Full Time Teacher

[TCNJcystic]

Has anyone with cf had an experience as a full time school teacher? I see it now as good health insurance, short work days to ensure enough rest, and summers off to rebuild my health if it wavers a bit.

Does anyone have any input about teaching with cf?

 

[sue35]

Steve, Steve, Steve...It is comments like that that make me so mad...but in a good way, not mean<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

Teaching is EXTREMELY hard work. Yeah you are technically working shorter hours but not really because you are not counting all the times that you are planning on what to do the next day, week, month. Also, you are on your feet all day, and take on the problems of 20 some other children. I worked about 10 hours a day last year when I taught for the last half of the year and everyone else I know worked around 10 or more hours.

It takes a long time to get to the point where you can put in minimal effort. I wouldn't change it for the world and I love what I do, but just be aware that it is a very hard job and I wouldn't go into it unless you are completely dedicated. There are many easier less stressful jobs out there.

Good luck<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[chantelfox]

I can vouch for Sue. She and I are in the same boat. Teaching is
VERY hard work, time consuming and challenging, but so much fun and
worthwhile. If you really want to do well in the profession, be
ready to work about 10 hour days. Yes, the time off for R & R
is nice, but mostly it is <i>needed</i>!   If you are
truly interested, it is very worthwhile to be able to be apart of
so many young people's lives. However, since schools can be as bad
as hospitals for a CFer (lots of runny noses running around), be
ready to wash hands A LOT and no matter how busy you get, try as
hard as you can to keep up your meds and therapies. <br>
If you want to see what is like and have your bachelors (or check
into your state's Department of Education requirements for getting
a sub certificate)  be a substitute (daily or long-term).
If you are a daily sub, be prepared to put in 3-4 times more work
as a full-time teacher.  Take care!!!

 

[TCNJcystic]

Sorry to be misleading about my intentions on being a teacher. It's what I've wanted to do since I was in high school and am pursuing my bachelor's in music ed. now. I know it takes a lot of work, and the amount of hours a music teacher puts in after school rehearsals is demanding, but I was kind of taking it down a notch I guess to make it seem easier for my sake.

 

[sue35]

Then I would say go for it. It is refreshing and great to see males who want to get into the teaching profession. You will be a great role model<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Jane]

Sue and Chantel are absolutely right about teaching being a rigorous profession! Teaching music is even more of a time commitment like you said, because of concert, shows and rehearsal schedules. I teach art and have a lot of outside work with exhibits etc. Many times it is hard for me to give my students my best when my boys are sick and need me at home or in the hopsital. It may be easy to get a sub during the day, but you can't reschedule special events.

Some school systems have part-time teachers or have shared positions. Some school also hire teachers for after-school rehearsals or band. Look around in your stae to see some options.

Give it a lot of thought. If this is your passion, then do it!

 

[irishgirl]

I have been a full time teacher for about 8 years now. I'm usually up at 4:30 to exercise and stuff. Then I'm in my car and at school by 6:30. I usually leave around 4 when teachers are dismissed. Then drive home and sit in traffic. On days when I don't have to tutor or go to my other job I am at home around 4:30-4:45. I work in a very tough inner city school district. It is hard work!!!! But, I also teach sunday school, and I work 2 part time jobs, so I have never had any time off. My district has us going to workshops all summer. We got out in June and I go back next week to start setting my room up. Then the next week is all meetings, and boom the kids are back. In the 3-4 weeks I have had off I have had two conferences. So, it is not exactly shorter hours or a break. Teaching is a very demanding job. You are always worried that maybe an idea or concept didn't get across and then they are going to do bad on their state test, and you'll be fired. You have to worry about their home life. I have spent each year in a battle with dhs and kids that need to be removed from their home. I actually have no idea how I do this year after year. But, somehow they always pass the tests, and I always seem ready for the next year.

Check and see about the absence policy. We are allowed 5 sick days and 2 personal days. I'm lucky, that I don't ever have to take off work. But, like the others said you can't reschedule p.t.a. meetings, plays, etc... If our music teacher was ever out we would be in a mess of trouble!

Oh, and another thing to think about. I don't know how this is at other schools, but I teach elementary school, and you don't exactly get a bathroom break. There are no assistants in 2-3 grade, and you can't very well leave the children and go into the next building! I guess your body gets used to it. Teachers have amazingly large bladders. But, you should see the line for the bathroom at 4:00 <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Well, best of luck to you. We can always use more males in the proffession. However the 1 guy at our school always gets called to help break up fights. We all have to break up fights, but the guys have to cart the students off kicking and screaming, and those 5-6th graders are huge! Good luck , and I hope you decide to do it. I hope this rahter long e-mail didn't seem to negative. I was just telling the way it is, and like I said I teach in a very tough school.

 

[JohnnaMarie]

I did fulltime teaching assistant work with handi-capped young adults (18-21) for two seasons. It was exhausting, but rewarding. I thought the kids were a real challenge to teach. I learned a few things from them too. The position I had was much more physically challenging than teaching a regular classroom of kids tho. Classroom teaching is quite challenging too. Minus the lifting and other special cares these kids needed done. Most of them were super sweet tho.

 

[wanderlost]

I am a full time teacher and have been for 7 years. It is demanding. I don't know what your Cf schedule is like. I don't do any neb treatments (well, now I do hypertonic saline sometimes), and no IVs as of yet, so absences and treatments have not been a problem for me. OUr school gives 11 sick days and 3 personal days each year, and you can bank unused sick time into a "sick leave" to be used for longer absences (for example, I have about 6 weeks sick leave accrued that I can use when i go on maternity leave so I will still get paid for a while). I learned I cannot get our short term disability insurance though, as it considers Cf a preexisitng condition and will not cover absences from it.

Teaching has its rewards, its ups and downs (don't get me started on No Child Left Behind!), and if it's what you've always wanted to do, then go for it!

 

[littletally]

I wanted to be a teacher so bad myself. I went to school for it and started my student teaching. I did not last two weeks before getting so sick I could hardly stand up. On average I go in the hospital 1 or 2 times a year depending on the winters and such and I'm on Tobi or coly depending on the month. I decided I did not want to risk my health to that point so I finished one part of my student teaching when I got out of the hospital and have not finished the rest of it yet. I was in a kindergarten classroom which has little kids that sneeze and all that good stuff everywhere. So maybe the older kids the better, but I had no interest in older kids so I have yet to get a degree. I guess it depends on your health and what your body can take. I know that when I was student teaching I would sleep half my weekend away and do planning for the next week the other half. Defienetly hard work and well worth the work but it just wasn't worth my health. Still love the little kids but I just can't be around them all day in and day out.

Nikki
26/f/cf