Dear, we are teachers,
This year, our district introduced a new curriculum with aggressive pacing guidelines. I was supposed to finish the entire unit in a few days, although my students needed more time to master the material. I felt like I was racing through classes, taking shortcuts, and leaving the kids behind just to “stay on schedule.” It’s not the way I want to teach, but I also don’t want to get in trouble for falling behind. How do I find balance when the pacing guide is completely unrealistic?
——Racing against time
Dear RTC,
Oh my friend. I could have written this question myself. Specifically, 2010-2013.
My best advice? Start collecting your data now. Know exactly what you can achieve, what you cannot achieve, and when. Then, when you check for understanding, collect this data as well.
Present this data to your department chair or academic coach along with your suggestions for what you would like to see. “I’m concerned that this is what we can cover, and this is the outcome. Do you think I could spend more time with my students on more basic concepts and later on more advanced learning spirals?”
That way, you don’t collapse on their couch and say, “I can’t hack this! It’s impossible! What do I do?” You provide indisputable information and a plan to solve the problem. (You also wouldn’t wait for other people to discover the problem, which certainly won’t get a lot of sympathy.)
Don’t fall on the couch on Day 3 of spring standardized testing. You will need it.
Dear, we are teachers,
I just started at a new school this year (my fifth in education) where “community service” is “strongly encouraged” every quarter. You come on Saturday and can choose between outdoor activities like picking up trash, painting, landscaping, and gardening, or indoor activities like helping in the library, sorting supplies for the nurse or front office, and decorating bulletin boards. Sorry, this feels crazy to me and very much like what those pro bono teachers already do, often just from the comfort of their own homes. None of the teachers I spoke to seemed to think it was inappropriate, and they go for it every time. What do you think?
– No Kool-Aid
Dear NDTKA,
OK, I hear you. And you’re not crazy. But what I want to tell you is:
I love my Saturdays. I am very, very protective of teachers’ time. But I’ve worked for three principals If they asked me I would do it in a heartbeat. For me, when I’m led by people I respect and trust, and when I can see firsthand the vision they’re creating, I’m all in.
I encourage you to try it out and see what you think. If it’s painful, at least you tried. But what I can’t stop thinking about is that you haven’t found any teachers complaining about community service. I think a school where teachers work together without a second thought to improve the school community could be a really cool place.
That, or maybe a cult. Please keep us informed.
Dear, we are teachers,
My third grade class had an unnamed “cemetery” and I decorated a basket with construction paper tombstones. When I receive a worksheet without a name, I put it in the graveyard and put a zero in the gradebook as a placeholder. This notifies parents that their child’s grade is missing, prompting students to view the cemetery, write their name on it, and turn it in. This system has always worked for me…until last week. After the report cards were sent out, parents basically started protesting my anonymity policy, even the cemetery, thinking it was too “scary” for third grade. My principal wants to meet next week. Should I prepare to defend myself or eat crow?
——Gravekeeper
Dear G,
My first thought was that a cemetery wouldn’t be too scary for a third grader, but then again, as a kid, I pulled Thinner Stephen King read it off my parents’ bookshelf and thought it would be like goosebumpsso maybe my expectations were a little off. I do think that fun little tricks and traditions are part of what makes teaching so fun and what makes teachers so memorable years later. Perhaps the basket was decorated to resemble a place where documents were lost rather than where death occurred. Corn maze? maze? Those round hangers from Target?
Whatever you decide (and your principal’s advice), I do think the following should be done:
1. Parents should be aware of the anonymity policy long before report cards are released.
This policy needs to be outlined in your syllabus or letter to parents, and make sure you talk about it at open days. Think of this as one way to help students become more accountable for their third-grade homework, and make sure parents know that grades will be updated as soon as the homework is turned in.
2. A few days before report cards are released, meet with the children to learn about their zeros and invite them to check to see if they are among the no-names.
Also, send a mass email to all parents saying, “Hello Parents! The grading deadline is coming up. Today, I met with students who are still missing out on getting their grades. As a reminder, you can view the gradebook in person: https://www.weareteachers.com/behind-the-pacing-guide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=behind-the-pacing-guide. If you have any questions please let me know. ”
3. Compare unknown grades to missing grades yourself.
Yes, even if you meet with kids and send emails to parents, you will still have students who won’t check their missed assignments. Ultimately, grades should reflect a student’s ability at a specific skill, not whether they remembered to write their name.
Finally, always be aware of students with IEPs who may be forgetful, overstimulated, impulsive, or have other factors that make remembering to write their names very difficult (which may be another reason why it may be best to abandon the cemetery imagery).
Do you have a burning question? Please email askweareteachers@weareteachers.com.
Dear, we are teachers,
Our principal recently announced that we can only share “positive feedback” during parent-teacher conferences. If there are any concerns – academic, behavioral or otherwise – we should keep it to ourselves and let parents “enjoy the celebration of their children.” I want to highlight the child’s strengths, but I also believe parents should be honest about how their child is doing. What’s the point of a meeting if I can’t address the growth areas? I feel like I’m being asked to sugarcoat reality, but that’s not for me. How do I balance honesty with respect for the principal’s instructions?
——Positive Prisoner
