Readers' Survey 2007: Hottest Topic in the Teachers' Lounge
Edutopia readers weigh in on their favorites.
by Edutopia Staff
Credit: Getty Images
Testing
It is tempting, at first, to feel sorry for the handful of teachers who responded to this question by saying they don't have a teacher's lounge. (As one wrote, "There isn't time for it.") A closer read of all the responses provides a twist. This is indeed a story about haves and have-nots, but in this version, it is the have-nots who should be envied. The litany of sorrows up for discussion in the lounge -- gangs, discipline, lack of student motivation, "how the district is going down the tubes," and a broadly felt "testing, always testing, testing that never ends and sucks the soul out of education" -- makes it hardly surprising that one teacher advised, simply, "Don't go there."
Our Take
This Old Teacher's Lounge
It isn't enough, or even fair, to suggest removal of the teacher's lounge as a way of helping educators avoid obsessing about the pains and pitfalls of their demanding jobs. Instead, we propose an extreme makeover of this vital space.
Architectural Digest has never featured a teachers' lounge, but because we are fantasizing, the sky's the limit. We suggest adding a row of massage chairs, flower arrangements changed twice a week, a high-end Bose sound system (or even a resident string quartet), and a high-def flat screen TV (so "The Young and The Restless" can divert us from the young and the restless).
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2007 Readers' Survey Home Page
Teacher Lounges
Submitted by Neal Schopick (not verified) on September 21, 2008 - 15:26.
I agree about the negativity but I think they are also very important. I think listening to others, sharing problems, working on solutions, etc. is important.
This is my first year
Submitted by DK (not verified) on May 27, 2008 - 18:34.
This is my first year teaching and the only time I've been in the teacher's lounge was to get the eggs out of the refrigerator for the egg drop contest during family science night. There is no time during the day to sit and chat.
Stay out of the teacher's lounge
Submitted by VP (not verified) on July 16, 2008 - 13:50.
I was appointed a mentor for a first year teacher this past school year and I advised her to STAY OUT of our teacher's lounge. For some reason at my school, such negative people dwell in that lounge, and even if you are just running through to use the bathroom, the negativity in the room seems to bring you down. Whenever I said something to try and pick these negative people up, they would make comments like, "What are you so happy about?", "Oh, you have energy because you are young" or "wait until you have kids." I really get upset when people say things like this to me. Granted, I don't have children of my own yet, but I can't imagine that when I do I'll be that negative about teaching and education. I believe it is good to talk with collegues, but I think maybe a teacher should take into consideration who those collegues are. I feel it is a good idea to stay close with your positive collegues who can help you grow as a teacher instead of making everyone around them miserable!
Wow...
Submitted by Christina B. (not verified) on May 20, 2008 - 13:46.
I think if our teacher's room looked like the one in the image on the page I'd visit it more often. Granted our teacher's room is nice enough but I feel I can get more work done right in my own classroom. I don't think I have ever had time beyond my first year teaching to just visit the teacher's room just because. My school did really make our room nice recently painting it a nice calming blue and adding chairs and tables but I'm lucky enough to have my own room. Besides that, everyone in the teacher's room is busy on the computer or making copies, etc. I guess it's a nice place to go and hide if you want to be low key.
Teacher's Lounge
Submitted by Megan Kilgore (not verified) on May 19, 2008 - 17:07.
During my first year of teaching I visited the teachers lounge often. It was a great place to chat with my fellow teachers and hear about their day. I could run my problems by several teachers and gain support or new ideas. I love the teachers lounge. However, this year I have not frequented the lounge so much. I found I liked to eat lunch in my classroom so I could work on other things. This got to be to lonely, so I have started to go back on a few days a week. It is nice to visit with other teachers and it is sometimes nice to have the piece and quiet of my classroom.
A lot of the teachers in the lounge do complain about one thing or another, but usually we guide each towards solutions or resources to help. Not so much gossip anymore, which is really nice. I tried not to get involved with that.
Teachers Lounge
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 28, 2007 - 14:26.
I feel that teachers are too busy sometimes and that it is true that many of them do not even go in there because they are too busy with everything else.
Teachers lounge
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on September 29, 2007 - 15:30.
Who has time to be in the teacher's lounge? Haven't been there is years and I don't think my school has one anymore!
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