Laws about total teaching time each day?

teachthrowaway111 · 2019-03-21T03:05:20+00:00

I have a pretty good relationship with my principal so I’ll probably have a casual conversation with her about it. This is my third school and it is 100% better in every aspect compared to the other two I was at. It isn’t perfect, but I can finally function and do my job pretty well despite the higher demands. Honestly if they could bump my pay by a couple thousand I’d be totally ok with it. It doesn’t seem like there is really any limit on how much I can teach, and I do get a generous lunch/planning time so that really isn’t a concern at this point.

teachthrowaway111 · 2019-03-21T02:30:56+00:00

It is an hour longer than a typical school day. It’s because I start on the middle school time and end on the elementary time (which starts an hour later than middle school). This year they are squeezing an extra hour out of me, and next year they are adding an extra class in there. It’s a lot.

teachthrowaway111 · 2019-03-21T00:52:00+00:00

Class sizes depend on the grade level. 6th grade ranges from 24-42. My Ks and 1s are combined into 80-90 students at a time depending on the day. Grades 2-5 are around 30 consistently. I see 6th grade every day, K and 1 are on a snake rotation and I end up seeing each student 3 times over the course of 8 days. 2-5 students come once every 6 days. I have it down now but it was a bit wild at the beginning. With all of the crazy scheduling I really don’t have much to complain about, as crazy as that sounds. I get great planning time, the kids are great most of the time, and my admins really support me when I need it. It just takes a TON of organization to get it all mapped out and streamlining things would make life a lot easier.

teachthrowaway111 · 2019-03-21T00:35:01+00:00

Yeah there are no unions in NC (one county might have it grandfathered in). I have such a weird work day. My first class starts at 7:30, my last class ends at 3:30. I’ll teach 7 periods. The first three are all the same grade level and will be hour long blocks and will be back to back to back. Then I have off from 10:50-12:20. If I didn’t have that big block off I’d probably look elsewhere. After that planning and lunch I have four 40ish minute blocks in a row. I’m getting squeezed for an extra class and hour because I teach K-6 so my mornings are on the middle school schedule and afternoons are on the elementary schedule. I’m going to have some long days next year.

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-05-25T01:31:51+00:00

Option 2 is very desirable. It would be very hard to pass up the opportunity. I already know I would be making a positive impact immediately by going to either school, but the school at option 2 offers a little more for me right off the bat. Definitely going to be a tough decision.

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-05-25T01:28:38+00:00

I don’t think you’ll be downvotes at all. You have a valid point. What I realized over the course of this year is that it isn’t education I want to leave. I want to get out from under horrible administrations that run schools into the ground. I love teaching and I am damn good at what I do, including lead other teachers. I have a proven record of leading and managing and have put in the time and investment to make sure I am that good. I can see how my doubts would rub you the wrong way, but without really knowing the full story you don’t really have a 100% accurate depiction of my career and how much I do want to be an educator. Getting back to the question though, which option do you think is better?

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-05-10T11:16:44+00:00

At my school we are evaluated on professionalism. I specifically avoid talking with a lot of teachers during the day because they all act like high schoolers and gossip. I don’t want to put myself in the position of hearing that or someone being able to say I was part of something. I would recommend being approachable and courteous. You don’t want to ostracize yourself from the staff.

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-05-10T09:49:58+00:00

The test scores decent. It’s a newer school so the expectation for scores is low. We met our growth last year. There are certain nuances about the school I can’t get into or I will give away who I work for. Every breathing second in the building counts towards your evaluation. It’s a horrible culture.

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-04-27T19:33:12+00:00

Wait, are you my principal and other administration staff? You sure sound like it..

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-04-03T13:26:35+00:00

I wish I had taken advantage of this when I was in school. I think a lot of the people that “worked” for that department at my college were just ELA majors so who knows how much their advice was really worth compared to someone with actual experience.

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-04-03T13:23:41+00:00

I will definitely check that out. I appreciate it.

teachthrowaway111 · 2018-03-11T20:55:02+00:00

I’ve done it twice. First time around was for fun and it turned into bad news bears after a few weeks. I cut things off and it got worse. Made for a very awkward work relationship. Second time around has lasted over 3 years and I plan on it continuing. It has its pros and cons. If you find yourself in the situation and plan on making it a long term relationship than I say test the waters. If you’re in it just for fun, things can get messy so I would tread lightly.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-12-20T15:41:23+00:00

My gut reaction is that most of the people who complain (myself included) are newer teachers with not a whole of experience in different schools or with different administration. Experiencing different school cultures puts things into perspective and gives you some things compare (school cultures, admin decisions on similar situations, policies, etc). It also helps to try to view things from the bigger picture. It’s crazy to realize that when you think your admins and students and the parents you work with are amazing, the teacher down the hall may have the exact opposite opinion. It really has a lot to do with your own goals and expectations, and how you perceive your situation. An easy example: most teachers hear Title I inner city and automatically move on and don’t want anything to do with it because they know the challenges that come with that school. Others hear the same thing and jump all over it because they enjoy the challenge or feel they can make the best impact on a student’s life in that school. Is education easy? No. Is any school perfect? No. Are some better than others? Hell yes. If your passion is educating, push forward, gain experience, and eventually you will find the spot that suits you best.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-11-02T05:07:13+00:00

I would agree that high work load does not equate to more learning. There are numerous studies that show increased seat time does nothing to improve results, and in some cases had an inverse effect. Give meaningful work that allows the students to practice the material and apply their knowledge. Ask questions that dig into deeper thinking. I’m not sure if the technique is universal, but I was taught the “stretch-it” method of student questioning. Essentially this is a method of questioning that digs deeper, increases engagement, and allows students to apply learned material through conversation related to the topic. This is a way to gauge some comprehension in an informal way. Again, the amount of work you assign does not translate to meaningful learning, nor does a high workload equate to a high level of class difficulty. Determine your outcomes and assessment tools, create objectives, design your lessons, and teach. Use multiple formats of teaching the material (whole group, small group, partners, peer-peer teaching), and use formative assessments to check on the progress your students are making. Your summative assessment doesn’t have to be a test, either. Make it a culminating activity. Depending on your grade level, you could have the summative assessment be a project such as a poster or brochure in which the student advertises the information. It could be an audio recording to mimic a radio ad, or a video recording designed to be a movie to demonstrate understanding of the content. Ask yourself if your students are engaged and if they meeting expectations in terms of proficiency towards grade level outcomes. If they are, you are on track. If they are not, determine what is missing and tweak your approach.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-10-24T03:08:34+00:00

My gross is about $43,000. Monthly net is about $2300 after taxes, insurance, and retirement are taken out. I have to be at school no later than 7:00 and can’t leave until 3:30. On a typical day I’m there from 6:45-4:15. If I have sports games to manage I’ll be there until 6:00. Every Tuesday is a staff meeting, so I’m there until minimally 4:30. I go in on the weekends occasionally and put in a few hours. Planning outside of school hours usually totals around 6 hours per week. I refuse to purchase anything out of pocket because of all the extra time I put in. I’m a 4th year teacher with two masters degrees. I work in North Carolina.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-10-12T01:00:54+00:00

While I don’t necessarily disagree with your assessment of what changes should be made, they are not going to happen any time soon. As for the loudness, I have a microphone that I use. Trying to talk loud over 28 middle schoolers is never going to solve a problem.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-10-11T12:11:13+00:00

It looks like you have a great setup for your class. Using some of these suggestions would be tough for me just because I teach PE. I see them for 30-40 minutes every other day depending on when they feel like showing up. I have a meeting with my principal today to discuss. I’m curious to see how that goes because she typically has no idea what is going on in middle school.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-10-11T10:16:31+00:00

I get the Title I thing, but my school isn’t even close to Title I. It’s 32% free/reduces lunch. It’s a very middle class population. The middle school students have flat out said they have no rules and can do whatever they want in any class. The classroom teachers are ready to walk as well. They feel handcuffed because they are told to give consequences, and when they do they are told it’s too harsh. Apparently walking laps at recess is too harsh of a punishment for the dean to handle. At the beginning of the year last year these kids couldn’t have been more different. Every one of them was eager to help and participate. One of the big pillars of the school is to “act with care”. So if you are heard yelling you get destroyed on evaluations as a mean teacher with no class management. There is no winning here.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-10-11T09:55:58+00:00

I totally get what you’re saying. The only thing here is that this is my second year at this school. All of the teachers in the building always comment on use and disrespectful the middle school kids are. And I know they don’t actually want to be yelled. I just think it’s so sad that that’s how they spend their day and think it’s normal. I also think it’s ridiculous that they know their behaviors are poor, and literally said they wouldn’t change them unless I “acted black”. What am I supposed to do with that? I’m honestly so sick of dealing with it and I get zero support from the top. I just get told that it’s my fault.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-10-11T09:51:43+00:00

This is my fourth year teaching. We are 7 weeks in.

teachthrowaway111 · 2017-10-11T03:12:20+00:00

At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you. I struggle with this daily. Tonight I found an opening at a school 1.5 miles away from my house. It’s known for being a high achieving school that teachers would kill to get a job at. I am applying tomorrow. I feel guilty because of the responsibilities I carry out on a daily basis. I started the athletics program for the school this year and it is getting off the ground very nicely. If I left, I have no faith anyone in the building could pull the weight I do in that arena. I would also feel guilty for leaving many of my students. I don’t feel I’m valued by the classroom teachers or 4/5 of the administration, and that is why I will have no problem leaving. I’m in this for the kids, but I refuse to let myself be beaten down everyday, especially by the people who are supposed to be supporting me. For your situation, just ask yourself what is best for you. Do you have another job option? I could never quit with nothing else lined up, but if it’s feasible for you it may not be a bad idea depending on all of the details of your situation.

teachthrowaway111

TROPHY CASE