12/05/11 05:43 - ID#55657

Private schools

So this is my first year teaching in a private school. It's always interesting when I tell people where I teach to see their reaction. Generally, people either look really impressed or like I just told them I recently found out I have a terminal illness. It bothers me that some people's minds automatically go to "private school = no retirement/terrible pay/awful place to work/you must be miserable". Actually I'm not that miserable. Other than the fact that I feel like a new teacher while teaching the younger kids since I haven't done it since 2005, I'm actually pretty happy there. It's been interesting comparing it to public school teaching. Honestly, other than the $ aspect and a couple other minor things, private schools definitely come out on top. It's nice to not worry about budgets or state standards or curriculum mapping and to actually focus on teaching. Plus class sizes are way more manageable and make it possible to really focus on individual kid's needs. (I sound like a commercial) Plus we get a lot more days off than public schools and we're finished about 3 weeks earlier. I'll gladly take enjoying my job and making less money than the other way around. Any day!

The whole world of private schools is new to me in general. I always went to public school and so did all of my friends. I think we all turned out okay, but it makes me wonder if I would be more of a leader, more confident, etc. had I gone to a private school and had more opportunities. Who knows? Anywho, just wanted to put that out there. Did any of you go to private schools? What's your take on them?

metalpeter writes at 06:53:38 12/05/11 - Comment #66591: I didn't go to a Private School but I almost did it was one of my choices.... I think that there are advantages and disadvantages to both.....

Say you struggle a bit as a kid in the school well since people pay to go there that makes them only as strong as the weakest kid so see ya by been nice knowing you... This also ties into the name and the rep of the school....

Now the advantage is that since you pay everyone wants to be there.... Well or at least that is true of the parents... But see that also Raises the bar a bit... Since the parents Pay You have to do a great job....

But see there is more to that then just education.... Not saying everyone in private schools have great families and lots of money and are white... I'm sure that there are students who are different.... But I think kids learn more about the world when they have the melting pot of cultures, money and family types in a public school.....

tinypliny writes at 06:23:02 12/05/11 - Comment #66587: I went to a private elementary and primary school for the first 5 years. They totally beat the crap out of me all the time. My knuckles were always bruised. I remember always been punished for something or the other because I always got into fights with boys my size. The teachers were all either brits or anglo-indian nuns with varying levels of crazy.

The result was I knew 20X20 tables by heart, my cursive and print handwriting were like.. well print, I had read some Shakespeare plays and started to read Agatha Christie on the sly by the time I was in 5th Standard (~grades here). Worst was my parents always supported all the knuckle/ruler raps. So I completely HATED it all. It was like the modern Oliver Twist torture school.

But it ALL went downhill (or uphill as I viewed it then) from then onwards.

I remember being extra relieved to get out after those 5 years and go to a semi-private (25% funds came from govt. aids, it's called a "govt. aided private" school back home. Let's just say my tables memory dropped to 10X10. Other things were equally mediocre as well. But my parents were more interested at that point in having me learn to read and write 3 more national languages, which I did. Also picked up some extraordinary company, got into heavy metal and rebellion. It was altogether a change from the crazy nuns. But I liked it.

I have never been in a completely public school so maybe my perceptions are not very balanced. To me the 25% public schooling system meant more freedom and diversity and the private schooling was rigid, structured according to very british concepts and altogether a somewhat crazy memory.