The Land of the Free & the Home of the Brave (expats)... All Those in the US!

[UnderRated]

I just finished the old thread by accident

It really is bad for teachers over here, innit?

I have a friend who was a teacher in Zimbabwe, and her brother was part of the opposition party to Mugabe. Even though her family didn't live with her brother, they were being harassed, and her husband tried to get political asylum in the U. K., and they told him he could come, but put him back on the plane when he got there.

She eventually was able to come here, because her sister married an American, and she had to get a job or get kicked out. She ended up in a nursing home wiping old people's rear ends, because her teaching qualifications (she speaks excellent English, and taught in English) were no good. Her husband was a teacher in the same English school over there, and now they both wipe people's rear ends to make ends meet and avoid being sent back to Zim and face harassment for them and their children.

I have the same problem with my teaching qualifications. They are meaningless here. And what pisses me off most is that most of the teachers I have seen here are crap. They teach from a book, almost word for word, have children sitting at desks all day, writing in workbooks. No offence to any American teachers on here, I know some are good. But, bloody hell

I never expected that 4 years of college and 5 years teaching would lead me to be an arse-wiper. But, alas. Ironic really - a little boy in my last job often called me an arse-wipe. Bless him.

It has been hard on her, because she said back in Zimbabwe that a teacher is a very respected profession, and the fact that they taught English made it even more so, and now she is looked down at that "all" she is is an arse-wiper.

Just an idea, but do any of you have British Schools near you? or International Schools? You may have more luck with teaching posts in these schools as they do accept other qualifications.....although I am aware that British schools aren't exactly everywhere......

Actually, we do have a British school but the only recruit from the UK and never have any positions open anyway. I look all the time! Good idea Twirl.

Time to take out the air-conditioning unit from the window.

Well I'd like you to know that I have the highest regard for you arse-wipers. Where would we be without you?

The world would be a shittier place

Speaking of which, I went to a Veterans home at the weekend - a sort of nursing home/ last place for veterans. It was the most awful place I have ever been to. And I used to work in nursing homes. So so sad and depressing. Then I went to work tonight and a woman's preemie had just been released from the hospital having been born 3 months early. She was the teeniest thing and the mum was so proud. Was lovely. It's been a funny few days...

wow, full circle there.

IKWYM about textbook teaching; my ds is bright but she just can't learn that way. Her teacher this year "teaches" everything by read pages ..., answer the questions and then she marks them without any discussion about why something was right or wrong or whether there could be any other answers. I am spending every single evening teaching her what she should have learnt at school that day. Her teacher last year was excellent so it came as a bit of a shock. Back home we would have been sacked for teaching like that (no exageration, I saw it happen once).
I did consider doing the teacher training again but there is a good chance we will be moved again and the Ohio qualification is no good in another state or vice versa. No British or international schools here because lets face it, who the hell moves to Ohio?

I'm sure Ohio is lovely

I have friends who do tutoring at the local private school. With a Masters degree in Education, they charge $85 per hour. To sit with ONE child and work from a textbook. I know that is what they do because I have been offered the same job and have the textbooks in front of me now. $85??? Anyone who can read could do it. Why would a parent spend $85 an hr to do that?

I have to post on here so that it doesn't drop out of my Threads I'm on but I have nothing to say.

Kinda like SB, it fell out of Threads I'm On.

I shouldn't even be here, should still be at In-Laws. Last night Colin spiked a super high fever, and ended up in the ER because he had a Febrile Seizure. That was the scariest 3 minutes of my life. He came to before we got to the hospital, and I know the hospital was great fun for him, since they gave him popsicles and stickers. He told them next time he had a fever he was coming there.

Sorry it sounds like Australia was not good. I was watching the meet up thread, and was bummed when I saw you didn't make it.

lost the thread too. Sorry your trip wasn't fun, cali. Glad you're back, though. The thread just hasn't been the same without you.

Dooney

Is he ok now? How terrifying. Poor little mite.

Do you know why he had such a high fever, Dooney?

Something going around, I guess. The ER said it was their 2nd FS of the night and it was only 10:30 when we got there. They said they had been seeing lots of kids with really high fevers, and I know my best friend's little girl had a really high fever the day before I left, and she couldn't watch my 2 for me to go to the Dr. The Dr. said there's a 40% chance of him doing it again with a fever, but the good thing is he is at the top of the age range to have them, and won't do it past 6.

I'm just glad we made it back home. I got about 2 or 3 hours sleep the night before, because I just couldn't sleep, and was still up at 7:30 this morning, and slept a little on and off between 8 something and 9:30. We drove slowly, and I kept stopping for tea any time I started feeling tired, and kept the car fairly cold.

Dodgy, when we lived in Cincinnati, I considered getting an Ohio teachers' license. I am UK qualified.

However, the hoops I would have had to jump through were outrageous, and it would have cost me a fortune. Although they are short of teachers, they are not doing much to bring more teachers into the system and making hurdles very high.

If you got an Ohio license and then moved to a different state, it would be fairly easy to convert it.

We lived in one of the nation's top school districts, and I wasn't particularly impressed with the standards. They were not really into teaching the individual pupil, and got loads wrong with my DS.

dooney I somehow skipped the ER visit. How scary! Glad he's better now.

Poor Colin! I hope he feels better soon.

Califrau - why was Australia so awful? I'm glad you're back, I've been missing our word game battles!

How is he today, Dooney?

The weather has been amazing this weekend and is meant to stay like this tomorrow so I think I'll drag DS off to the orchard 1 last time to pick apples and pumkpins. It's a bit of a trek but I think worth it. And I can get cheap gas once we cross the state line!

I want chocolate. Lots of it. I have none. Only 3 weeks til my mum gets here though. I think I accidentally instructed her not to bring any and she's away now. Ooops.

dooney - so sorry to hear what you, Colin and the family have been through. Must have been very frightening. Hope things are back to 'normal' today.

Cali - sorry Australia wasn't good. What happened?

I am into my third day of not watching the news on telly or reading a newspaper. It all got too much for me last week. Scary times.

Oh, he's fine. Bouncing around like crazy. I'm a wreck, and tired. I had him sleep with us last night, because his temp was 99.3, and I was worried something would happen, but, of course I was being paranoid and it didn't.

He's still telling everyone about the hospital and how great it was and they give you stickers. I'm glad that he seems to look at his time there as wonderful.

I remember being in hospital when I was young and I loved it. I got to lie in bed and watch tv and boss the nurses around. I'm sure my mother doesn't remember it quite the same way.

I'm glad he's so much better Donney. Hope you get some sleep.