Re: Building classes for the next school year

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Here is the link. Sorry, I put it in the wrong place previously. You can buy
a set of videos to go with the small group meetings, but you could have the
meetings with just the Tools For Teaching books and the free guidebook.

On 4/29/12, Where is the link? Sounds interesting. wrote:
> On 4/27/12, pixie, adding the link wrote:
>> Here is a link to the study group activity guide. It is meant for small
>> groups. I think many teachers would benefit greatly from it and not
>> feel so motivated to sluff the challenging classes on someone else.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 4/27/12, pixie, in response to Marla wrote:
>>> I appreciate your interest in fairness. What I as a rookie teacher
>>> experienced was that ALL of the behavior problems were dumped on
>>> me, a new hire who had less experience than anyone else, was hired
>>> in late August so had little time to prepare, etc. Brilliant plan!
>>> Inspired leadership! So convenient for the veteran teachers!
>>> I agree that the only fair thing is to divvy up the most difficult
>>> kids,and no one teacher should have all his/her class periods be a
>>> horrible ordeal, or feel like they are being "punished."
>>> A strong administrator should expect all the teachers to take their
>>> share.
>>> It certainly stands to reason that the more experience a teacher has
>>> the more capable they should be expected to be in dealing with
>>> difficult kids. BUT, rather than say that if they can't take the
>>> heat they should get out, why not show some strong leadership by
>>> initiating some means of helping everyone improve? It need not mean
>>> hiring expensive consultants. Dr. Fred Jones has a whole thick
>>> manual free online for in-school "teacher study groups" to use with
>>> his book, Tools for Teachers. As far as I can see, the only expense
>>> would be copies of his book for each teacher. Why not do this, as
>>> opposed to having teachers competing for the "easy" classes and
>>> dumping on the rookie teachers or on each other? Kind of like a
>>> rising tide lifts all boats, as opposed to shape up or ship out. The
>>> students would likely benefit, and maybe teacher collegiality would
>>> improve, although there would undoubtedly be some griping from some
>>> about having to attend the study group. Do the principal/leaders
>>> have the authority and/or the backbone to make this happen?
>>> I would really love to hear principal replies on this.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 4/21/12, Marla wrote:
>>>> KK,
>>>> I appreciated your response and thoughts. One problem that has
>>>> happened in the past (and I'm trying hard to avoid that problem)
>>>> is placing too many students of one category in any one class.
>>>> For example, the previous administrator would put the most
>>>> difficult behavior problems in one classroom. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY
>>>> NOT FAIR TO THE TEACHER or THE STUDENTS. I simply won't allow
>>>> that. What happened was the most skilled teachers were PUNISHED
>>>> for competence! My feeling is that if other teachers can't
>>>> handle challenging kids, they are not real teachers. Why should
>>>> the most skilled teachers have to take on more than his/her share
>>>> of discipline problems because the teacher next door doesn't have
>>>> a clue as to how to handle them?
>>>>
>>>> Another thing, is that difficult assignments need to be passed
>>>> around. No teacher enjoys combination classes especially a K/1
>>>> or 3/4 combo. However, if one teacher has to do that SO do the
>>>> others. I'm not worried about why this one can't, or that one
>>>> can't, FAIR IS FAIR! I realize I can't legally say what's really
>>>> on my mind. That is if a teacher can't take the heat, he/she
>>>> should get out!!!! It's safe to say that here.
>>>>
>>>> First, we are there for the kids. I feel if the teachers are
>>>> happy and treated FAIRLY, a better enviroment is created for the
>>>> kids. Stress doesn't help anyone and why should any one teacher
>>>> take more than his/her fair share?
>>>>
>>>> Also, I believe in as equal as possible, division of the
>>>> workload. If one class has more behavioral problems, language
>>>> issues, etc. etc., then there are many more SST's and IEPs.
>>>> These meetings cut into planning time. The load should be as
>>>> balanced as possible.
>>>>
>>>> Funny thing, I have learned in my few years as an
>>>> administrator, the most competent teachers are also the most
>>>> willing to go the extra mile. They are the ones who volunteer
>>>> for difficult assignments when there is only one of those per
>>>> grade level. Someone has to do it. Yet, my least competent
>>>> teachers are always in the background finding reasons that they
>>>> can't take that combo. or whatever.
>>>>
>>>> It's a tough call. I can understand some of what you are saying,
>>>> but fairness is a huge issue with me.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>> In our school, classes are not created randomly. Parents may
>>>>> make requests, which may or may not be honored. Teachers meet
>>>>> as grade levels with administration to create the classes, and
>>>>> administrators make the final decisions.
>>>>>
>>>>> A lot of the placement issues depend on your school situation.
>>>>> For example, if you have several English language learners and
>>>>> most of them speak Spanish at home, and one teacher in a
>>>>> particular grade level speaks Spanish, it can be helpful for
>>>>> the students and parents to have a cluster of those students in
>>>>> that teacher's classroom. Some students have extreme
>>>>> behavioral needs and would not do well in a classroom with
>>>>> several students who also exhibit those needs. Highly advanced
>>>>> students should have a peer group within their classroom (if
>>>>> you have a cluster of 3-4 highly advanced students in a grade
>>>>> level, put them together, and ensure each of the other
>>>>> classrooms in that grade level also have a group of
>>>>> high-achieving students--this avoids the problem of "the smart
>>>>> class" label. Many teachers would prefer to work with
>>>>> motivated, above-average students than with highly advanced
>>>>> students, who require more extensive differentiation and
>>>>> compacting, and sometimes, social skills interventions).
>>>>>
>>>>> Even in kindergarten, when the staff isn't familiar with
>>>>> individual students, you can anticipate needs with thoughtful
>>>>> grouping. For example, I have seen class groupings where 80%
>>>>> of the students had birthdays in March or later (this made for
>>>>> a rough September and October!), or classes where the majority
>>>>> of kindergarten students were only children.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think it's more important to be thoughtful and do your best
>>>>> to set up students and teachers for the most successful year
>>>>> possible than it is to be able to say "It's completely fair,
>>>>> because all the assignments were random."
>>>>>
>>>>> On 4/21/12, Marla wrote:
>>>>>> How are classes assigned at your school? Are they done
>>>>>> randomly? Do teachers build the classes for the next grade
>>>>>> level? I have always been against that practice becauuse
>>>>>> politics enters in. Also, do you honor parent request?
>>>>>> I personally feel it should be done randomly--high,
>>>>>> medium , low, behavior, special issues etc. I feel parents
>>>>>> should wait 10 days after the school year starts to change
>>>>>> to the preferred teacher. Nine times out of ten, a change
>>>>>> won't occur and the child does not want to be moved. Too
>>>>>> many times when teachers build the classes and too many
>>>>>> parent requests are honored, classes become stacked. OI
>>>>>> want a fair system across the board. Please tell me how
>>>>>> you accomplish this. Thanks for your help.

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