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Received my course schedule for the upcoming school year recently. This year I'll have four preps. In my 11 years prior to this upcoming year the most I ever had was two.
I usually had 3. Several semesters I had 4. In my first school district, 4 preps meant you received an extra planning period (no duty). In my second school district it was not unusual to have 4 preps and a duty or teach 6 out of 7 periods. Thankfully you have 11 years of experience and will be able to handle this! Good Luck, it's brutal but do-able.
Back before we went to Block scheduling, we had a 7-period day, giving me 6 classes to teach. It wasn't unusual for me to have a Physical Science, Chemistry, AP Chemistry, & Biology prep each year. So 4 preps wasn't unusual.
Now we are on the Block schedule, so I teach 3 classes - all different preps: GenChem, APChem & APPhysics. After 21 years of teaching, I'm adjusted to it.
FWIW, I know of some school systems that add an extra planning period for teachers with AP classes. I have 2 different AP classes, but would physically be unable to add more planning.
Received my course schedule for the upcoming school year recently. This year I'll have four preps. In my 11 years prior to this upcoming year the most I ever had was two.
One of the perks of teaching middle school is that this rarely ever happens. I think, though, that I would be more concerned with why you ended up with 4 preps as that had not been your previous experience or apparently the norm of your school. If it is because they have weird numbers and you are seen as the most flexible teacher, coupled with enough experience that you probably won't struggle, that is one thing. But, if it's because someone is ticked off at you, reasoning that if they make your life miserable enough it would encourage you to seek greener pastures, that's a totally different story.
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I usually had 3. Several semesters I had 4. In my first school district, 4 preps meant you received an extra planning period (no duty). In my second school district it was not unusual to have 4 preps and a duty or teach 6 out of 7 periods. Thankfully you have 11 years of experience and will be able to handle this! Good Luck, it's brutal but do-able.
definitely do-able. they're all courses I've taught before in the past several times. so not a big deal for me.
One of the perks of teaching middle school is that this rarely ever happens. I think, though, that I would be more concerned with why you ended up with 4 preps as that had not been your previous experience or apparently the norm of your school. If it is because they have weird numbers and you are seen as the most flexible teacher, coupled with enough experience that you probably won't struggle, that is one thing. But, if it's because someone is ticked off at you, reasoning that if they make your life miserable enough it would encourage you to seek greener pastures, that's a totally different story.
One of the perks of teaching middle school is that this rarely ever happens. I think, though, that I would be more concerned with why you ended up with 4 preps as that had not been your previous experience or apparently the norm of your school. If it is because they have weird numbers and you are seen as the most flexible teacher, coupled with enough experience that you probably won't struggle, that is one thing. But, if it's because someone is ticked off at you, reasoning that if they make your life miserable enough it would encourage you to seek greener pastures, that's a totally different story.
There was a science teacher at one middle school where all he had for 29 years was 6th grade science.
Then during his 30th year he got 8th grade Health assigned to him. I subbed for him and I could not believe that they were able to schedule all the chronic misbehaving students in the same class.
He put in his retirement papers that year. A new teacher who was also a coach took over that class. She didn't get 8th grade Health assigned to her.
I did my student teaching at that school in the classroom right next to his so I got to know him pretty well. IMHO I think he was pushed out and he thought so too.
There was a science teacher at one middle school where all he had for 29 years was 6th grade science.
Then during his 30th year he got 8th grade Health assigned to him. I subbed for him and I could not believe that they were able to schedule all the chronic misbehaving students in the same class.
He put in his retirement papers that year. A new teacher who was also a coach took over that class. She didn't get 8th grade Health assigned to her.
I did my student teaching at that school in the classroom right next to his so I got to know him pretty well. IMHO I think he was pushed out and he thought so too.
I've had administrators do that to me too. I always love it when those same misbehaving students will behave for me!
Received my course schedule for the upcoming school year recently. This year I'll have four preps. In my 11 years prior to this upcoming year the most I ever had was two.
There was a science teacher at one middle school where all he had for 29 years was 6th grade science.
Then during his 30th year he got 8th grade Health assigned to him. I subbed for him and I could not believe that they were able to schedule all the chronic misbehaving students in the same class.
He put in his retirement papers that year. A new teacher who was also a coach took over that class. She didn't get 8th grade Health assigned to her.
I did my student teaching at that school in the classroom right next to his so I got to know him pretty well. IMHO I think he was pushed out and he thought so too.
My former school district was very well known for doing the same thing. Some of the involuntary transfers were just heartbreaking.
One educator was a middle school librarian for 25 years who was transferred to Senior Kindergarten (and yes, every single misbehaving child from Junior Kindergarten plus all of the special education students were placed into her class).
Another 1st grade teacher was transferred from the elementary school where she had taught for 20 plus years to a different building three days before school started (she had already put up all of her bulletin boards, made class lists, labeled all of the books, sent welcome letters to parents, etc.).
She didn't get the hint (actually, just refused to be bullied out of teaching). So the next year they transferred her to yet another elementary school about a week before school started. She immediately resigned and took early retirement.
Another teacher had won numerous awards and started many outstanding programs at the fifth grade level (science fair, a book writing competition, three day over-night science program at a college, a poetry & song writing club, etc.) which she had taught at various schools in our district for about 25 years. First the district cancelled the science program at the college, then the principal assigned the science fair to a different teacher and cancelled the book writing competition and poetry club. But, the teacher hung on. The next year she was told that she would be transferred to 4th grade and she agreed (and did a nice job, even though she had to do a lot more planning). But, then they told her that she would either be transferred to 1st or 2nd grade (or maybe kindergarten) but they probably would not know until a few days before school started in the fall. She took early retirement.
Then there was the teacher of kindergarten to third grade students with cognitive disabilities who when asked if she wanted to stay in that classroom or be transferred to working with fourth and fifth grade students with cognitive disabilities she said that she preferred to stay in her current room but "would be OK with transferring to any building or grade except the high school level". You guessed it. The hired a new teacher for her old room and a new teacher to the 4th & 5th grade room and transferred her to the HS. However, the joke is on them. She discovered that she really loves the HS level and has two planning periods a day and a duty free lunch (which she never had at the elementary level).
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