At the risk of sounding like every other ranting high school teacher, I too am ranting about today's PSAT. Teacher schedules have been adjusted to allow for proctoring and then teaching. Many of us (including me) have been given assignments that mean we will put in an eight hour day. Complaints go answered except for "don't worry, we will pay you for a coverage." Coverages are one period long. Proctoring is 1.5 hours. Also, work outside a regular day should be voluntary, not mandatory. Yes, we could all grieve but the grievance would not be heard until after the deed has been done. My solution to this problem is to take the day off. Classes only meet for 30 minutes. I only have two meeting today so my kids will not miss me at all.
Today's schedule is bad. Certain attitudes leading up to the PSAT make things worse. A few of the English teachers decided to devote 10 minutes a day to PSAT practice. That is fine. It is their classes, their decisions. Besides, they can afford the time. Their curriculum's have flexibility. The math curriculum has no such flexibility. While some of the PSAT material is course appropriate (and I did go over those type of questions), 10 minutes is not enough time to make any real difference to the kids. One of the English teachers told her classes to tell their math teacher to do the math sections with them. This was not appropriate. I told my kids that their English teacher should worry about what she is going to teach and leave the math curriculum to the math teachers. Of course, the kids went and told her something slightly different (which she did not like.) Of course, she totally believed the kids. Of course she took issue with me. Oh well, just another person that won't be coming to my retirement party....Oh wait, I am not going to have one. I am going to disappear quietly into the night.
12 comments:
I'm very disappointed you're not having a retirement party. Maybe we could just have a regular party in advance.
If anyone deserves a retirement party it's you. But, I understand why you WOULDN'T want one.
Not so fast, PO'd....your retirement is a damn good excuse for a party.........with those who care!!!! Some of us really appreciate your cynical attitude!!!!
Sorry to disappoint--I plan on fading quietly away...only my closest friends will know.
Teachers of junior and sophomore classes proctored instead, no more than one period for one period, two periods for two periods, etc. (A couple of people proctored one period less than they would have taught).
Testing was in one half of the building, other classes were moved to the other half (except one senior English class, that I forgot to make a room for. So I moved my own algebra class to the cafeteria, and gave the English class my room).
Pretty smooth, altogether. I tell you this not only to boast, but also to tell you that it can, in fact, be done in a reasonable way. Just takes work and will.
You are right I should have taken the day off. In a schooll that is well organized I imagine the PSAT testing can go smoothly but in a school that does not have its sh*t together ohhh well you can guess the rest.
I am sorry to tell Jonathan that he shouldn't be doing the APO's job. I understand he did it so as to make life better for himself and his students but the APO is earning the "big bucks", wearing the ill fitting suits and chasting teachers when they come in late so let him do his job of arranging class schedules and rooms for the day.
WE TEACHERS ARE MUCH TOO KIND! THAT'S WHY THEY WALK ALL OVER US!
i agree with Justice. My school is anything but well run and I am sure things did not go smoothly. Our school is way to big to move classes around. Way too much is dumped on the teachers. I heard that 7 teachers in my department took off. I wonder how many others had the same idea.
My schedule changed no less than 3 times today, since one of the usual lunch periods didn't exist. I proctored for possibly 1/2 an hour and had 2 teaching periods. One class just about disappeared since Principal Suit announced that all the kids should go to a pep rally and forgot to tell them to attend their last period class. The schedule was poorly done and the ISS administration just couldn't get it right today. I vote for taking off this day in the future since this is a waste of a day and totally unnecessary in the scheme of things. Very few ISS students will ever need an SAT; they go to community colleges which don't require an SAT score for admission. ISS kids were getting extended time, but once the other kids were done, the admin just wouldn't shut up and get off the PA. Principal Suit and a secretary-wannabee-administrator blabbed and blabbed. It was just so absurd!!
I'm the programmer and testing coordinator. GMAFB. I do my job.
Brilliant! Taking the day off! (Seriously, I have to remember to do that.) And justice is absolutely right about letting the admins do their own jobs.
Jonathan, I'm afraid to ask because first of all you're much too defensive, you're not in the same school as others posting and commenting here....what's GMAFB? Are there epithets in it? I'm sure you do a great job, but just not where others work!! Not everyone has competent admin, obviously!!!
Defensive? He was wrong. And he lectured. I corrected him.
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