Our administration has this crazy idea that the RSP teachers should move with their students for all three years. We have many arguments against this. Of course this was sprung on the RSP teachers and they were asked to outline reasons against this.
I’m not a teacher but may I answer this from the viewpoint of someone who went to school starting in the 50’s?
In the lower grades, maybe kindergarten to 2nd grade, I think stability means a lot to kids who have not been separated from home and parents to this extent before. I know expectations have changed since I was in school, but the lower grades teach(or should begin to teach) the basics-reading, simple math, etc. I think one teacher CAN handle that.
However, as the grades progress, the work becomes more specialized according to subject. I don’t believe that we can expect every teacher to be proficient at every subject. I learned more from teachers who KNEW more about what they were teaching-and if they LOVED that particular subject, it was a bonus for all of us.
May I give one sad example heard from a friend who teaches at a Catholic high school? She was originally from Canada-spoke French like a native, taught the subject for years, and every year took her students on a tour of France. The school ran low on money-the choice was to retain the French class, or begin a Spanish class. We all know Spanish is getting rammed down our kids’ throats, like it or not. My friend couldn’t speak a word of Spanish. She & her sister were supporting an elderly, disabled mother and an old family house-neither woman ever married because their mom needed them so. My friend needed her job so bad that SHE offered to teach the Spanish class, not knowing a word! She took the total immersion type classes and when school started, she was able to stay far enough ahead of her students to be able to teach them. The school dropped the Spanish class the next year and re-instated the French class. I tell you this to show that for many of our teachers, that job is all that stands between them and the unemployment line, & its best for students to have the BEST teachers in their particular fields, instead of forcing teachers to learn a little about EVERY class but being an expert in none but their original specialty. The "jack of all trades" analogy….:)
January 19th, 2010 at 2:41 am
I teach reading to grades 6, 7 & 8. Our school is small, so there is only one academic team for middle school. As a result, my students "loop" back to me every year until they move up to high school.
I have one planning period and 3 preps per day. In some ways this is harder than other schools, where middle school teachers teach one subject to one grade all year long, then those students go on to another grade/teacher the following fall. There are some drawbacks. If a student and I are not a "good fit", that student cannot be scheduled into another teacher’s class, because there isn’t one. I know my "problem students" will be with me for 3 years, not one. Some days it’s hard to know what I taught to whom and when, even with a well-kept lesson plan book.
However, I like "looping". This gives me 3 years to build relationships with my students and to help them to be successful. In some ways, discipline is less of a problem because they already know what to expect.
I can understand why it’s not for everyone. People seem to think if you’re a teacher, you can teach anything to anyone under any circumstances. That doesn’t mean all of us would be happy doing so in every case. Each of us has to find the situation in which we can thrive, so that we are then free to help our students thrive.
I didn’t specialize in curriculum and instruction, so I don’t know off the top of my head what research says. It may be in your best interest to see just how much is out there on looping (I’ll bet not a lot) and use it to make your case with the administration. I do know there is research supporting 7-8 45-55 min. class periods to increase student achievement; you might suggest this as an alternative.
References :
BA Elem Ed
MA Reading
Reading Teacher, 6-8, Alternative Ed
January 19th, 2010 at 3:23 am
I’m not a teacher but may I answer this from the viewpoint of someone who went to school starting in the 50’s?
In the lower grades, maybe kindergarten to 2nd grade, I think stability means a lot to kids who have not been separated from home and parents to this extent before. I know expectations have changed since I was in school, but the lower grades teach(or should begin to teach) the basics-reading, simple math, etc. I think one teacher CAN handle that.
However, as the grades progress, the work becomes more specialized according to subject. I don’t believe that we can expect every teacher to be proficient at every subject. I learned more from teachers who KNEW more about what they were teaching-and if they LOVED that particular subject, it was a bonus for all of us.
May I give one sad example heard from a friend who teaches at a Catholic high school? She was originally from Canada-spoke French like a native, taught the subject for years, and every year took her students on a tour of France. The school ran low on money-the choice was to retain the French class, or begin a Spanish class. We all know Spanish is getting rammed down our kids’ throats, like it or not. My friend couldn’t speak a word of Spanish. She & her sister were supporting an elderly, disabled mother and an old family house-neither woman ever married because their mom needed them so. My friend needed her job so bad that SHE offered to teach the Spanish class, not knowing a word! She took the total immersion type classes and when school started, she was able to stay far enough ahead of her students to be able to teach them. The school dropped the Spanish class the next year and re-instated the French class. I tell you this to show that for many of our teachers, that job is all that stands between them and the unemployment line, & its best for students to have the BEST teachers in their particular fields, instead of forcing teachers to learn a little about EVERY class but being an expert in none but their original specialty. The "jack of all trades" analogy….:)
References :