january filers!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Well, I just checked, but no - nothing! Not that I'd expect anything

[greeneyedgirlfl 0]

Well, I just checked, but no - nothing! Not that I'd expect anything

But it seems to happen when you least expect it!!!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

True!

As a side-note, I can't believe it's March already!

I swear time moved a lot slower when I was a child.

[KitEEgirl 0]

Time was going much faster until I saw January approvals! I now keep thinking.. "are we there yet?"

True!

As a side-note, I can't believe it's March already!

I swear time moved a lot slower when I was a child.

[SMASHROX 0]

No news to report here on my end in London. Counting down the days until I see Aidan so I can at least stop worrying about this process for a few days!!!

[Sal and Jay 2]

No news here either

[TRELAWNY PARISH 10]

True!

As a side-note, I can't believe it's March already!

I swear time moved a lot slower when I was a child.

It does move slower. That's why you're suppose to enjoy childhood.

[greeneyedgirlfl 0]

Time goes by so fast...I'm trying to finish my National Boards for teaching and the portfolio is due before I go to England at the end of the month...running out of time...

[Alex & Rachel 78]

True!

As a side-note, I can't believe it's March already!

I swear time moved a lot slower when I was a child.

It does move slower. That's why you're suppose to enjoy childhood.

B-b-but I hated school and suffered from years of sinus headaches!

The rest was pretty good, though.

There are many things I used to do that I wish I still did now, like read and draw a lot.

greeneyedgirlfl - good luck! I am full of admiration for teachers, you're all overworked and underpaid and do a very valuable job.

[TRELAWNY PARISH 10]

True!

As a side-note, I can't believe it's March already!

I swear time moved a lot slower when I was a child.

It does move slower. That's why you're suppose to enjoy childhood.

B-b-but I hated school and suffered from years of sinus headaches!

The rest was pretty good, though.

There are many things I used to do that I wish I still did now, like read and draw a lot.

greeneyedgirlfl - good luck! I am full of admiration for teachers, you're all overworked and underpaid and do a very valuable job.

So, TRUE! It took me a while to get adjusted to school in the states. That was back in 1979. When I came to Washington, D.C. the teachers were on strike. When I did start school I was a total cultural shock. The kids spoke back to the teachers and had no respect for them at all. Of course, I was always the teachers pet.

[greeneyedgirlfl 0]

True!

As a side-note, I can't believe it's March already!

I swear time moved a lot slower when I was a child.

It does move slower. That's why you're suppose to enjoy childhood.

B-b-but I hated school and suffered from years of sinus headaches!

The rest was pretty good, though.

There are many things I used to do that I wish I still did now, like read and draw a lot.

greeneyedgirlfl - good luck! I am full of admiration for teachers, you're all overworked and underpaid and do a very valuable job.

So, TRUE! It took me a while to get adjusted to school in the states. That was back in 1979. When I came to Washington, D.C. the teachers were on strike. When I did start school I was a total cultural shock. The kids spoke back to the teachers and had no respect for them at all. Of course, I was always the teachers pet.

It seems like the workload gets bigger every year, but our paychecks don't reflect that...but I didn't go into teaching to make money, that's for sure...but I would like to make enough to live beyond just rent, food, and utilities...lately, with petrol, groceries, rent, and utilities going up in price more than my pay, it's difficult...but I have a job that I love, and I'm thankful for that...

[dbears 1]

True!

As a side-note, I can't believe it's March already!

I swear time moved a lot slower when I was a child.

It does move slower. That's why you're suppose to enjoy childhood.

There are many things I used to do that I wish I still did now, like read and draw a lot.

greeneyedgirlfl - good luck! I am full of admiration for teachers, you're all overworked and underpaid and do a very valuable job.

So, TRUE! It took me a while to get adjusted to school in the states. That was back in 1979. When I came to Washington, D.C. the teachers were on strike. When I did start school I was a total cultural shock. The kids spoke back to the teachers and had no respect for them at all. Of course, I was always the teachers pet.

It seems like the workload gets bigger every year, but our paychecks don't reflect that...but I didn't go into teaching to make money, that's for sure...but I would like to make enough to live beyond just rent, food, and utilities...lately, with petrol, groceries, rent, and utilities going up in price more than my pay, it's difficult...but I have a job that I love, and I'm thankful for that...

Do kids really talk back to teachers and have no respect there? Some of the teachers from here who are now working there have also reported the same, but most of them are in the florida, california and new york areas.. i don't know if that makes a difference.... and also, is it true that praying is prohibited in schools?

Anyway, KUDOS to you Dawn and to all the other wonderful teachers. I'm a business grad but i took units in special education and worked for a few months with children with autism and also those with ADD/ADHD. While I love being with special children, I don't have the patience for the recording part. I don't know if it is the same there but here there are just tons and tons of paperwork associated with teaching.

I'm hats off to teacher who have true passion for teaching and also have the patience for paperworks...

When I get there, I am hoping to find a way to work with special children without going into teaching... perhaps learn about other forms of interventions and do volunteer work. Here, all forms and methods of intervention programs for children with autism are being tackled in class discussions for teachers but only in theory. In reality, the few schools for special children here only use modified ABA (applied behavioral analysis) which I personally find very restrictive and aversive. My heart would always break when I see the regular teachers (the regular teaching staff at the special school i was with) forcefully restrain children when they have their so-called "tantrums" without addressing what may have caused the agitation... everytime, I would just turn around and force myself not to cry.

Now, if i could have the chance to learn and master some less aversive intervention program when i get there, i would surely bring it back home and share it with the schools for special kids here... well, i am rambling already

Good luck on the national board Dawn... gosh, your hands may be so full right now! That's GIRL POWER!!!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Teachers can certainly have a rough time here. Not just from the children, but also children's parents! There are few rights for teachers and you do hear some horror stories, and to be a good teacher you really have to have an extremely strong personality. It takes a special person to be a teacher; I could certainly never do it! Of course, I don't think everyone is cut out to be a teacher no matter how angelic the children are, but it seems a shame that unruly kids are almost expected at schools.

However, what my teacher friends/relatives have found the hardest is the sheer amount of paperwork and bureaucracy...I don't know how it is in the US, but it's almost impossible to do anything without first filling in a bunch of forms! My aunt taught special needs for several years before having her own children, and after her children were old enough to attend school themselves she tried going back to work - but in that short amount of time the paperwork had more than tripled. You can't lay a finger on a child - even if it's to help them, i.e. with a cut - without first filing a report.

[dbears 1]

Teachers can certainly have a rough time here. Not just from the children, but also children's parents! There are few rights for teachers and you do hear some horror stories, and to be a good teacher you really have to have an extremely strong personality. It takes a special person to be a teacher; I could certainly never do it! Of course, I don't think everyone is cut out to be a teacher no matter how angelic the children are, but it seems a shame that unruly kids are almost expected at schools.

However, what my teacher friends/relatives have found the hardest is the sheer amount of paperwork and bureaucracy...I don't know how it is in the US, but it's almost impossible to do anything without first filling in a bunch of forms! My aunt taught special needs for several years before having her own children, and after her children were old enough to attend school themselves she tried going back to work - but in that short amount of time the paperwork had more than tripled. You can't lay a finger on a child - even if it's to help them, i.e. with a cut - without first filing a report.

Paperworks! that's what i hate the most. Well, actually, it is the redundancy of the reports that i really hate.. you just have to keep repeating everything over and over again and i just don't have the patience for that.

Anyway, I hope we would see favorable movements with VSC and CSC today.

Good luck everybody.

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

How old are the children in your class, greeneyedgirlfl ?

I don't know what it's like in highschools and elementary schools, but I remember that when I went to study in the USA, the students at the university seemed a lot more involved than at my university in France. Here, half of the students don't care much about their classes and don't pay attention to the professor. Whereas in the USA, the students asked many questions to their professors, they also seemed to work more (at least during the classes). Maybe that's because universities are so expensive in the US, so people don't want to waste their money.

Though from what you're saying it seems that for 'younger' schools (highschool, ...) that's the opposite