Things You Don't Learn About Teaching Until You're Teaching

I Had No Clue
Believe it or not the college education system does not prepare you in so many ways for being a teacher, so very many ways. This post is about a few awkward situations I've experienced due to my utter lack of previous knowledge on the situation.

I want my money back.

1.) The standing.
      Teachers never sit, ever. We don't sit during assemblies, we don't sit during extra curricular activities, we definitely don't sit when we're teaching and we don't sit during morning/afternoon duty. Even when I'm coaching I feel guilty if I sit down.

Do your feet hurt? Mine do.

2.) The many, many, many meetings.
      Swear to you not teachers have to meet for everything with everyone. And there are so many different types of meetings (parent, teacher, student, coaching, principal, department, team,discipline . . .) and people are always willing to reschedule just in case you can't make it.


The birth place of multi-tasking.

3.) The Paperwork.
     Before you decide on anything or finalize anything there is paperwork to be done. Honestly I have four different copies and versions of just my weekly lesson plan and each format exist for a specific reason. Have to write up an incident infraction better prepare the documentation, wait you don't have documentation just let the kid slide this time.

This is my desk, you don't even want to see my filing cabinet.


4.) The Copy Machine.
      There are rules to the copy machine, even more rules if you actually have a copy clerk. Make sure you refill the paper tray before you leave, don't e-mail in a copy job - we know convenient for you, but heaven help if you interrupt another teacher's job, don't leave your copied papers in the tray and if you break the copy machine just take off the rest of the day. You'd think these rules are common sense, but then you'd be wrong.

No one every considers the copy machines feelings.

5.) Each Different Grade has its own Personality.
     True story. Every graduating class has a different personality than the rest, some classes are known for being super competitive, other irresponsible and some uber smart. Even if you don't teach every grade you have to know the difference because you will interact with every grade in your school at one point. Don't believe me, my first interaction with 7th graders was interesting . . . as interesting as the smell that goes along with 7th grade boys.

I just love this, students and teacher.

Any other observations I missed my fellow study buddies?What about those of you who don't teach what did you learn about your job that no school could have taught you? Any solutions to help with the copy machine or paper work chaos?