School Resumes

August.  Teachers are returning to begin another school year, kids not quite yet.  After 40 years in this business I have some thoughts about how we start school.  And silly me, I will share them.

We spend an inordinate amount of time shutting down and starting up school years.  Each spring teachers have to pack up and take down all their stuff in addition to finalizing grades, etc.  Then in August teachers have to unpack and set up all their stuff.  Teachers see the classroom they are in as “their” classroom so they will knock themselves out to make the room appropriate for the grade and subject.  No other major enterprise spends time shutting down and starting up every year like schools do.  The main reason for the shutdown is custodial.  Summer is the time of deep cleaning.  But I have always thought just letting teachers secure their stuff where it is makes more sense than a total shutdown.  Custodians can work around and still get the rooms clean.

Teachers want time to work in their rooms. Not only for all the start-up unpacking, but to plan.  In a matter of days kids will show up and teachers are expected to have something for them to do, like learn.  Cannot expect teachers to do that well if we do not give them time to prepare.

Things that are a total waste of time during this pre-school season include motivational speakers, faculty meetings regarding handbooks and opening day procedures, etc.  Ask a teacher who the motivational speaker was a year ago and they likely will not remember, much less remember the message.  Two years ago?  Forget it.  Save the money and give teachers more supply money.  Faculty meetings are for principals, not teachers.  Going over the rules in a large group is crazy.  Treat teachers like professionals.  Simply say that teachers are expected to read and understand the employee handbook, the student handbook and the student code of conduct.  If a teacher has a question, email a principal.  New teachers should have buddies to help them digest all the most boring text in the world, found in those handbooks.

There will likely be a lot of whoo-rah regarding the kick off of the football season.  Band may get mentioned.  Volleyball, cheerleaders, dance team etc., may get mentioned.  But make no mistake this is about extracurricular events and mostly football.  That’s all fine and dandy, but school systems should celebrate teachers every bit as much as they do head coaches.

Administrators, or counselors, or somebody, will put together a schedule for the coming year.  That typically takes hours and hours.  But in no way does it compare with the days and months teachers will live that schedule.  Always seemed to me that teachers should have a voice in those schedules.  I know some may want first period off so they can come late, or lunch conference so they can leave campus every day, but the vast majority of teachers are professional and they know what works and what doesn’t.  Failure to ask the practitioners on this and other topics demeans teachers and the profession.

Teaching is the most important job in the school system and should be treated as such.  They hold the only position that requires a substitute when they are absent and that should say something.  Involve them in decision making.  Ask them their opinion.  Focus the pre-school time on promoting their planning and success.  Soon enough, kids will arrive and we must count on teachers for the remainder of the year to get the job done.  Teaching is a very private act that occurs behind closed doors with a group of kids and one adult.  We must trust teachers to do their job.  That job is critical to the future of our nation.  That job is teaching for learning for every kid in the system.  How important is that?  Wow.

I wish all my teacher friends a great start to the coming year.  I wish all my administrator friends peace and support.  Educators can help each other be successful or create roadblocks to success.  Find the roadblocks and eliminate them.

Have a great year!