Thoughts on "Worth It"

A friend and former colleague sent me this email - she wanted to comment on the post on facebook but for obvious reasons didn't want this traced back to her name. She has great thoughts and is in a tough situation.

I have been having the same thoughts around worth. I have been looking for a full time job in education and in the mean time I am subbing. I am currently subbing at a small charter school in LA. I am in the room because the new teacher they hired is not credentialed and therefore cannot be in the classroom, legally, without a credentialed teacher. The teacher has made several mistakes when explaining topics. He has made grammar and spelling errors but in addition he exhibits a basic lack of knowledge on the various topics he is teaching. In addition the curriculum they are using has students work independently and has them self test out of topics. They are essentially teaching themselves. If ever a population of students needed actually direct instruction, its this group of 6th graders. The students need and deserve an academically strong teacher. I have been stepping in to correct him or just teach but I am not being paid for the job I am doing. I am acting as a mentor and co-teacher yet I am being paid as a substitute. I can't believe he has a job and I don't. It has been a frustrating week.

Three years ago: Back to Our Regularly Scheduled NCLB Idiocy (New president hasn't fixed NCLB yet)

Four years ago: Tiger the Leopard Gecko (who is still happy and healthy and now middle-aged)

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The Best Mistake

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Bronwyn Harris, Author

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