Most teacher blogs out there seem to focus on the negatives of the profession: low pay, standardized testing, NCLB, discipline problems, etc. And though there will be a fair amount of venting on this blog too, I want to start on a more positive note and explain what I love about teaching in California.
1. Diversity – You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more diverse student population… we really have it all.
2. Strong Union – While I’m not exactly a fan of teacher unions, it is nice to know that the CTA will stick up for teachers when some bureaucrat who’s never taught before decides to put us through yet another loophole.
3. Diverse Districts – You can have your pick.. big, small, urban, suburban… the districts are as diverse as the students in them. You can, with enough perseverance, get the job you want.
4. Teacher Shortage – Well, in some fields, anyway. In others, you can be 1 in 50 applicants for the same job. But the prospects for teacher hiring in the future look good.
5. Good Teacher Prep. Programs – the Cal States generally do a good job at preparing you (as much as you can be prepared) for the job, if you apply yourself. How well prepared you’ll be depends a lot on you, but the opportunity to be ready is there.
6. Great Kids – I’ve taught in three different districts… two urban, one (my current one) suburban but with a high percentage of minority students. I’ve never left a district because of the kids, I can tell you that. Kids rock.
I can’t think of much else. But it’s a start. What do you like about teaching in California?
