Not sure how it is there, but that sort of behaviour by a principal here would mean (if you report it) that the school wouldn't get student teachers next semester (next desk's sister graduated in June - and started teaching last week - so I heard a lot about this sort of thing).
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littlek
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Fri 14 Sep, 2007 09:41 pm
I'm sure it wouldn't go over so well with my university. But, I believe he signs off on my papers, so.......
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Noddy24
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Sat 15 Sep, 2007 09:05 am
Littlek--
As long as the principal has a vote in your Student Teaching grade, I'd allow him to exploit you for an hour or so every week.
Granted, it takes you away from your classroom and your kids, but the need to cover/babysit a totally strange classroom can happen to professionals.
I'm not sure what the teacher-hire situation is in your neck of the woods, but competition for jobs in urban PA schools is scarce and a lot of recent Education Majors wind up doing substitute work.
Being "exploited" as a student teacher could lead to bankable references down the road.
If you're really feeling resentful, can you talk it over with your mentor teacher?
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msolga
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Sat 15 Sep, 2007 09:21 am
But it makes me angry all the same. Substitute teaching is what schools pay teachers to do! But I can understand your position, k. You are hardly in a position to complain, or rock the boat. It's not at all a good attitude & the principal should know better, that's all.
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ehBeth
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Sat 15 Sep, 2007 09:35 am
Are you required to keep a journal of your time at the school? It's a standard part of the practice teaching process here.
Perhaps the mentor will notice your extra activities when reviewing your journal?
That could be enough to take the school off the practice teaching roster, without you needing to make any 'official' comment.
It's interesting how different the demand for teachers and student teachers can be, depending on the location. We've still got high demand in some teaching areas, so schools are worried about losing access to student teachers, they want dibs on the good grads. They'd be afraid to do anything that might upset the good teacher colleges.
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msolga
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Sat 15 Sep, 2007 09:49 am
I don't wish to cause alarm, k, but I was wondering about the legalities of you taking these classes. Who would be held responsible if (heaven forbid!) something happened while you were supervising a class? .... like if a child injured themselves, or something like that? Student teachers in Oz would not be allowed to teach a class without their supervisor's presence.
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littlek
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Sat 15 Sep, 2007 10:51 am
Noddy and MsOlga, I feel the same way. But, Noddy, as far as the total changes in classroom and needing resilience to deal with that - I've got that experience in droves.
Beth - I do keep a journal, but I leave my time outside the classroom vague. The log doesn't need to be that detailed. I try to describe the major lessons and events of the day, specifics on child behavior, and leave the details to the general schedule I have copies of.
MsO, I was a sub last year. I'm pretty certain I'm no less qualified this year - I had to sign a lot more paper work for this student teaching gig.
And, it was an emergency. A teacher had a ruptured cyst. SHE CAME BACK TO TEACH! That still blows my mind. Still, the P could have assigned someone who IS getting paid to cover.
I think I will speak with my mentor. She is probably thinking along the same lines as we are.
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Noddy24
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Sat 15 Sep, 2007 11:07 am
Littlek--
Ovarian cyst?
Ovarian cysts can be undiagnosed and rupture all the same. A childhood friend of mine--sensible, restrained type--had an undiagnosed ovarian cyst rupture when she was walking down the hall in high school
She collapsed on the floor, literally screaming in agony.
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littlek
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Sun 16 Sep, 2007 12:13 am
Not sure what kind of cyst, but it seems it was in the right region (she touched her lower left abdomen when she was talking about it).
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Noddy24
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Sun 16 Sep, 2007 08:04 am
Littlek--
I'm fairly certain that she didn't plan to have her cyst rupture as part of the opening ceremonies of the school year. Cysts, once they start, frequently happen as a series of painful ruptures.
Of course, whatever her intentions, you were drafted as Mighty Mistress Mouse to Save the Day.
First on your list for tomorrow, talk to mentor....
First on your list for today, continue to decompress....
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littlek
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Sun 16 Sep, 2007 10:52 am
I'm certain she didn't expect it either. She'd had them before, but didn't know she had more.
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Noddy24
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Sun 16 Sep, 2007 12:15 pm
As I remember, my friend's cysts went on for 14 years (including two pregnancies) until she had her ovaries removed.
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littlek
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Mon 17 Sep, 2007 04:36 pm
I checked in with her today. Blood tests are fine, but she's still a little swollen and achy from the extra fluid in her abdomen. Such a weird thing.....
Today was fairly uneventful. I am really tired. I think I'm fighting a bug. I'll teach a vocabulary lesson in the morning for 45 minutes. I need to get them used to me in that role before my observation. I did do a small group activity that went very well. And we are taking action to settle one overly-energetic kid down enough to learn.
I have homework to do by thursday night for big people school, an open house with the parents wednesday night, stuff to prepare for little people school.....
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Noddy24
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Tue 18 Sep, 2007 05:16 am
Student teachers have fascinating social lives.
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msolga
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Tue 18 Sep, 2007 05:24 am
littlek wrote:
Today was fairly uneventful. I am really tired. I think I'm fighting a bug.
The (universal) teachers' lament, k! :wink:
(Sorry to say.)
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sozobe
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Tue 18 Sep, 2007 07:12 am
Yep.
Sozlet was sick this weekend (missed yesterday to recuperate, fine now), and her teacher said a lot is going around. Some combination of time for germs to circulate and get entrenched, and colder weather.
Stay healthy!
Purell is your friend!
(Plus liquids, lots of liquids.)
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littlek
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Tue 18 Sep, 2007 04:30 pm
Noddy24 wrote:
Student teachers have fascinating social lives.
Social life? What social life?
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littlek
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Tue 18 Sep, 2007 04:39 pm
MsO, thanks....... I am expecting this year to better than last year - as far as the ways bugs effect me.
Soz, yep, we've had two kids miss days (friday and monday) and one more leave early today.
So, I subbed again. Should I assume the principal thinks I am getting paid? Should it be pointed out to him that I am not? Again the .5 hour turned into 1.5 hours.
Today I led a whole class (the class I'm supposed to be in) vocabulary lesson. It went well - not perfect. Tomorrow is the parent-teacher night and also MsD's birthday. I shrunk the kids' pictures (I took and printed their photos for the wall outside the classroom) and made a collage of them for a birthday card. I tested the image on a piece of matte photo paper and ran out of a color of ink. So.... now I'm stuck with the matte paper print. Good enough.
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dagmaraka
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Tue 18 Sep, 2007 04:45 pm
I think he doesn't realize it. The thought probably never crossed his mind. I also think it would be best coming from MsD, as your supervisor, to talk to him. You can do it, too, if there's a good opportunity to do so diplomatically, but it may sound a bit 'snooty' (not sure if that's the word i was looking for)... She has every right to chime in about it, is well beloved, knows what you need as her supervisee, is an 'insider'- i.e. on the school's payroll..... I think the principal will just go 'duh, you're so right, thanks for pointing it out to me'.... The question still is how to make MsD do it... but she sounds supportive, she might be up for it...won't hurt to ask her I guess.
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littlek
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Tue 18 Sep, 2007 06:52 pm
I'll ask her if she thinks he knows I'm not getting paid. Maybe she'll have insight on that.