MIDDLE SCHOOL: What Specific Actions / Changes Would Result in a Higher Rating for the Following Categories? by Shani Wood

2025-01-13 16:55:51 UTC

This year, pay increases based on evaluations or job performance were removed. Why should we do anything other than the bare minimum? I am motivated by $$. No chance at $$ means no motivation.

2025-01-13 17:00:14 UTC

To piggyback on the last comment, It seems impossible to get a 4 on performance reviews. it is doable to receive a four for individual competencies, but to receive a four overall, I don't think I've ever heard of anybody doing that.

Key Teaching Tools Taken Away

2025-01-13 17:04:38 UTC

I feel frustrated that Reading Plus, A To Z reading, Reading Eggs were taken away this school year, all of which were effective and helpful tools for teaching reading. Freckle reading is horrible for students who have not yet learned their letter sounds. Also, Pearson used to send letter tiles to students in the primary (lower elementary) graders. This was a key component to giving some Hands-On activity to learning how to read.

Not All Things Considered

cblystone — 2025-01-13 17:04:45 UTC

I believe the attempt to even out workloads this year had the best of intentions, but didn't take into account all aspects that impact the actual workload. For instance, having more students but only teaching one grade level is significantly easier to accomplish than having fewer students but teaching multiple grade levels. The parts not taken into account include: two to three times the number of Lesson Intro Pages to create and add to sections, two to three times the number of sections, two to three times the number of LLs to prep for, message boards, and on and on.

This isn't to say that the workload with more students and only one grade level is easier, but it is much more manageable. On the flip side, I also recognize the need to have multiple teachers for the same subject in terms of planning and teaching LLs. It is tricky, it is messy, and in the end, there really is no way to make everyone happy.

The simplest way to fix this is to have two teachers per grade level per subject. However, there simply is not the funding for this, nor the student enrollment to justify this option. Until then, I believe that allowing content teams to work together in planning and prepping is the best option versus just a student numbers game.

Get Togethers by Region

2025-01-13 17:09:26 UTC

At one point, I thought our school was talking about having regional informal get togethers for teachers and staff. It doesn't need to be anything fancy, but would be nice to be able to meet at a coffee shop on a Saturday or do an in person walk. Teachers need in person socialization too.

A Place to Put Accomplishments. Aha Moments and Glints of Sunshine

2025-01-13 17:16:16 UTC

Maybe supervisor IAs would be a good place for teachers to mention bright spots in their week. Another idea would be to have a Google form where teachers can anonymously mention great things that have happened during the week, accomplishments, aha moments and high points for the week. These comments can be added to the WACA weekly or monthly. This can help teachers to feel valued, and will help them to focus on the positive.

2025-01-24 19:10:13 UTC

I don't feel that this year has been a good one. My workload has double and almost tripled. I don't feel that a plan was set up to make the workload manageable and the job has been changed over and over throughout this year. Setting up for Staff failure. Even evaluations show that the set up was to have you fail with no steps in place or plans designed for support staff and the changes in the job. The workload have been overflowing since October and it just gets to be more and more each month with no help insight.