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Job Title: Adult Education Teacher
Location: Waldorf, MD
Submitted on: 04-Mar-05
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| Adult Education Teacher |
I teach adult students in what is called a "Family Literacy" class.
All of my students must have minor children or responsibility for minor
grandchildren or siblings. I teach basic academic skills--reading,
writing, math--as well as basic life skills--map reading, using
measuring devices, interpreting doctor's instructions, planning a
budget, using banking services, etc. My students are for the most part
low-income adults whose educational opportunities were limited or whose
education was interrupted before they completed high school. Students
range in age from 16 to 65.
My job, like all of the teaching jobs in the adult education
department, is part-time and does not bring with it any insurance
benefits, vacation time, etc. For that reason, most of the staff are
either women whose husbands' jobs provide adequate income and insurance
coverage or retirees who have medical insurance and some income from
their retirement package. The job as teacher requires a college
degree, so that staff is a well-educated lot. Since the pay is not
outstanding, most of the people working as teachers are doing so
because they have a desire to help others and because the part-time
schedule suits their family responsibilities and other interests.
The dress code is fairly casual--I think I was asked to dress a step
or two above the blue jeans level, but not to present too much of a
polished professional appearance, which might be intimidating to some
of the students. The organizational culture is very supportive and
nurturing of both the students and the staff. Within the limits of our
budget constraints, every effort is made to provide staff members with
additional training and professional experiences that will enhance
their skills. Also, the management is very flexible in terms of
allowing leave for family emergencies, etc., and arranging for
substitutes when needed. Teachers are given a fair amount of autonomy
in the management of their classes. There are overall goals for
improvement of students as measured on standardized tests and overall
reporting requirements as required by the funding agencies, but beyond
that, paperwork is at a minimum.
My class meets during daytime hours, Monday through Thursday, from 9
am to 2 pm. I am given an additional hour each class day for
planning. Some classes meet in the evenings. Most classes meet only
twice a week for 2 1/2 hours at a time, so many teachers teach two or
three classes.
Opportunities for advancement within the organization are very
limited. Our growth is dependant on increased funding, which is not
expected to materialize in the near future. There are some
opportunities for advancement by moving to a community college to teach
the same types of skills to beginning community college students or to
students who need a remedial type course before entering credit classes
at the community college.
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