Our school is growing at an astounding rate. We started three years ago with less than 500 students, and this year our enrollment is 2,050. Incredible, by any standard. Our school has faced an interesting challenge to appropriately serve students by striving to keep up with demand. We hire new teachers, and find that even more are needed. In this growth process, teachers have been asked to take on new responsibilities and step up into leadership roles to help new staff as they come on board.
I find myself at a point this year where I need to refocus my efforts to the task at hand, which is helping students achieve success. In order to do this, I need to fulfill my duties as teacher and advisor while stepping up to support new teachers as they learn the ropes. By doing my best to maintain a positive outlook, I will be better able to accomplish these goals.
I know this post is a bit reflective, but most teachers will relate to the feeling of getting caught in the whirlwind of tasks. It's what happens. I'm learning with more and more certainty that it is the way in which we handle the tasks or manage the chaos that has the greatest effect on our success.
I absolutely understand the feeling of getting caught up in the whirlwind of tasks! I am trying to develop the art of not doing for others what they can do for themselves. It's not easy, but I have my sights set on it!
ReplyDeleteI can also understand what you’re talking about. It seems that every day goes better when it is handled in the best way possible. Sometimes we create more trouble for ourselves then we ever wanted because of how we handled a situation. I have also learned in a regular class setting, with many students, if a teacher doesn't possess the ability to keep a professional disposition it can create class management problems. I don't know exactly how your classes convene, but what the greatest source of stress is for you as an online teacher. Is it in dealing with the students or do the stresses stem from the various tasks dealing with other associates? I can see and understand that it could be any of the previous. Once in a while I have felt like I was being buried in grading, but I seem to be able to manage it alright. I really like what you said at the end of your post "it is the way in which we handle the tasks or manage the chaos that has the greatest effect on our success". It has certainly been though exemplifying positive and good character. It always seems to life me out of those negative situations.
ReplyDeleteAngie,
ReplyDeleteI can relate to what you are feeling this year. Being a teacher these days requires more than teaching children. Teachers have so many things they have to do outside the classroom that it can be overwelming. In the past I have served 60-70 students between 2 schools for speech language services. This year I am supervising 4 new speech techs between 6 schools. At 1 school I service about 20 kids. So far it has been a balancing act. I feel like the students I serve are not getting the quality intervention they deserve. This concerns me. I do believe that student learning comes first. I am sure all teachers experience this delema. If you have any great ideas please post them on your blog.
Pat
Angie, I think that the role you are playing for these teachers is more important than any you could play. I remember walking into my first school and feeling nervous, scared and excited, all at the same time. I wondered how I would get through this huge transition. Then out of nowhere angels appeared. Or so I felt. My new teammates literally had everything ready for me. They had run off things we used as a team and curriculum we taught. I was able to focus exclusively on teaching for those first two years, rather then finding new ways to teach the same material. I don't know how I would've got through the process without them. I think this is the most important thing you could do for these teachers, if they are on your team. It is more helpful then anyone could imagine. I realize some teachers love to keep there methods and ideas to themselves. To them, I say, stay away from me. We are teachers, one and the same. If we can't help each other, then who will we help?
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