I am still transitioning from teaching at a small public junior high/high school to a small private elementary school. It has been quite a change. I definitely made the right choice moving on to a private school but I do dearly miss the students from the public school that I taught at for twenty years.
The public school system had become more and more frustrating to me for many reasons. I was in many leadership roles such as president of the union, member of a student assistant committee, etc. Each of these seemed to be less and less meaningful as the years progressed. Conforming to what the state required us, as teachers, to do was easily the most frustrating. There were more hoops to jump through, more paperwork, and more meetings but much less time for actual teaching. I did not become a teacher to make sure students could do a great job on standardized testing although it seemed that is all the state cared about. Yes, I did want the students to do as well as they could on these tests but there are many things that are not tested that need to be addressed by a school and especially a good teacher. Things like how to live the right way and how to treat people should be taught with a high degree of focus (the state should not have to mandate what they think is appropriate). Things that John Wooden instilled in his players/students are imperative for students to learn. None of these things are assessed by the state but are by the community and general public. In my opinion these things, like Wooden's "Two Sets of Threes" ,should be taught and massaged into every students head. I have been on my soap box long enough and this is entirely too negative. I do hope that public education is figured out. ALL kids deserve the best education they can receive!
On to private school! Many of the values that I have attached to being an excellent teacher are being taught on a daily basis at my current private school (and are not mandated by the state). I am not saying that I have not had some major adjustments to make but I feel I fit in at this school unlike any other. Mass twice a week and an elementary setting have been the two biggest adjustments for me. I am not saying they are bad adjustments, just adjustments from the public setting. Resources at the private school have been pretty much limitless. I recently told someone that if you can't teach to the best of your ability at this school then you should not be a teacher. I currently have a classroom set of iPads, a Smartboard, an air printer, an Elmo, and Apple TV to work with in my classroom. I feel comfortable saying that I have received, total dollars, more this year than in all of my years of teaching in the public school system combined.
Bottom line is that all kids are good and can be taught (find how out how they learn and do it) and being an educator is more rewarding than any other occupation I can imagine. Find what works with the kids and where you best fit, enjoy your job and smile, do your best everyday, and remember how lucky you are to be shaping lives!
