The Education System is Broken by Tooley Cathy S.;

Author:Tooley, Cathy S.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2012-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Teachers’ days are overscheduled

It is not uncommon for a teacher to have little or no break in the day when they are not in front of students. Imagine that for a moment. Think about a work day that would give you no time to go to the bathroom, stand up and stretch, take a breather, walk away from an issue, regroup, talk to a co-worker, get a cup of coffee or a Coke to clear your head, or just breathe. That is true for too many teachers, especially elementary school teachers, each and every day.

If, as a teacher, they do not have time to run to the restroom can you imagine how they can possibly have time to look at how your students are achieving in that moment and re-adjust what they are teaching? Here is the fact. From the moment that teachers enter the building until the moment that they leave, they are responsible for children. They are with them, they are caring for them, they are teaching them, and they are monitoring them. They are constantly in charge of, or responsible for, children.

That seems like a no brainer. After all isn’t that what they are supposed to be doing, teaching? Well, yes. But, in order to be a good teacher, teachers must be given time to evaluate data; plan engaging lessons; grade paperwork; make assessments; align curriculum with the standards; and plan fun, engaging, and meaningful work to deliver instructions.

Teaching, most would agree, does not happen spontaneously. Great teaching happens with thoughtful planning, data analyzing, curriculum planning, monitoring standards, creating careful assessments, differentiating instruction, and planning engaging lessons that inspire and teach those standards. When do teachers do that? When, while teachers are with students every moment, does this vital work of teaching happen? Not during the school day, that is certain.

Now, there must be an admission that most teachers do get about forty-five minutes during their day to do all that is listed above. Most teachers have a “prep period” during the day, every day. It varies from school to school, and the length of time is very different from elementary school to high school. It also depends on if the schedule has not been changed or delayed due to weather, so most of you reading this working outside of education would rebut this by saying, “I don’t get a prep period in my job. That amount of time given every day should be enough for teachers to plan and prepare appropriately for their students.”

During the “prep period” that teachers get, what must be accomplished is this: They often will have to attend some sort of meeting. They most likely will need to respond to multiple e-mails. They probably will have to return calls from parents. They may also need to prepare for observations or attend a meeting with an administrator after being observed. They need to copy materials for the next day’s lessons. They need to check their mailbox and complete any forms that may need to be signed and returned.

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