The Last Week or So...


... in a nutshell.

Last Friday, I left the school as a seventh grade teacher. On Tuesday, I came in as an eighth grade teacher. In between those days was a "holiday," during which I was at school, relocating, leaving one room in which I was comfortable and moving into one that "belonged" to another teacher two days prior. Had help moving... two of my cluster teachers were there, too, also moving.

You see, we have a small seventh grade this year. The State has a maximum class size: 28 (this year). the State mandates no minimum class size, and here's why- if a school has just one student identified as "special needs," that one student gets a single teacher. We have four hearing impaired students at my school. They have four people assigned to be with them at all times. that's a one to one ratio. Our seventh grade wasn't that small. My largest class was 17 students. That is awesome! It is also the target number, according to our governor. According to the Bibb County Board of Education, that's too many teachers.

So, the solution was to move three happily placed eighth grade teachers in new schools and move three happily placed seventh grade teachers into the three spots left open by the moving of the other three teachers. It is quite awkward.

I am now playing catch up... and I am four weeks behind! I don't know my students, but progress reports went home today... and I will be getting calls about these students' progress report grades! But, that's OK. It has to be. There is no choice.

Now, it is Wednesday. I've been with these kids for two days. And I won't be at school tomorrow because of a required workshop I must attend. I have had no time to plan for my absence based on my students' needs, so I am covering my butt by assigning a CRCT practice test. Because we are administering the ITBS next week for two weeks. Five more days where I don't teach.

It's just frustrating. I need a day, maybe two, in my classroom.. alone.. with some good music. Days on the clock. Days where I can sit down and stand up and deal with it. Days when I am supposed to be working, therefore, I am. Not holidays, not afternoons, not my own time. Keep school out of my classroom for a day or two. Allow me to refocus, recenter, relocate.

Am I going to get it? Nope.

Maybe, at some point, I'll catch up. For now, I am overwhelmed, and I am not a man easily overwhelmed.

Howard

Posted: Wed - September 6, 2006 at 09:19 PM      

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