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I've always been told that you should avoid splitting departments. Well, it looks like I will be splitting departments next year. Our physics/math teacher is leaving and the person they hired in his place doesn't have a math endorsement but I do. I was told, yesterday, that I'll be picking up three sections of math next year and dropping three sections of science. I talked to each department head and was told I'll, likely, get three sections of geometry (because the "real" math teachers get first pick and that's what they don't want, which is actually fine with me because the logic of math is what I do best) and I'll, likely, get three sections of 9th grade physical science from the science department which isn't bad either. My question is what are the ups and downs of splitting departments other than not having my own room. I have to be on one end of the building for math and the other for science. I can't use the vacating teacher's room because I need lab benches for physical science and my current room is the big chemistry room so I have to give it up to the new teacher.
So, what are your experiences with splitting between departments. So far, no room of my own and no choice in what I teach seem to be negatives but, as I said, if it lands the way they're saying now, I'm happy with it.
Any advice from those who've split departments before? It's doubtful that I will be able to get back into one department proper again as all of the teachers in both departments are on the young side. So this, is, likely, my future. The scary part is I'm looking at up to 6 preps as there is no limit to the number of preps we can have and it's looking like neither department will have my back.
I've always been told that you should avoid splitting departments. Well, it looks like I will be splitting departments next year. Our physics/math teacher is leaving and the person they hired in his place doesn't have a math endorsement but I do. I was told, yesterday, that I'll be picking up three sections of math next year and dropping three sections of science. I talked to each department head and was told I'll, likely, get three sections of geometry (because the "real" math teachers get first pick and that's what they don't want, which is actually fine with me because the logic of math is what I do best) and I'll, likely, get three sections of 9th grade physical science from the science department which isn't bad either. My question is what are the ups and downs of splitting departments other than not having my own room. I have to be on one end of the building for math and the other for science. I can't use the vacating teacher's room because I need lab benches for physical science and my current room is the big chemistry room so I have to give it up to the new teacher.
So, what are your experiences with splitting between departments. So far, no room of my own and no choice in what I teach seem to be negatives but, as I said, if it lands the way they're saying now, I'm happy with it.
Any advice from those who've split departments before? It's doubtful that I will be able to get back into one department proper again as all of the teachers in both departments are on the young side. So this, is, likely, my future. The scary part is I'm looking at up to 6 preps as there is no limit to the number of preps we can have and it's looking like neither department will have my back.
I have never been split between 2 dept's in the same school, but I HAVE been split between schools.
My downsides were 2 principals to report to and make happy (you won't have that), no room of my own....my life was on a "cart" that I wheeled to rooms where I taught, I never felt like I was really, completely a member of the staff at either school because I was gone 1/2 of the time (you might feel like you aren't part of either dept), requests for budget $ to purchase materials weren't always taken seriously because I was only in that school part-time.
I had 6 preps for over 13 years, 5 preps for 3 years, and now have 6 preps again this year. There are teachers in my buliding with 2 preps. But I can tell you that you get very good at time management. Just yesterday I heard a teacher with 2 preps complaining because they had to cover another class during their plan and didn't know how they would do it. I politely mentioned that I had 6, and they said they could never do it. I protect my planning period, don't allow other teachers to stay long if they come in to chat and come in an hour early and stay an hour late, but it is doable.
And no, it isn't fair that I am at school from 7am - 4:15pm every day with a 20 minute lunch (can you say scarf?!?!?) , but I love what I do and if I don't do that, I won't be prepared......I will be another one of those teachers people complain should have retired years ago.
Ivory, sounds like you have a future in your district. While you may feel taken advantage of because of multiple endorsements (I have 4 on my certificate) it may save you because as enrollment and instructional needs change, you can be flexible on what you teach. Not fair, but may help you endure the long-term.
I have never been split between 2 dept's in the same school, but I HAVE been split between schools.
My downsides were 2 principals to report to and make happy (you won't have that), no room of my own....my life was on a "cart" that I wheeled to rooms where I taught, I never felt like I was really, completely a member of the staff at either school because I was gone 1/2 of the time (you might feel like you aren't part of either dept), requests for budget $ to purchase materials weren't always taken seriously because I was only in that school part-time.
I had 6 preps for over 13 years, 5 preps for 3 years, and now have 6 preps again this year. There are teachers in my buliding with 2 preps. But I can tell you that you get very good at time management. Just yesterday I heard a teacher with 2 preps complaining because they had to cover another class during their plan and didn't know how they would do it. I politely mentioned that I had 6, and they said they could never do it. I protect my planning period, don't allow other teachers to stay long if they come in to chat and come in an hour early and stay an hour late, but it is doable.
And no, it isn't fair that I am at school from 7am - 4:15pm every day with a 20 minute lunch (can you say scarf?!?!?) , but I love what I do and if I don't do that, I won't be prepared......I will be another one of those teachers people complain should have retired years ago.
Ivory, sounds like you have a future in your district. While you may feel taken advantage of because of multiple endorsements (I have 4 on my certificate) it may save you because as enrollment and instructional needs change, you can be flexible on what you teach. Not fair, but may help you endure the long-term.
I'm not looking forward to life on a cart but it will force me to be more organized. I hope I don't get six preps. I really don't know how you do it. One of our science teachers has four preps this year and she lives at the school. I'm thinking that won't happen next year because, on the science side, that would involve another teacher having more preps than necessary. I'm thinking the science teachers will pick their classes and leave me to the one no one wants, which is physical science, which is a great fit for me. The current physical science teacher doesn't have physics. I have both physics and chemistry.
I am looking forward to teaching math though. I wanted to bid the physics/math position but couldn't because they specified that the candidate had to have taught AP physics before and I haven't. At least I get one foot into math this way. I figure that will make me more marketable to another district. It's been difficult for me to get math interviews and then when I do difficult to get them to take me seriously as they see a science teacher. I would love to teach physics and math. If I teach math for a year or two, I'll be marketable as a math/physics teacher. Then all I'll need is the AP endorsement.
I just need to grin and bear it (the not having a room part and not feeling like I'm part of either department part) until I can apply for a math position in another district. This will look good on my resume and another district might accept my masters in engineering towards my plus 30 which would be a nice pay increase to jump ship.
#1 - I'm confused by what you are speaking of with the number of "preps". Where I taught a "prep" was a preparation period. So most teachers had 1, while some had 2. When you are saying 6 "preps" are you speaking of six classes?
#2 - I would say that in your particular situation Ivory, this would be a net positive compared to what you are dealing with this year. The negatives are that you have multiple curriculums to plan for (I assume you only had Chemistry this year), and that they are different than what you taught this year. The other negative of course is the switching of classes. But your main complaint has been classroom discipline and I think you'll find 9th graders to be generally better behaved than the upper classes. You major behavior problems won't be so bold I would think. I know that when I taught high school my worst class was my junior U.S. History class. They had juniors and then seniors that were retaking the class after failing. Many of them were disrespectful and didn't care. My sophomore World History classes were much more manageable.
#1 - I'm confused by what you are speaking of with the number of "preps". Where I taught a "prep" was a preparation period. So most teachers had 1, while some had 2. When you are saying 6 "preps" are you speaking of six classes?
#2 - I would say that in your particular situation Ivory, this would be a net positive compared to what you are dealing with this year. The negatives are that you have multiple curriculums to plan for (I assume you only had Chemistry this year), and that they are different than what you taught this year. The other negative of course is the switching of classes. But your main complaint has been classroom discipline and I think you'll find 9th graders to be generally better behaved than the upper classes. You major behavior problems won't be so bold I would think. I know that when I taught high school my worst class was my junior U.S. History class. They had juniors and then seniors that were retaking the class after failing. Many of them were disrespectful and didn't care. My sophomore World History classes were much more manageable.
It's interesting that you think that. At our school, over half of the discipline problems come from the freshmen. They don't yet understand about GPA, and they are fresh from the middle school where they aren't really allowed to receive failing grades for failing work. They don't seem to have any sense of decorum or self-restraint, so they do the craziest things. I've jokingly called them the larval form of human beings, because they are still so unformed.
If Ivory's administration won't back her up teaching chemistry to upper classmen, I fear that they will let her deal with these green freshmen on her own. Hopefully their parents will be more receptive to her calls for consequences when they misbehave.
As far as teaching geometry, that is the math class that I would love to teach, but I would probably get in trouble for trying to teach it in the classic way with proofs and constructions. Good luck, Ivory!
It's interesting that you think that. At our school, over half of the discipline problems come from the freshmen. They don't yet understand about GPA, and they are fresh from the middle school where they aren't really allowed to receive failing grades for failing work. They don't seem to have any sense of decorum or self-restraint, so they do the craziest things. I've jokingly called them the larval form of human beings, because they are still so unformed.
If Ivory's administration won't back her up teaching chemistry to upper classmen, I fear that they will let her deal with these green freshmen on her own. Hopefully their parents will be more receptive to her calls for consequences when they misbehave.
As far as teaching geometry, that is the math class that I would love to teach, but I would probably get in trouble for trying to teach it in the classic way with proofs and constructions. Good luck, Ivory!
You are correct about freshmen. That's why there is a demerit system for freshmen and freshmen teachers can issue detentions. So, while I would expect more issues, I also gain the power to respond to them without needing the blessing of the office. Also, physical science lends itself to being taught in bytes. I should be able to come up with a couple of hands on activities per week and I should be able to break up the class period. One thing I don't like about teaching chemistry is so much of the material really lends itself to lecturing for 40 minutes before anyone can do anything and then they can't do it because they tuned out after the first 15 minutes. Students, today, are not conditioned to sit and take notes or to do something like figure out the procedures for a lab without being shown each step (and then they can't do it because they can't remember that long). Also, physical science doesn't have state standards so I can pick and choose what I emphasize. I'm better at teaching the stuff I like.
I'm hoping my science is physical science but I'm not sure it will play out that way. There is only one other teacher who teaches chemistry and he has never been allowed to teach the higher level chemistry class. He will have to pick up 2 sections of regular chem in order for me to pick up physical science. There are only two possibilities: He takes two sections of chem, two sections of consumer chem and two sections of physical science while I take the other three sections of physical science or he takes consumer chem plus four sections of physical science and I take two sections of regular chem and one of physical science plus whatever I get for math. While he has expressed an interest in teaching regular chem, he may opt to go for two preps over three. Either way, I have, at least one physical science class. It will be interesting teaching chemistry opposite another teacher. I've always been a singleton.
I'm with you on teaching geometry with proofs. When I spoke to the department head, she said that they teach proofs for the first four chapters and then drop it assuming that those who will get it will have gotten it by then and those who haven't never will. I'll just have to go with what has proven to work. That's not to say I won't explain the logic behind what we are doing. I do that now. I do think geometry would be fun to teach.
Good luck next year (I'm being serious not sarcastic).
Hopefully most of your classes in each department will be back to back so you won't need to rush between the science and math wings of the building.
Oh my goodness...I didn't even think about that. 5 minutes passing time to pack up my computer, make my way through a sea of teenagers in the hall and to the other side of the building would be a PITA. I hadn't even thought of that.
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I hadn't even thought of that.
