Gwinnett county teachers returned to school today, bright and early, after having two glorious months off from work. A week before kids come back, teachers come together to plan...or rather...attend meeting after meeting. Don't believe me? Here's exactly how this first day went...
7:30 - 9:30 a.m. - We met at nearby Norcross High School to hear John Antonetti give a funny and entertaining speech about his years as a classroom teacher. But the real message here was about rigor and how teachers can challenge their students to think and solve problems. Not just recall what they've memorized.
9:30 - 10:00 a.m. - Travel time back to our own school.
10:00 - 11:30 a.m. - This time was originally meant for teachers to work in their rooms, to prepare for the first day with students, but a last minute meeting was called to teach us how to use our "new" online gradebook. Mind you, we had a new gradebook application about three years ago. And. We'll probably get another "new" gradebook to learn in another three. I'm really not trying to be facetious. The funny thing is, while we were in this meeting, there were at least three announcements, summoning teachers elsewhere.
11:30 - 1:00 p.m. - Lunch was served to us in the cafeteria while we were introduced to all the new hires, and we also got to hear a video message from our superintendent of schools. Side note. The food, which was catered by Taqueria Del Mar, was delicious!
1:00 - 3:30 p.m. - Grade level meeting for all teachers. We went over many, many things including student uniform policy, technology use, lockers, tardies, hallway transitions, parent contact, restroom use for whole class, etc. etc.
The point is, there is a lot to cover before the start of every school year. There is really no way around all these meetings. They are vital to ensure adequate communication, so the year runs smoothly. My heart truly goes out to all the new teachers. This week can be overwhelming for even veteran teachers, so I can only imagine how new teachers feel. And that is why I always make time to set up my classroom the week before teachers have to report to work.
After doing this for several years, I know what to expect this week. And that lets me have realistic expectations. It really is just the nature of our business. All that aside, I'm really looking forward to this year. It's a tough job, but teaching can be so rewarding.
Welcome back teachers!
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