teacher

elementary school teacher

educator

english teacher

special education teacher

Baltimore City Public Schools

Most days working as a first year teacher in a title one school were incredibly difficult. The hours were long and didn't leave much room for teaching myself how to do all the things I needed to do to be the best teacher I could be. 
On an average day I arrived around forty five minutes before the school day started, I would tidy my classroom, organize the classwork the students would do throughout the day, check to ensure my technology was working, and then write the learning objectives for the day on the chalk board. Soon after the students arrived they went to their resource class for the day, and I went to my planning period. One day of the week this meant going to meetings with other teachers and the school principal to discuss school climate, student achievement, and school wide events. One day a week I went to special education meetings about individual students. The other three days I took that hour to work on preparing lesson materials: making copies, creating presentations, finding worksheets and curriculum materials. The Baltimore City math curriculum is well cultivated, however it has very little in the way of science curriculum, we didn't even have textbooks! 
After my fifty minute planning period I picked up my students and began teaching my fifth grade math block. An hour and forty five minutes later I switched classes and taught an hour and forty five minutes of fourth grade math. After two very long sessions, came lunch. Lunch time lasted thirty minutes, during which time I would set up the classroom for science class, double check that my projector or other technology was in working order, by that time it was time to collect my students for their afternoon class. 
At the end of the day I would grade papers, score assessments, and then continue working on lesson plans and creating lesson materials.  Occasionally I would help students work on homework or help my co teacher make phone calls home to parents. From September to April I also attended night classes from 5 until 8 at night. A day when I got home before seven at night was a good day. 
As the year progressed I greatly improved at writing lessons, and completing my other requirements and meeting deadlines. However, the actual teaching during the day remained very stressful as I had two very large classes and several students with severe behavior problems.
The greatest part of my job was also the most stressful. Having the opportunity to teach someone something for the first time, or find a different way to teach it so they understand it is incredibly rewarding. I had the opportunity to do this all day long with my students, but I also had the chance to help teach some of the other teachers in the school how to use some of the classroom technology that I was more familiar with, and that was rewarding as well. 
The most difficult part of my job was the stress. Most of the stress came from the very challenging population at my school and the steep learning curve all first year teachers face. As the year went on the stress decreased as I became better at handling the administrative work, but it remained a challenge right to the very end.

I am a new teacher. This is my first and last year as a teacher because of the way I have been treated. The lack of care and concern that I have been shown this year is the worst that I have ever been treated. I was in the Navy during Desert Storm, surrounded by people that did not like me just because of the color of my skin, and I was treated better. The principals have total immunity from accountability and professionalism. They can do or say whatever they want and it's ok. I really do not believe that the people in charge have the kid's best interest at heart. The seniors at the 2 schools that I have been associated with have had 6 instructors since they were in 10th grade. Consistency is one of the most important traits in the hospitality industry. A recession proof $5 billion dollar a year industry. In order for anyone to be prepared for this industry, you have to have industry professionals to prepare them. The principals that I have worked with do not understand that. If you disagree or present things that they are not in agreement with, they will label you as a trouble maker and make your life miserable. Our counter parts in the county schools that we compete with will tell you that they key to their success, is the support that that get from their administration and the respect given to the craft. These instructors have also received training and time to build their programs. I have not. I was apart of a team, with the other instructor, that certified students in a program that haven't had any since 1996. A program that competed and placed in the 3 major annual events for our trade. We have catered events at North Ave. and City Hall, all things that were done before. We had students. who did not go to class, going to all of their classes. Students who were late, coming to school on time, to all of their classes. Students who did not excel in the trade or other classes, excelling across the board. It is a shame that these kids get caught up in grown up selfishness and egos. I wanted to be a teacher because I really wanted to make a difference, and according to my fellow teachers, I did. I wanted to help make this industry that I love so much and have been in for over 16 years, better than when I got into it. I am not the only teacher that feels this way. Most are stuck in a job that they have no choice or voice to do anything about it. Some are just leaving because of the lack of support, training, respect and care given. I used to wonder why so many inner city kids were failing in school and then when they get out into the real world. This year was a lesson in why. I enjoyed my time teaching and getting to know the young people that I was very fortunate to meet. The teachers that helped me learn how to teach. And to the few administrators that actually took time out of their busy schedules to coach me. I was taught in the Navy that the most important person in any organization is the newest person. Please help the new people in your organization. They are the future of our future. Our kids. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
The best part  of teaching art to middle school students was focusing on my art curriculum and adjusting it for every student to make it relevant and exciting. I loved showcasing their work through our morning announcements and bulletin board. Wish I had more support! Spent way too much time in meetings and not enough time with parents as a school.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part are the evaluations. Principals and Vice Principals are not trained in Visual Arts and do not know how to look for effective, high-quality, student-led classroom management. Art is difficult to structure and evaluate but I was definitely under appreciated and misunderstood frequently. It’s a shame. The students and their work speak to the quality education they were receiving. Administration was looking for students to be seated and quiet which is not how team building, hands-on, experiential and investigative  learning happens.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Baltimore City Public Schools suffers in that it is hierarchical, does not listen to its teachers, students, community partners of staff. The only people getting rigorously and continuously evaluated are it’s teachers.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Run around to have my classroom and materials for 100 students ready in five minutes, going into another teacher’s classroom for morning announcements. Then, I run to the other side of the hall to meet my students, make sure they are in line, give brief welcome at the entrance to the art room. Students start classroom job slides, pass our sketchbooks, and set up for the project. I start a mini lesson in their sketchbooks. Shout outs to previous project outcomes. New lesson. Students do independent work. We review briefly. Students help each other check their problem solving skills to an art question. 2-4 students share. Finish independent work. Clean up, sketchbooks picked up, projects and materials returned to respective places. Conclusion and incentives awarded for best behaviors. Run again to the hallway to greet next class. Repeat again for a total of three runs. Then, start grading for 2 hours. Set up classroom for next day for another hour or two. Call parents. Publish next day’s assignment digitally.

I have been working in Baltimore City Public Schools over 10 years. The school system has changed tremendously since I started. Teachers used to be able to teach and focus on the needs of children. There has been a shift in the past 10 years from the students to politics. Test scores have taken precedence over education. Unfortunately, administrators and other school leaders are more concerned with data than children. Although dedicated, talented teachers work in Baltimore City Schools, they are limited in regards to using their skills to shape young minds.
Some schools encourage collaboration while others are extremely competitive. Teachers and leaders lean on each other for support and encouragement while in other schools, teachers and leaders work and plan in isolation. Very few of them offer assistance and collaborate. Some principals, assistant principals, and teacher support staff are threatened by teachers that demonstrate initiative and highly effective performance.
The hardest part of the job is knowing that school leadership is not meeting the needs of students effectively and accepting that there is nothing you can do about it. Some principals accept suggestions from teachers and make necessary changes but many do not.
The most enjoyable part of the job is working with children. There is fulfillment is seeing a child develop a skill or obtain knowledge. They express excitement when learning new things.

Working at Baltimore City Public Schools is hard. But, it's hard because it's meaningful work that should be taken seriously by all who do it. I love working for City Schools because I love working with my children. I think the idea of educating children on a topic with which you have expertise is the best job ever. 
I am a high school English teacher with City Schools. Now, I will be real with you, my days are long, my students are often difficult to work with, and my BOSS could use a course on public relations... but, my kids are worth it. 
The hardest part of working with City Schools is dealing with North Ave. (the school board). They are the ultimate in "management issues", but it's possible to work around them. Most people complain because of credential issues or when submitting achievement units for a raise in pay. Other than that, you should be fine. 
The best part... the children... and the money. Our starting salaries are higher than any other county in Maryland ($50,201, I think). The highest-paid teacher in City Schools, without a specialized declaration, makes just over $102,000. There are limited opportunities for upward mobility because everything is on building relationships. But, it's possible and you should always do what's best for you. 
Ultimately, if you are a teacher... committed to the education and the process of learning, then you will find no better group of students than the 84,000 we have in Baltimore City. If you want to provide instruction and believe you would be the best candidate for the job, then City Schools is the district for you.

Early arrival 7:30 a.m.-student’s transition from breakfast to instruction, which includes the 4 content areas and one of the following resource classes: library, PE, computer, and art with a lunch break somewhere in-between. Then during mid- afternoon dismissal, the students transition from last period class to home. Some teachers/ administrators remain after school for about another hour or two to plan the arrival of students the next day and/or conduct afterschool programs. I have learned that it takes a great deal of planning and preparation outside of the daily routine of school to be an effective teacher and leader. I have found management to be too bogged down in paper work with little time to interact with staff to support effective staff instructional development. I find the co-workers eager to find ways to help build students' achievement and to collaboratively work with their peers. The hardest part of the job is spending too many hours outside of the routine day to prepare for the daily instructional day, which includes spending your own funds sometimes to make it happen successfully. Many times, your personal life suffers. I find the most enjoyable part of the job is when you can almost see a light bulb turn on in a student's head once he/she has acquired a skill or a new teacher who has strengthened her class management skills and feeling secure in implementing her instructional day.

Teaching is an amazing vocation.  You get to see the difference you make in a child's life in real time.  The problem arises in the leadership and management of the schools specifically the administrators and the higher up North avenue counterparts.  If you're wondering, whats wrong with the world, it starts with the schools failing the kids at the administrative level. There is no leadership, no consistency in how problems are dealt with, no discipline and the schools operate barely above anarchy.  Students are allowed to do pretty much anything and as a teacher you are left to deal with classroom incidents (fights, students leaving the classroom), classroom management and somehow still teach a lesson in the process. The training that all new teachers receive is outdated and does not prepare you for a modern classroom. This is why there are less and less career teachers.  Not because people don't want to be teachers and make the impact that they believe a teacher can make; its that good teachers get broken down by the environment they are in and receive little to no help.  Teachers get burnt out, leave, and then many ex-teachers feel guilty for leaving because they think they are letting down their students but it was killing them literally. 

A typical work day begins early in preparation for students' arrival. Depending on how well a school is run, the day's schedule can run smoothly or be quite hectic and overwhelming. Lessons would run rather smoothly lest there be a major discipline issue. Planning and lunch periods were often used as a cool down period and preparation time for the remaining classes if meetings were not being held. Management did not offer adequate curricular support, but did their best to maintain proper disciplinary support as there were several challenging students in the student body. It is always a pleasure to commune and collaborate with my co-workers as we motivated one another, shared ideas and resources, and sympathized on those overwhelmingly tough days. The hardest part of this job is maintaining a family and personal life as I am often physically, emotionally, and mentally (as well as proper healthy habits) drained from a day's or week's work and often bring work home. As well, being treated less than respectful by both students and administration is very tough to deal with, particularly when it happens more often that not. The most enjoyable part of this job is building new friendships through colleagues I've met over the years. Having holidays and the summer off (as well as being paid during these times) is also a plus.

I work as en employee at an elementary/middle school working with special ed students. From day one it was bad. No one knew when I would start or who would supervise. On arrival I was just placed in a class room. There was very little learning taking place. There was none of the basic necessities like internet, paper, pencils or books available. I tried to find work for the students but was met with the unavailability of paper to print the work. I was transferred to work 1:1 with a student with behaviors and eloped with 1 day notice and no training. The school days turned in to full time daycare days. The kids spent full days watching Disney movies. It was extremely frustrating to see kids with so much need get nothing but a building to be in all day.  The children did not learn because the staff are not given the tools they need to make it happen. Then you are expected to provide everything on the coins they pay you. The pay rate is more but more pennies is not enough. As an employee you are required to sign in and out on time or you are written up no questions. I have worked in other counties and this is just ridiculous for school staff. Why are you on the very people that hold it together for these children over 15 minutes that did not affect instruction? The level of micromanaging is ridiculous. Come here if you would like just understand you will be responsible pretty much everything.

I have worked for Key Risk Management since 2007. I started as a Med-Only adjuster, handling workers comp cases that were minor in status (and did not require in depth file handling and with the injured worker still working at a full capacity). These claims were in the Baltimore Public Schools Unit. I was later promoted to Lost Time Adjuster, and this position was in the Baltimore City Police Unit, and it helped mold me into the hardnose, determined, valuable and professional adjuster that I am now. The Police Unit is tough, and consist of many task from managing the injured worker's lost time (while out of work), to discussing files at police meetings in front of police officials, risk management staff and the city legal team. I absolutely loved this! My coworkers were helpful, and came from all different types of workers comp companies and from different cultures....all working for one cause and that was getting the injured worker back to work and making the city happy (from a cost containment stand point and thus saving the city money)! My goal was to make sure I did the best that I could do on every file, and be satisified with the product I worked on for the client.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Teacher 19 salaries reported	$71,256 per year
Elementary school teacher 109 salaries reported	$59,611 per year
Educator 3 salaries reported	$63,332 per year
English teacher 8 salaries reported	$58,370 per year
Special education teacher 4 salaries reported	$69,980 per year

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