I am teaching at Manor High School. I teach Physics, Geometry and Credit Recovery. I actually only do two preps, meaning I prepare to teach Physics and Geometry. Credit Recovery, after the kids are logged in, kind of takes care of itself. I answer questions that guide them to finding the answer themselves.
I'm what's called in the teaching profession, a "floater," meaning I don't really have a classroom. I get lots of good walking exercise going from class-to-class. I am a moving representation of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. My room location is listed as "varies." I have a laptop.
The first couple of days were hectic: as students come back to school, I have to think of enforcing dress codes and taking my son to the University of Dallas tomorrow morning. I bought he and I web cams so we can Skype each other from time-to-time. He requested it. I'm not sure I bought it for him...or for me.
I got the picture for this blog post from a Physics Today Point of View article. It is truly a point of view.
I do agree wholeheartedly that you get what you pay for: in other countries that surpass academically, there is a direct correlation to teacher pay.
Yet, I've had herculean assistance from the Math, Physics and Science departments. I've been asked often "how's it going?" and "what can I do to help you?" In industry, I was used to veiled threats and consternation about the possibility of layoffs. Not that it doesn't happen in teaching.
Teaching and Heisenberg go hand-in-hand: everyday is completely different. The only thing you can control is your prep and face the reality that you're going to have to "parent" other people's children.
However, when you can show off your blog to students; when you can crack jokes and put them at ease about the subject matter; when you can in essence "be a kid" yourself, then the only thing I can state is a saying by a friend from England:
Life is good.
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