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F-ing Master Schedule...
Aug. 3rd, 2011 05:34 pmWe got the master schedule today. Last year I had 6 classes on Friday with both 5th grades coming that day (and the worse one was LAST period).
They gave me 6 classes on Friday AGAIN this year. I think I paid my dues last year, guys!!! Not only that, but I now have TWO days a week where I have six classes in one day D: This is because they took "Guidance" out of the rotation (so the counselor could focus on actually counseling) and we only have 3 specialist classes (music, PE, and art). In my old school we had FIVE specialists and I think MOST schools now offer at least a foreign language special (but not ours for some reason -_-; ). (PLEASE add a foreign language or computer class or something next year guys!!!)
I will see 25 classes a week, which is actually the same number I saw when I saw 550 kids (we only have about 300 as of last year). The difference here is the distribution and the frequency. In my old school I only saw each class ONCE a week. This year, I am seeing all but one of them TWICE (which means they blow through lessons twice as fast). Also, I never had more than 5 classes in one day at my old job. Here, I have the two days of 6 because on two other days I only have 4. (I would honestly rather have 5 classes per day across the board than kill myself with 6 on two days).
The "good" news this year is:
1) They took Pre-K off the schedule, which wasn't a huge deal because they only came for about 20 minutes. But, that's two less classes I have to see.
2) We are VERY HEAVY in the little ones this year. We have 3 Kindergartens, and 3 First grades. We also only have one true 4th and one true 5th and we have one mixed class of 4/5 (which will be a planning nightmare).
3) They switched the schedule so that most of the "older" kids come in the morning and the afternoons are heavy on the little kids. This means that I SHOULD be able to relax some in the afternoons, since babysitting a Kindergarten or 1st Grade class is pretty easy.
4) The new PE teacher got stuck with 3 days of 6 classes (but has a really light Friday). I do not envy her for having 3 days of 6 classes.
I honestly, don't know how to feel about the schedule yet. I think it will really depend on which kids end up in which class. Pretty much, I'm screwed no matter what, because I see everyone twice a week except one class. But there are a few kids from last year that I could not stand and I hope they end up in the ONE CLASS that I only see once a week. (I was unlucky enough to have them twice a week last year, I say I earned this).
But I won't know any of that until tomorrow.
I have a light Monday (which is a waste because we miss so many Mondays anyhow) and a light Thursday. (Though they are light in the MORNINGS, I'd rather have all my classes in the morning and have a light afternoon, but whatever). I foresee me being sick on a couple Wednesdays this year (one of my days of 6 classes). The other day I have 6 classes is Friday, and I will miss about 4 Fridays this year for in-service days or Federal Holidays.
I'm already wondering how to work around 2 problems: the 1/2 multi-age last year which has now been eliminated and the new 4/5 multi-age this year. The problem is making sure I do not repeat any lessons with these groups.
I'm already mentally finding issues with my 2nd grade lesson plans because the stupid multi-age did a couple of them last year (which means last year's multi-age 1st graders did a couple of the lessons I would normally do with 2nd grade!!!)
I also can't do my usual 5th grade tessellation project with the 4/5 group because if I do, the 4th graders will have done the project already and that means I can't use it in 5th grade next year. On the flip side, I can't do my usual 4th grade one-point perspective project with them either because the 5th graders will already have done it :p (and I am not going to try to teach both one-point and two-point at the same time just so the 5th graders have something new to do). So, that's two projects I can't do, and I essentially can't use ANY of the projects I did in 4th grade last year to fill in the time because of the 5th graders in the class (see how the problems with multi-age classes begin to add up?)
I'm good for the first month or so of planning though... but I think I'm going to be scrambling again for ideas this year to fill in the time :\
They gave me 6 classes on Friday AGAIN this year. I think I paid my dues last year, guys!!! Not only that, but I now have TWO days a week where I have six classes in one day D: This is because they took "Guidance" out of the rotation (so the counselor could focus on actually counseling) and we only have 3 specialist classes (music, PE, and art). In my old school we had FIVE specialists and I think MOST schools now offer at least a foreign language special (but not ours for some reason -_-; ). (PLEASE add a foreign language or computer class or something next year guys!!!)
I will see 25 classes a week, which is actually the same number I saw when I saw 550 kids (we only have about 300 as of last year). The difference here is the distribution and the frequency. In my old school I only saw each class ONCE a week. This year, I am seeing all but one of them TWICE (which means they blow through lessons twice as fast). Also, I never had more than 5 classes in one day at my old job. Here, I have the two days of 6 because on two other days I only have 4. (I would honestly rather have 5 classes per day across the board than kill myself with 6 on two days).
The "good" news this year is:
1) They took Pre-K off the schedule, which wasn't a huge deal because they only came for about 20 minutes. But, that's two less classes I have to see.
2) We are VERY HEAVY in the little ones this year. We have 3 Kindergartens, and 3 First grades. We also only have one true 4th and one true 5th and we have one mixed class of 4/5 (which will be a planning nightmare).
3) They switched the schedule so that most of the "older" kids come in the morning and the afternoons are heavy on the little kids. This means that I SHOULD be able to relax some in the afternoons, since babysitting a Kindergarten or 1st Grade class is pretty easy.
4) The new PE teacher got stuck with 3 days of 6 classes (but has a really light Friday). I do not envy her for having 3 days of 6 classes.
I honestly, don't know how to feel about the schedule yet. I think it will really depend on which kids end up in which class. Pretty much, I'm screwed no matter what, because I see everyone twice a week except one class. But there are a few kids from last year that I could not stand and I hope they end up in the ONE CLASS that I only see once a week. (I was unlucky enough to have them twice a week last year, I say I earned this).
But I won't know any of that until tomorrow.
I have a light Monday (which is a waste because we miss so many Mondays anyhow) and a light Thursday. (Though they are light in the MORNINGS, I'd rather have all my classes in the morning and have a light afternoon, but whatever). I foresee me being sick on a couple Wednesdays this year (one of my days of 6 classes). The other day I have 6 classes is Friday, and I will miss about 4 Fridays this year for in-service days or Federal Holidays.
I'm already wondering how to work around 2 problems: the 1/2 multi-age last year which has now been eliminated and the new 4/5 multi-age this year. The problem is making sure I do not repeat any lessons with these groups.
I'm already mentally finding issues with my 2nd grade lesson plans because the stupid multi-age did a couple of them last year (which means last year's multi-age 1st graders did a couple of the lessons I would normally do with 2nd grade!!!)
I also can't do my usual 5th grade tessellation project with the 4/5 group because if I do, the 4th graders will have done the project already and that means I can't use it in 5th grade next year. On the flip side, I can't do my usual 4th grade one-point perspective project with them either because the 5th graders will already have done it :p (and I am not going to try to teach both one-point and two-point at the same time just so the 5th graders have something new to do). So, that's two projects I can't do, and I essentially can't use ANY of the projects I did in 4th grade last year to fill in the time because of the 5th graders in the class (see how the problems with multi-age classes begin to add up?)
I'm good for the first month or so of planning though... but I think I'm going to be scrambling again for ideas this year to fill in the time :\
