classroom teacher

teacher

elementary school teacher

school secretary

community manager

Prince Georges County Public Schools

1) My day starts at 7:15 am  and ends at 1:30pm for students, and at 2:40pm for teachers. My planning period is from 7:30 am to 8:00 am. I usually leave at the end of the day, anywhere from 4-6pm because I dont have time to finish planning, doing all the phone calls or paper work required.

2) I teach a group of 5th and 6th graders, then,I have lunch followed by catereria duty. Next, I continue teaching a group of 5th and 6th graders and back to my homeroom , followed by my afternoon duty. School ends at 2:40pm for teachers,  but I (an many other teachers) usually leave between 5-6:30  pm. 

3)Prince George's county has always had a placement for me because I have a Masters in Special Ed and I am bilingual. Also there many minority schools (with a large Latino population) that are in need of my services in different capacities.

4)  I'm fexible and adaptable to work in any setting. I have always enjoyed working with any type of students in any capacity (assessor, paraprofessional, teacher assistant and resource teacher).

5  My collegues have almost  always being teachers with lots of experience who have always been very helpful every time I start a new job.

6 My principal was able to manage the entire school effectively, from the beginning of the school year until last month - when she finally was able to get a new assistant principal. At the beginning of the year she had an assistant principal but she had to go on sick leave due to a chronic illness.

7 The secretaries in my present school are now have to work in a fast paced environment and take care of teacher request or questions at the same time. 

8)The hardest part of my job is to combine the special ed. paper work along with the additional teacher paper work including the Standards of Learning and the evaluations 4 times a year which most be aligned with the Common Core curriculum which is new to me this year.

9 Also, my school would benefit the children tremendously by having a computer lab,  Ipads, or enough supplies including more lap top computers.  We do not have that benefit as of today -there are a limited amount of lap top computers in each classroom.

10) The best part of my day is when see my students enthusiastic to learn, happy, and behaving according to the school expectations and mine. When this happens we all have a great day!

*I worked at PGCPS at the height of COVID and craziness, so take this with a grain of salt.*

Most teachers are really trying their hardest, and the same can be said about most principals. Unfortunately, most staff are shackled by constant changes in both procedure and curriculum. 

In many cases, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, so to speak. With so many people clueless as what to do, there are a lot of meetings and wasted time as a result. 

Future generations are going to be very difficult to teach. Most BoE members and several administrators are quite old and out of touch with reality. Classrooms are often stuffed to the brim with students. Schools are old and outdated, unless you live in a very wealthy area.

The modern student is constantly fighting to pay attention, but it is an uphill battle. Phones have shortened attention spans and have students expecting constant stimulation. This leads to behavioral issues in the class. Some teachers manage to craft great lessons, but often sacrifice their own personal time to do so. 

Often, if feels as though there is no time off and little support for when you're overwhelmed. 

Even teachers with decades of classroom management are beginning to struggle with the demands of a modern classroom. Many are retiring, while others are quitting or changing their profession. So a lot of teachers are brand new and forced to jump into the deep end of the pool of the education sector. In a job where it takes a village, having so many underexperienced workers leads to negative results. 

Now throw COVID into the mix. We have students who are entering middle school who were only in the 4th grade before social distancing started. Due to their lack of experience in a classroom setting, many struggle to stay on task; while others exhibit behavioral issues. It is a very hard time for new students. 

Again, nearly everyone I worked with meant well. The sad fact is that unless there is sweeping change in the way we look at education, things are going to get worse before they get better.

A typical day for me at work is challenging.  I am a Reading Specialist with a class load of four classes (grades 6-8).  I teach a reading program called READ 180, The Next Generation.  My schedule includes lunch duty in the morning.  In addition, I have collaborative team meetings  in the morning that I am required to attend.


Throughout my day, I've learned to organize myself in the morning before I do anything else.  Therefore, when I enter the workplace, I sign in and check my mailbox.  After that, I go to my classroom and set up my laptop and then read my emails.  If there is a task or activity that has been assigned to me, I begin to write a to do list and prioritize the tasks according to deadlines that must be met.  Once that is accomplished, I write my lesson on the board and place my lesson plan for the week on the door for the administrators to review.  I go over my lesson plan and begin to take out materials needed for my lesson.  Once that is done, I'm ready to receive my students and/or attend my collaborative team meeting.

The workplace culture where I work is very rigorous, fun and full of activities that are designed to reward and challenge students.  The most difficult part of the job comes into play with the rigor of having lesson plans that include differentiation, using technology (google classroom, etc) and incorporating interactive activities as much as possible in order to provoke critical thinking. In addition, it is difficult to give students individual attention due to large class sizes of over thirty students. 

Finally, the most enjoyable part of the job is capturing the attention of the scholars and answering critical questions that they have to broaden their knowledge base.  I am satisfied with the way management and the administrative staff handles day to day concerns in a timely manner and incorporating activities that include parent participation.  At the end of the day, it is a pleasure serving students and preparing them for a bright future.

I taught for the Prince George's County Public Schools from 2004 to 2013 as a contracted teacher and a substitute teacher.The Prince George's County Public School System is the second best school system in the state of Maryland. The school system has a culture of developing the abilities of the students in keeping with the core standards of the school district.
     The school system is an equal opportunity establishment. Employees are compensation in accordance with their qualifications and experience. Job security is good, depending on the school administration individuals teachers and staff are working with.
 Every day with the students was fun, although a few of them try to create problems for adult employees but when you accept that they are children, you correct them and let it go.
     Being around adolescents make the trained teacher to be humble. The teacher will always reflect on his or her life as a student, and this will prompt the teacher to mentor those that try to be difficult.
     Teaching makes every teacher a manager. Every day in the public school a teacher will have to deal with at least one hundred children with one hundred personalities, and it is the teacher's duty to manage their behavior, that is why every teacher is taught classroom management skills.
     In teaching, co-workers are always co-operative. Almost all teachers are taught group dynamics strategies.
     The hardest part of the job is when some administrators whose duties include maintaining discipline in and around the building fail to do their work, and because of their position will blame teachers, and will go as far as getting the school board to transfer, request resignation, or termination of teachers.
     The most enjoyable part of teaching is the satisfaction that the teacher is contributing to produce productive citizens for society. All teachers love to see their students succeed in life.

Every morning I am greeted with beautiful faces, students and staff, and parents! Being a part of each and everyone's child life is an honor of knowing I took part in educating their child. I've been working for PGCPS for 3 1/2 years and I have experienced positive encouragement from HR direction. 

I enjoyed working for the school system, but I need a more relaxed job at this point in my life, an online job is my best choice now. PGCPS own great staff and as I said, I loved to work here and people that I worked with they were good to work with. Flexible hours, always ready to help us, best management, job security, more opportunities to grow, Cooperative staff, but compensation is below the limit... This job required great communications skills but not with just the people you worked with, also the people you were serving.

Definitely, PGCPS is ripe for upgrade to a more 21st century paradigm for education. Physical facilities need upgrades. Outside of those major concerns, PGCPS is poised for growth. A very stimulating environment and system to work in and student and staff body that is diverse and talented. Management in PGCPS has been balanced and supervisors have been diligent in ensuring ideal school wide expectations and culture.

Dealing with the children is pretty difficult. But with teenagers and adults that work is a real joy! The culture of the building as a whole is lousy, but for a person with a bright personality it can be managed.

Disadvantage of my position here at PGCPS is that I am still temporary where I feel that I really need to advance…

A typical day starts with welcoming the students in class, circle time (music and movement, calendar time, reading of the classroom rules, message of the day and reading of word list), work time till noon. Then, lunch with the students for 30 minutes.  Then recess of students with the paraprofessional. Then afternoon work time till 2:15.  Then clean up time.  Next, specials by the students till 3:30. 2;35-3:30 is the teacher's planning time or collaborative meetings.  Lastly, dismissal by students till 4:15.  Teachers go home after dismissal.
I learned to manage my time productively and efficiently.  I learned to be flexible with my lesson plans for the day especially when my paraprofessional is out of school. 
My colleagues are very supportive of each other.  The atmosphere is like family who help each other and encourage each other positively.
The hardest part of the job is when there are so many changes that occur in a day which disrupts the routine of the students, therefore, chaos occurs.
The most enjoyable part of my job is the dynamism of my students ages 3 to 6 years old.  Everyday is a different day.  Lastly, when my 3 year olds grow and mature and leave the Kindergarten to go to first grade the sense of fulfillment is the best consolation a Montessori teacher can experience.

I am an educator and find my work very rewarding. A typical work day at my last place of employment begin for me at around 6:45-7:00am. I get to work head and head to my class room. I prepare my board with the date, lesson objective and any other pertinent information my students may need to have. At about 7:30am the bell rings and our students are allowed to enter the main building to begin their school day.

My students typically enter the building to find me standing at the door ready to greet. Many of the athletes and students i have in class will gather at my room as a meeting point, before heading to their first period class. I enjoy this interaction because I learn a lot about what went on during the previous night at home and in the neighborhood. 

I liked the camaraderie my colleagues and I shared. We worked as a team and often went out for drinks on Fridays after work. I was well liked by my principal and enjoyed a good relationship with him. I understood his management style and played my role well. 

Managing the various personalities of 1200 teenagers and and their parents was the most challenging aspect of my job. The most rewarding and enjoyable part of my job was engaging my students in the learning process and helping them value the importance of education. Nothing pleased me more then seeing teenage students excitingly run to me after receiving a good progress report or report cards. To say the least, I really enjoy teaching and working with kids.

I am usually the first to arrive at work (aside from the janitor and kitchen staff).  I spend the time preparing and making copies, answering emails/messages, and mentally preparing myself for another stressful day.  About 40 minutes after I arrive other teachers begin to show.  The children arrive at 7:30 and our day begins.  By 8:00 we can guarantee an unexpected schedule change, a sub who has not shown, or a meeting scheduled for which we are not prepared.  This is just the beginning of a day that usually does not go exactly as planned.

The day is fraught with behaviors for which, outside of the teachers own ingenuity, there is no consequence for.  Students who are supposed to receive services are not getting the proper help, and teachers are blamed.  More documentation, more paperwork, more demands.  Planning times are taken up with meetings; lunches are rushed; forget the bathroom.

By the day's end I am mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted.  I feel defeated, as if everything I do does not matter.  Parents don't care.  The children could care less.  And administration just throws more stuff on, never even showing appreciation for anything.  Resources are limited and each day becomes a repeat of the other.  Teachers are unmotivated, unhappy, and this toxic environment is spreading its poison to even those of us who try to remain positive, upbeat, and determined to make each day better than the last.  It's a losing battle.

As a substitute teacher, the staff is very easy, friendly and helpful.  The staff is highly educated and treat the children respectfully.  I immediately felt comfortable working with the school system my first day that I arrived.  Some of the children were a little unruly, however, the lead teacher would always have classroom control.  Sometimes the hardest part of my job was working with our special needs children.  When one child would get upset or act out, the other children would join them. You would have to take immediate control of the classroom.  The most enjoyable part of the job was the sparkle in their eyes when they would achieve things and liked being rewarded.  I loved their openness and honesty.  Each day was different, enjoyable, and your day would go by so fast.  I really loved substitute teaching!  I encourage others to substitute teach too.  It is a feeling you never will forget and knowing that you positively reached a child and helped them to learn new and exciting things.

  As I worked in the corporate world, I liked learning new things,  completing tasks, and getting ready for the next challenge.   I didn't like quick deadlines but I adjusted to it,  I would encourage myself to keep going, to stay focused and always do your best..

•Typical teacher work day
•Important to know your rights as a teacher
•Culture is parents first, then students, then management THEN teacher, in MOST situations (refer back to knowing rights).  
•You must be your OWN person with a strong personality, and voice, to last. Let your voice be heard. •TEACHING in urban schools is not for the WEAK, PERIOD! 

SUGGESTIONS: 

BALANCE  your job duties and responsibilities ASIDE FROM your personal life, esp. in Special Education, and you will succeed. Do NOT count on people having your back “just because”, again, find your voice and let it be heard-respectfully! Always be professional and humble but stand up for yourself.  Don’t wear your emotions on your sleeve. Don’t take everything personal. Do NOT take work home with you (use planning time wisely). If you MUST take something home, be realistic with YOUR time. Best practices says the task should not take more than 30 minutes to an hour to complete. This will save YOU as it relates to burnout.  (This is mainly for new teachers, smile. I’ve seenTOO MANY run away crying. Seriously.) 

JOIN and be ACTIVE in your UNION to learn and get support regarding YOUR rights. 

PGCPS has EXCELLENT BENEFITS!!!

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Classroom teacher 86 salaries reported	$83,532 per year
Teacher 4 salaries reported	$62,950 per year
Elementary school teacher 1 salary reported	$57,155 per year
School secretary 68 salaries reported	$27.22 per hour
Community manager 5 salaries reported	$112,627 per year

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