"Fish?"

My classroom theme is underwater. My students voted at the beginning of the year to be called the "Rainbow Fish." So when it came time for character day I, of course, dressed up as the rainbow fish.

Unfortunately my stapled concoction was not necessarily what my students had in their imagination. Some of my students completely got it: "oohhhh, Miss Prinzo, you're the Rainbow Fish!"

Some had a delayed reaction, "You're a fish? The Rainbow Fish? What's that...OH! Like our class. You are the Rainbow Fish!"

Some missed it all together, "Fish? Miss Prinzo, we are going to have fish?" In his usual fashion, this students ignored my response and instead informed the rest of the class that we were getting fish. I cannot tell you the disappointment I have created now that it is 2 days later and there are still no fish!

"Confessions of a 'Bad' Teacher"

An editorial on the moving target/ changing expectations of teachers. This is definitely an, "I couldn't have said it better myself." read!

Confessions of a 'Bad' Teacher

THIS IS MY LIFE...someone else just says it better!
"Behind all of this is the reality that teachers care a great deal about our work. At the school where I work today, my “bad” teaching has mostly been very successful. Even so, I leave work most days replaying lessons in my mind, wishing I’d done something differently. This isn’t because my lessons are bad, but because I want to get better at my job.

In fact, I don’t just want to get better; like most teachers I know, I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I have to be. Dozens and dozens of teenagers scrutinize my language, clothing and posture all day long, all week long. If I’m off my game, the students tell me."

"The truth is, teachers don’t need elected officials to motivate us. If our students are not learning, they let us know. They put their heads down or they pass notes. They raise their hands and ask for clarification. Sometimes, they just stare at us like zombies. Few things are more excruciating for a teacher than leading a class that’s not learning. Good administrators use the evaluation processes to support teachers and help them avoid those painful classroom moments — not to weed out the teachers who don’t produce good test scores or adhere to their pedagogical beliefs."

"Worst of all, the more intense the pressure gets, the worse we teach. When I had administrators breathing down my neck, the students became a secondary concern."