Teaching and Learning - What's in a School Day?
Reader N suggested these topics to discuss:
At my school we have three shared positions and I have a student whose parent is in a shared-position at another school. She agrees as do the teachers at my school that people in shared positions are giving the District time-and-a-half effort for half-time pay.
I have no problem with shared positions but I'm looking ahead at how that affects full-time teachers. Yes, we are working time-and-a-half as well but can we really compete with more rested teachers who often specialize: one teaching mornings (reading...) and one teaching afternoons(science, math)?
From a parent's perspective, I guess that would be the best wouldn't it? Two teachers specializing and both working 150%.
Also, what do parents think about a longer school day? I've had conversations at the primary and intermediate level with younger teachers who say they would probably work less hard if they had more time to actually teach kids. More contact time. As it is, we are rushing at elementary to get everything in that is called curricula these days. It seems to be the more veteran teachers who won't work without more pay. Me, I'm older, but I'd love to slow down a bit. That would solve a lot of problems for me.
I wish teachers would chime in on these kinds of issues as well as parents.
To which Reader Lynn said (and I think it's a valid point):
I'm not interested in a longer school day - unless that extra time is spent on recess, PE, art and music.
My question is about this statement:
It seems to be the more veteran teachers who won't work
without more pay.
Good for them. I suspect ALL teachers are doing more than what they are currently paid for. Why should they work more time without pay?
At my school we have three shared positions and I have a student whose parent is in a shared-position at another school. She agrees as do the teachers at my school that people in shared positions are giving the District time-and-a-half effort for half-time pay.
I have no problem with shared positions but I'm looking ahead at how that affects full-time teachers. Yes, we are working time-and-a-half as well but can we really compete with more rested teachers who often specialize: one teaching mornings (reading...) and one teaching afternoons(science, math)?
From a parent's perspective, I guess that would be the best wouldn't it? Two teachers specializing and both working 150%.
Also, what do parents think about a longer school day? I've had conversations at the primary and intermediate level with younger teachers who say they would probably work less hard if they had more time to actually teach kids. More contact time. As it is, we are rushing at elementary to get everything in that is called curricula these days. It seems to be the more veteran teachers who won't work without more pay. Me, I'm older, but I'd love to slow down a bit. That would solve a lot of problems for me.
I wish teachers would chime in on these kinds of issues as well as parents.
To which Reader Lynn said (and I think it's a valid point):
Comments
What I would really want as a parent and community member is a longer school YEAR.
-parent
Jenga
zb
No thank you.
If I were convinced it would be more enrichment, I'd be all for it, but I do not think state or local government at this time would fund it. Or if they funded it, it would be for the kids already doing fine in hard core academics. Those "at risk" in the school setting would get MORE hard core academics and test prep while everyone else got art and music and movement. Which would be horrid, not equitable and just the thing to once and for all turn off kids at risk from school.
* K-8 aside....If the state actually funded the full amount of high school hours our kids need, that would be great.
EdVoter
I'm not suggesting that they should spend a longer day doing more math worksheets. But what about more time for independent reading? For math games? To play sports at school? My kids do all that after school, but I know that is not true for all families. Also, lunch is 15 minutes long for my kid, and recess is too short. Just not enough time.
-parent
-sleeper
Some years I count, trying to find how many weeks from Thanksgiving to spring break include a full week of school, no interruptions, but I've given up b/c it's too depressing to see the lack of continuity built into the schedule.
First, I want their days to be more consistent - come up with a way to have an "in service" where the kids go to school, quit the Feb full week break for good, elem. kids should attend the week of THanksgiving, etc.
Get rid of early dismissal. All of them. Why are kids out 2 hours early before a week long break?
For the supposed "in service" early dismissals, maybe have something like a theatre assembly - culture for kids in school - or use that time for the environmental and cultural awareness assemblies they do during the school day now - the assemblies could be richer and deeper with larger blocks of time, including movement and activities, and not cut out time from classes like they do now. The teachers could have their training time with nonteaching staff, parents, and a few subs monitoring the assembly, and the kids would still have school.
If any time is added to the day, it should lunch, art, music, PE, recess, homework math club or free reading at the student's choice, chess, things like that.
More worksheets and lectures about "theme blah blah multiple choice blah blah you're going to lose recess if you don't be quiet blah blah" is NOT what we want.
Signed: improved over more
And have you noticed that primary aged children have the attention span of a gnat? How would a longer day benefit them or teachers?
But I did have a gut reaction to this part of N's posting:
"but can we really compete with more rested teachers"
Certainly, this could be taken as informal language devoid of meaning, but it's not.
Only since "Ed Reform" have teachers been pitted against each other to "compete".
When it infiltrates ordinary language, you know the message has penetrated deeply.
That saddens me as a teacher.
--enough already
Mom of 4
I'm surprised teachers think the shared contract compares favorably- our first experience was so awful that I'm pretty wary of them now.
-sleeper
-K8