Job Discussion Forums

jeddahteacher · Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 291 Location: Arabia

http://www.amren.com/mtnews/archives/2004/10/study_finds_pro.php
“In Arizona, the Latino-white reading gap narrowed from 30 to 29 percentage points, but this gap-narrowing occurred while achievement of both Latino and white students went down,” she said. “This is not the kind of gap closing we’re looking for here.”

voodikon · Joined: 23 Sep 2004 Posts: 1363 Location: chengdu

perhaps this thread should be re-titled. i have a suggestion: inconclusive arguments about nothing of importance.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

hamel · Joined: 03 May 2004 Posts: 95

why can't the writers on this forum try to be kind to each other? that is a big plus on the japan forum.

i think the elements of style is a must book for teachers. one friend of mine has his university students read it.

i'm in korea and i believe that korea could be the best or the worst place to teach. that may be true of china or japan. though at least kushu is clean and civil and beautiful. i couldn't find any trash in fukoka.

china is perhaps my next stop.

oh, and twenty dollars per hour is pretty standard in my experience with a good housing situation possibly thrown in.

cheers.

texastmblwd69 · Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 91 Location: Seoul, South Korea

[/quote]

This coming from someone in Houston, where they have to recruit teachers from all over the country just to get enough people willing to teach there? I find that a bit ironic.
quote]

Hey, I never said that US schools are perfect nor that non-US schools are rife with problems. I'm just saying that my education in the US public schools system was excellent (and NOT in Houston by the way - I grew up in West Texas - a little town called Abilene). I cannot specifically comment on the Houston Independent School District as I have no first-hand knowledge of it. However, I can tell you that the HISD is one of the largest in the country and the fact that it has to recruit teachers from all over the country, therefore, comes as no surprise. Houston doesn't have teaching colleges on every other block you know.

All I wanted to say was that it is unfair to categorize the US public school system as woefully inadequate (NCLB notwithstanding). It's a mixed bag and this is to be expected in a country with such a hodgepodge of laws and regulations regarding education.

America still has the most and best scientific minds in the world. We have BY FAR the most successful and coveted system of colleges and universities that the world has ever seen, and despite MANY, MANY, MANY predictions to the contrary, we're still functioning (quite well, thank you) as a society, despite our problems.

texastmblwd69 · Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 91 Location: Seoul, South Korea

[quote="Ben Round de Bloc"]I agree that there are wonderfully rewarding (emotionally) teaching experiences to be had in the US, but I wouldn't go so far as to describe many teaching jobs in that way. Wonderfully rewarding (financially) I believe is stretching it a long ways, especially for those just getting into the field. [quote]

This is a matter of perspective. You can teach in, say, small town West Texas, for example. The cost of living is extremely low. You can rent a whole house for just $200-300/mo and if you're bringing home $2000-3000/mo, well, you do the math. You can save a lot of money that way.

If you want to live in a fancy apartment in Manhattan or San Francisco on a teacher's salary, well, I hope you marry a doctor who can pay the bills.

America is a mixed bag and anyone who says otherwise is just wrong.

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

The worst job I've ever had was with Sirte Oil in Libya.Long hours (7am-6pm),six or seven days a week,nothing to do and very few and extremely weird expats.No cafes,cinemas,shops just sand a portacabin and low pay for what was nothing more than paid prison.

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

How long ago was that?

Libya used to be good because you did six weeks on and then got six weeks off, flight paid. But they have been getting meaner about it and now it's something like nine weeks on and three off, and it;s not worth it.

ContemporaryDog · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 1477 Location: Wuhan, China

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:10 pm Post subject: Where?

culfy · Joined: 17 May 2004 Posts: 41

Stephen Jones · Joined: 21 Feb 2003 Posts: 4124

Nope that would be
"Daddy, what did you bring that book about down under that I don't want to be read to out of up for?"

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

texastmblwd69 · Joined: 25 Sep 2004 Posts: 91 Location: Seoul, South Korea

For every instance you can quote of someone finding poor pay as a starting teacher in Texas, I'll bet I can find just the reverse. Pay rates are not standard and it all depends on where you look for the job.

By stating that America is a mixed bag, my point is that one shouldn't judge an entire society by one instance of a teacher's bad (even horrific) experience.

Finally, as for who covets the American college system, here's a better question for you: who doesn't? And before you answer, ask yourself whether your answer proves my point.