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I recommend you check out the Lifetime Learning Center at view link

They are looking for instructors to bring new offerings to their curriculum.

I have been an instructor there for 4 years now and it's a wonderful opportunity to work with engaged and engaging participants.

Instructors are not paid, which keeps the cost of classes down for participants (age 50+). You can create your own class and teach with no restraints. They will provide photocopying for handouts, etc.

This is the kind of freedom and pleasure in teaching we all look forward to!
Nancy

I am happy to join your group. I have been teaching since the mid-seventies and am credentialed in Illininois and California.

I currently teach middle school in Southern California. I teach 8th grade language arts and an intervention reading program. In addition, I am the moderator of the ASB and conduct a zero period leadership class.

When I am not in the classroom, I am somewhere directing children's treatre. Right now, I am directing GODSPELL with a cast of about 60 3rd through 8th graders.

I love to read (today it is Michael Crichton's new book, "Next").

I also enjoy traveling very much. Last summer was London and Paris. Next summer will be Daytona, New York and Atlanta. In addition, I take my 8th grade to Washingtonc DC and Williamsburg, VA every June.

I look forward to talking with you about areas of common interest.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!

Hi everyone. I am new to eons and knew I would find a group of teachers. We do seem to flock together -- can't be that we are all just a few fries short of a happy meal can it?

After spending 20 years in the corporate world and being downsized, I went back to college (thanks to government programs for dislocated workers and voc-rehab) and became a High School teacher. I teach Freshmen English and have for 7 years now. I LOVE it. I should have done this many years ago. Everyone asks why I don't teach other grade levels as I have been at the same school long enough to pick and choose my classes. I tell them that these kids change the most in those nine months. They come to me in August as immature Jr. Highers and leave at the end of May as true High Schooler. Their growth and maturety in that short time is amazing. I not only teach students with low reading and writing skill, I also teach Pre-AP. Plus with the new state testing this is the year they need a good teacher to make sure they have the basics in their little heads to help them pass it. My students' test scores are the highest with the most percentage passing on the first go-around.

I teach in an area which is in the middle of large growth and demographic change. We are going from a small poor rural farming town to an affluent suburb of Phoenix. When I began at this school 4 years ago, we had 75 freshmen and I was the only freshmen teacher. We now have 300 freshmen and three freshmen teachers.

I would be interested in knowing how other states handle teacher retirement money (especially OR or WA states as I am looking to move there soon).

I would also love to share ideas about teaching literature to students who hate to read.

:) Witch

I'm a 5th grade teacher in Ohio (have taught 5th grade for 30 years) and all in the same school. I love my job and will probably work 5 more years to get the bump up in retirement. I would love to "chat" with any fellow or former teachers. Especially to get and share ideas.

I hope everyone has had a restful and wonderful Christmas vacation and isn't dreading too much the return to the grind on January 2nd!

Hi,
I was just goofing around and found this group. Count me in. Been teaching middle schoolers for 32 years now - this is my last. I have been in my current school for 29 years. I'm not the oldest person there, but have been there the longest, so I'm the "old lady" on the staff. Principals you say? I've been through 9 principals and 11 assistants. Some were good, many were bad. Last two were two of the best...makes me last year easier.
By the way, I've always said you have to be a little bit crazy to teach middle school - so be forewarned. LOL

you can take the teacher out of the classroom, but not the classroom out of the teacher. I'm always correcting people (silently so as not to start a fight) on their spelling and word usage. I retired after teaching for 23 years, but now work fulltime in a public library. I still work with handicapped adults 3 times a week, so I keep my hand in. It's nice to leave work at the end of the day and not have work to take home.

I've never been a member of anything like this before - but the messages I read convinced me that I should give it a try.
Are there any other high school choral directors out there? It would be fun to compare notes (ha ha) on all we do with our groups.
It's a pleasure to join you.
Cluny

I was undecided about joining this group because prior to becoming a principal (with principles), I was a grade 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7th grade (biology) teacher. I decided to join to defend me and my fellow principals.

I loved teaching, but in WI the money is in administration. I was one of those that took as many opportunities as I could to get back into the classroom (many times not calling a sub because I KNEW I could do a better job). The subbing took me back to the reality of what education was supposed to be about.

I still do a little subbing in my retirement years, but have found the second career of a lifetime; transfering new cars from one branch to another for a major rent-a-car company.

My wife still teaches and keeps me grounded (as she did when I was administration).

Good Morning All...

It looks as though someone opened this group but didn't post a message which means I'm the first and only one here?!!

This could be a wonderful networking group, so I hope those of you out there currently teaching or retired will hurry up and join! We can ALL learn from each other no matter how many years you have under your belt, no matter what level or area you teach!! 8-)

Sooooooo, I'm gonna welcome myself here and wait on you!!

Cheers,
Leigh
(aka Seaturtlelady)