the kids to behave.

As an aside, I have tried to raise my kids not to be racist. The racism she saw those little first graders exhibit was appalling. The African-American kids were very outspoken about how much they disliked white kids. So much that they would argue about whether my very pale (Irish) daughter was "mixed" or white. They did not want her to be white, because they liked her. The few white kids in the class just lay low. My daughter got a whole new side of racism in our society. It's not just something white people do. Someone was teaching those kids to hate other races.

[tennteacher]

Three years ago, my high school hired 5 new English teachers; only one is still there.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

"It's not just something white people do"

?

[P-40]

My question is not “Will they lose their idealism?” but “When will they?”

It has been my experience that when they lose their idealism they REALLY lose it and they are more than happy to share that fact with you at high volume.

[Clara Lou]

We had two well-prepared student teachers this past academic year. Both of them left teaching at year’s end to pursue graduate degrees in fields other than education.

[radiohead]

I'd rather teach in Basra, Fallujah or Ramallah than a Philly public school.

I agree, in general. However, my son was graduated from Masterman (school for gifted and talented) and most of the kids he knew went to Masterman or other magnet schools, either for the arts or science. None of them had the criminal element you speak of. This was in the early 90s. Even years later, I doubt Masterman has a criminal element.

Masterman was a safe, welcoming environment. When my husband died when my son was in 9th grade, I couldn't have hoped for a more warm and understanding school for him.

[goodwithagun]

I teach in an inner city school but I grew up in a middle class, suburban, white town. It was definitely a culture shock, and still sometimes is. What I have come to understand is that “diversity” means the thug culture. It means gangs, drugs, and a lot of teenage pregnancy. “Diversity” means trying to fake a learning disability to get a “crazy check” from the government. This will be my third year teaching and I can believe the turnover rate. We have teachers retiring early because they can take no more “diversity.” Ironically, those baby-boomers are the ones that helped bring us most of the “diversity.”