What do you do?

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 6:26 pm

I've been a teacher at a Catholic girls' school in New Orleans for five years now. I teach history, government, geography, etc. My job description seems to grow all the time. I'm now co-director of the choir, summer enrichment instructor, silent alarm contact, scheduler for all fall classes for students and teachers, and general fund-raiser. Last Friday was the senior-freshman party and as I schlepped pizza onto paper plates I thought, "and I went to college for this........"

Wouldn't trade it though.

Mr. Average · Post by **Mr. Average** » Thu Aug 26, 2004 7:13 pm

Pophead2k: My admiration for our work is beyond words. If you are even marginally good at what you do, you are a hero. Teachers are so completely screwed by a system of parents who demand superlative skills, up-to-date continuing education, the best pedagogical tools, and total devotion to your profession, while they vote down the necessary means to fund it...then blame the teachers for failing thier children.

Assholes.

I proved it to my wife. As we walked the neighborhood one fall evening to deliver fundraiser stuff we asked parents what GRADE thier kids were in at the local schools (we live between a junior high and an elementary school). While 90% of the mothers answered without pause, less than 50% of the fathers knew what grade their kids were in...they stammered and stumbled and either asked the wife or the kid. I crap you negative.

I have the highest regard for real Teachers, real Farmers, and real kids who grew up overnight without knowing it in Vietnam...then returned home to be shit on by their countrymen and women.

I hope it does not offend you to be in category with Vietnam Vets, but, Hey, those kids were living in hell right here on earth. To have judged them without having an inkling of understanding of the hell they lived is the epitome of cowardice, prejudice, and stupidity.

Gosh, I am really getting off track in my posts this evening.

"Yea. Good Teachers. It's like that..."

DrJ · Post by **DrJ** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 12:20 am

Gillibeanz wrote:Dr J: Whoh -where do you work? Anytime i've had to visit our casulty dept its always packed, and we have never ever waited less than 4 hours to be seen!!

I work in... London

Fear of stalkers, y'see, not gonna be specific!

Emergency medicine is my speciality and in the last 2-3 years the NHS has put a lot of money and resources into sorting out A&E's. The main policy that they are trying to implement is the four-hour target: when somebody walks into an A&E they have to be seen, treated and discharged or admitted within four hours. And by admitted, they have to be put in a hospital bed, not left on an A&E trolley. The department I'm in did this with 96% of its patients last week, not bad. This is a total turnaround from the irish system of 8-12 hour waits and stay on a trolley in a corridor for a day or two, which is what the NHS was doing until recently. I have to admit, the four-hour alternative is a much nicer working environment.

Some light reading:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndSta ... chk=Uafe6U
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndSta ... chk=Uafe6U

DrJ

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 2:44 pm

I'm the European credit manager for the healthcare arm of a large conglomerate.

selfmademug · Post by **selfmademug** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 4:34 pm

BWAP, that sounds like the chorus to a TMBG song.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 5:55 pm

"We're in a road movie to Berlin..."

senior_service · Post by **senior_service** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 9:45 pm

Well, I'm a husband and the father of three boys (one starts college in Sept, another starts kindergarten.....and those are the two oldest!).

I am the Accounting Manager for a division of a large aerospace company in Los Angeles.

'I just go to work each day, try to find a better way.........'

Anybody remember the song those lyrics are from?

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Fri Aug 27, 2004 10:17 pm

selfmademug wrote:BWAP, that sounds like the chorus to a TMBG song.

For it to be a proper TMBG song, it woould have to go:

"I'm the European credit manager
for the healthcare arm of a large conglomerate.
But I wish I was the Jacobean dreaded teenager
with a Sloth-Bear's charm being charged in a police state."

Boy With A Problem · Post by **Boy With A Problem** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 6:32 am

not bad.

I was going for a sort of "general manager of a large establishment" type thing ..... *

Good to see you back Mug! (if in fact you were ever gone).

* which now that I think of it, isn't really the lyric

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 8:35 am

DR J: Fear not - I have no intention of stalking you and holding you hostage while I go through my entire medical history to ask your advise!!

I must admit last time I had to go to casaulty they had introduced a nurse who you saw first to access the severity of your case - but nothing seemed to have sped up! I guess the process is slowed down a lot by timewasters who could wait to see their GP. Although having said that I cannot for the life of me see why anyone would want to go sit in casaulty for hours on end if they didnt have to!

Last time I had to go the nurse was very rude to me and told me I was a timewaster - bloody cheek! I think having them assist me cutting my toenails was an emergency!!!

Ha' Penny Millionaire · Sat Aug 28, 2004 7:35 pm

Trial lawyer. I stand accused!

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 1:57 pm

I'm a self employed toothbrush recycler.

Post by **DrSpooky** » Sun Aug 29, 2004 6:58 pm

Professional computer nerd of the PhD sort.

Thick glasses are no longer needed thanks to LASIK.

tallulah · Post by **tallulah** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 10:43 am

I'm a Super Admin!

Which means, administrative assistant to some big uppity-up's at a pharmaceutical company. It's okay. Gives me plenty of time to suft this here Internet and write on my blog.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 6:31 pm

I drive around France, sleep in a tent and wonder where to buy the next croissant. Oh shit, that's the wrong tense, should have used the present perfect continuous, and not have confused holiday with ... the other thing. I still have tomorrow off at home though! And then I [consults business card] am apparently a Senior Commissioning Editor. I think that means people employ me to be an anal pedant. The English language is my area of activity.

And in my other life, like Senior Service (I note with interest, cos it's a club), I'm a father of three sons and the husband of a woman who was born on August 25.

And I play online Fantasy Football. So far I've managed to do this for a paid rate of 3 pence an hour, but I'm working on it.