| Author |
Message |
Ann Roberts (Gym_teacher)
New member
Username: Gym_teacher
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - 4:13 pm: |       |
Does anyone teach in a school where all the teachers in one grade level have plan and their
students are in Art,Music, and PE? The teachers at my school would like to "block" a set time for their specials everyday. This gives the classroom teachers common plan time and therefore better student achievement. |
Paula Summit (Summit5)
Moderator
Username: Summit5
Post Number: 120
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, October 26, 2006 - 12:42 pm: | |
When I was teaching 4 years ago, my elementary school did the "block" scheduling to accomodate grade level meeting/common planning time during specials. The problems that resulted was decreased PE time for the students...every other day instead of 3 times a week and the teachers picked up their classes late when the principal had meetings with them and sometimes ran over time. |
Jay Thatcher (Jay_thatcher)
Junior Member
Username: Jay_thatcher
Post Number: 2
Registered: 1-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2008 - 5:39 pm: | |
My school does this (the common prep time, not all the Rx scams) every Friday. Each classroom teacher has a prep with others of her/his grade level once in two weeks. The music teacher, computer lab assistant, library assistant and I manage the rotation of students between our areas.
Student focus on PE suffers with this schedule, as each of them must adjust to multiple differing expectations and learning environments with no chance to root her/himself back in the regular classroom.
I like supporting the work of my colleagues and their use of new curricula, but it is lots of work for me.
I have a typical 30 minute schedule on Monday--Thursday. The classroom teachers drop students off and collect their charges at the end of my PE class. If I didn't have this, I wouldn't be as supportive of the rotation schedule. |
Sherry Bourbeau (Sherry_bourbeau)
Junior Member
Username: Sherry_bourbeau
Post Number: 3
Registered: 4-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, April 27, 2008 - 6:43 am: | |
I have been in a situation where my students K-5 were involved in block. It was a nightmare because the students went to 5 back-to-back 30-35 minute special classes. It was like expecting Kindergarteners to handle Junior High. You can just imagine the problems. Also, this meant all of the planning time specials were able to help give the classroom teacher was basically all on one day. This year I am only 3rd-5th and my students are only involved in a 2-class back-to-back block. Those classes are 45 minutes long. I see the other classes at that grade level at other times during the week in a non-block situation. This has been wonderfulfor the special teachers and the classroom teachers as well. If your school is talking block I would advise you to do everything you can to keep the number of blocked classes in a row to only 2. |
