Taking care of 7 periods

[MiddleSchoolMoe]

Hey, I'm new and I have a question. I was teaching part time at a school. I got offered full-time and accepted. However, the job requires me to teach without a prep period for 7 periods a day. I'm managing 195 students. Most of my classes are of reasonable size. The funny thing is that a language arts class of 21 students is giving me the most hassle. What are some things I can do to get them motivated to learn and just basically keep their mouths shut?

[wig]

I write on the board exactly what I plan to cover in class. The last thing on the list is "assignment". If all goes well, there is usually enough time to get most if not all of the assignment done in class.

My "rule" is that I will not compete with the class. The minute anyone starts to talk out of turn, I stop teaching until it is quiet. Whatever doesn't get done in class is homework. The next day there is a quiz based on the homework. With my students it didn't have to happen too many times before students wer "shushing" the talkers.

RE: seven periods without a break: Are you in a public school? Do you belong to a union? My son teaches a full day without a planning period in a high school. However he gets compensated for it.

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

I assume laws are different than in the US and that you are in a foreign situation, or private school situation here. Otherwise, your contract says you get a duty free lunch and a prep period. Check with your union rep. They are there to protect new teachers from situations like yours (need the job and will do what it takes) where principals try to take advantage of new teacher desperation for a job.

I love teaching, but I'm a FIRM supporter of admin fulfilling their end of the contract as they expect me to. And, at least in public schools in the US go, you have a planning period.

EDIT: I see you are in California - SPEAK TO YOUR UNION REP TODAY!!! Like wig said, unless you are being compensated for it, you do not HAVE to. Even if you are compensated, don't feel you HAVE TO say yes to it.

[Mr. H]

Aside form the 7 periods, no prep. which you are going to take care of today :D , make sure the students know what you are expecting of them and what the consequences are for not meeting the expectation. I always remind students that they are going to be tested on the information in class and if they really screw around in class, they'll have to come to 'tutorial' which is usually at lunch or after school workshops/study hall for language students.

Just out of curiosity, is your more challenging class around lunch time? The two 'squirrelliest' classes for me have been the ones flanking lunch hour. The one before lunch is anxious and the one after lunch is charged. I'm glad they're also the smaller classes. Age group really comes into play as well.. the one before class is predominantly frosh and the one after juniors and seniors.

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

Final period has been the worst class for my school over the past 4 years. Guess it depends on the area.

[kat22]

I know what you are going through- do you teach at a private school

[wig]

I know what you are going through- do you teach at a private school

I teach seven periods (seven different preps) with one planning period and duty free lunch every other day. It is doable, but VERY time consuming. (parochial school). BUT if you are in a public school, that is not supposed to happen. This is what unions are supposed to help prevent. My son gets paid very well for teaching seven periods (3 preps) with no planning period, but it was his choice.

[Unregistered]

I teach 8 different courses with no prep. This is my first teaching job and although I find it consuming I don't mind. At times, you need to decide which courses are easiest to 'wing' now and then in order to make the other courses a bit better. And for me, I am unable to spend a lot of time on differentiating the lessons - especially since I often teach two totally different courses at the same time. However it is doable.
I teach at a private school and often times I wonder at all the complaints that I hear from public school teachers - about not enough prep, not enough funding, etc. I am a first year teacher and able to survive; I think a lot of teachers are being spoiled.

[Unregistered]

I would like to know how much time you spend at home on grading and lesson plans. Also, are you married and do you have children? As a 26 year teacher, I find the idea of "winging" classes, actually an appropriate discriptor is unavailable to express my disgust at that concept. Maybe this attitude is what is causing our students to perform so poorly on a global scale. I do not see how anyone can give the students what they need under such circumstances. Walk in the shoes of a highly qualified teacher before calling anyone spoiled.

[Chocolate_New_Orleans]

until you have classes and no preps, don't get so preachy there.

Of course the O.P. never responded to the questions if they were at a private school or if they got compensated for the extra class, but it sounds like they are in a private school to me.
If that notion disgusts you, which it does me too, the gripe is not with the teacher, but with the school who is making the teacher teach without a planning.

[LoneStar]

As a 26 year teacher, I find the idea of "winging" classes, actually an appropriate discriptor is unavailable to express my disgust at that concept. Maybe this attitude is what is causing our students to perform so poorly on a global scale. I do not see how anyone can give the students what they need under such circumstances. Walk in the shoes of a highly qualified teacher before calling anyone spoiled.

I've got more experience than you, and at times I "wing it" -- because if you know your kids, you know what will work for 47 minutes of the day. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Have YOU never been caught unprepared where something didn't go as planned, setting all of your good intentions totally off kilter, and then you yourself had to "wing it"? Spare me, and spare the rest of us, too, who have ever walked in front of a classroom.

The issue here is not the planning, per se. I see it as the requirement to teach a full course load with no allocated planning period (which, from what I was to understand in public education in every state, is against the law).

Give us some insight rather than a holier-than-thou attitude. I've been there, done that, by 4 years on you.

[Unregistered]

My first year of teaching (elementary public school) my grade level did not have planning periods because the admin scheduled meetings during those time slots. We attended meetings during roughly 4-5 planning periods a week plus 3-4 afterschool meetings. In retrospect I realize this wasn't legal, but at the time no one objected because everyone on that grade level team was a brand new teacher.

The principal lacked leadership ability and was constantly afraid that she was not in control of her subordinates. To compensate for this she insisted on an excessive number of meetings (some planned, some emergency). I suppose she felt more in control if she could micromanage how people used their time. At the end of the year the district let her go. Comparing the year before last to last year (my 2nd year of teaching) I can definately say that having a planning period improves the overall quality of lessons taught-and our higher test scores reflect that.