Memo_091



Administrators are allowed to make mistakes.  The memo that should have come out Friday, came out today. But, the e-mail began with an "I an sorry" so I guess that makes it okay.

Memo_091 is a list of demands and things that all teachers must do.  Many are common sense and the wording in the memo is demeaning. I do understand that some people never follow directions, but, there has got to be a better way to get a point across.

Here is the memo.  My commentaries are in red.  Not one of the funnier memos, but it still gives a giggle in several places.

September 12, 2012

Please make sure you give out Rules and Regulations in all your classes, particularly to the new students. 

All MEF81 teachers should finishing teach lessons 1 – 31 in the AMAPS curriculum by January 2013.  Please take your time and prepare students to learn and to learn the arithmetic first.  [To learn arithmetic?  Teachers will do in a semester what others haven't done in 8 previous years of education. ] They must come to class everyday with their 3-ring binder.  [Where is the advice on how to get kids to do this?]  They must learn to come on time and sit in their assigned seats everyday or regularly, etc. [Once a month, on a Tuesday is regular.  is this regular enough?]  Clearly, you have to slow down and not teach a lesson a day! 

 There is a grade-leader assigned to each course.  Please make sure you check with him/her on the pacing. 

All teachers must follow the AMAPS curricula if one is available.  Please speak to me if you have trouble locating it online.  There should be curriculum for Integrated Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus.  If you are teaching Pre-Calculus honors and regular, please make sure you proceed at the same pace and cover the same materials.  All students in Pre-Calculus should take the same final exam.  After all, we are putting some students form Pre-Calculus regular into AP Calculus.

 

Please check the Delinquent Book list before you give out textbooks. We must check and make sure we retrieve all the textbooks first.  I have emailed a copy to you.  Please verify that all your students have returned their textbook before you issue another to him/her.  Please do not issue another textbook to such students and ask them to make sure return their textbooks.  It is easier for you, but one of your colleagues might need the textbook the student already has at home.  You may issue textbooks to freshmen starting from Monday.  But do not give a textbook to a sophomore in the same class.[This will be fun, books to freshman only.]   Everyone else can issue textbooks once you check the delinquent book list.

 

If you have students arriving late to your class, please take some time to explain to them how to get to your class on time.  Most of the new students do not know how to get to your classroom quickly from where they are.  Please communicate with their parents about the lateness and log your phone calls.  Please make sure you tell the parents that they will have to come in if you call them about the same issue. [You teachers have nothing else to do but call and meet with parents and so what if they have jobs and need to pay rent?]

Students are complaining about certain teachers already.  Please make sure you teach every lesson by ASKSING [spelling]  QUESTIONS.  Long monologue is hard for student to take. [grammar] Please do not threaten your students with failure, either.  We must find ways to engage every student and reminding them what to do when solving a math problem is not the most effective way to get every student involved. [What does he suggest?]   For those of you who enjoy monologues, the question you should ask every other minute is:  [Don't think the kids will learn from this question.] “Am I teaching through questions?”  And I hope the answer is yes.

 There should be a mailbox for each teacher – please check it regularly.  Unless you have 30 years in the system, please take only one mailbox.  [The royal treatment given to senior teachers has left the department devoid of senior teachers.] 

 

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend.