Not necessarily

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2002 : April : 1

Not necessarily
By Cathy-Dee

While classroom management is often one of the main focus points in an evaluation. Whether or not you get a good or bad evaluation is not always tied to whether you have a bad child or not.

In my second year of teaching
(I was evaluated a number of times), I had two severe behaviour problems, a parent problem and I taught 3 teacher's children. All my evaluations went fine. But I had a good Principal that year.
I've also now taught for 9 years and 2 years ago I had another student who was worst that the first two I had combined. Next year we have a number of students coming up from kindergarten who

are behaviour problems. It's already been decided that I will probably take on the two worst cases because I am able to handle that type of student and the stress that goes with it. We may have a new teacher or a second year teacher with the other class so we are not going to load her class.

And I'm also much better at classroom management now that I've got experience. One of the children who was a difficult behaviour problem and I dealt with (not always perfectly either) I was able to watch go through a number of years in the school. Some teachers handled him well, others did not. (And all these teachers were experienced teachers). First year teachers do not always get the worst class, but it may seem like it because they are not aware of all the techniques that are out there. I know during my first few years I also didn't want to ask for help because I thought it would hurt my evaluations.

Teaching is not an easy career, but then again there are other careers that are equally stressful. And as I stated earlier, there are good Principals and bad ones. If you don't like your present school, then you need to find a school you do like. I talk with many teachers and although some do have "bad" schools most work in "great" schools. So those schools and Principals are out there.