Teaching High School: Sharing a Room

Educators

A School Yard Blog
Apple Core
AssortedStuff - Exactly What It Says!
Blog of a math teacher
Brand new to the blog
A researcher of the blogging community.
Doug's On-Line Journal
EduBlog Insights
Educational Bloggers' Network
Educational Weblogs
Blogs and information compiled by Al Delgado.
Folkbum's Rambles and Rants
Jeremy Hiebert's headspaceJ -- Instructional Design and Technology
Joanne Jacobs
Making Contact
Ms. Frizzle
Nobody Knows Anything
ReformK12.com: Education Reform is NOT Rocket Science!
Teacher, Teacher
The Shifted Librarian
Twilight
Weblogg-ed Vol.2: Using Weblogs in Education
Write It

Other Blogs of Note

Educator Readings

Gotham Writers' Workshop: Writing Fiction: The Practical Guide from New York's Acclaimed Creative Writing School
As much as I would love to take on of the courses online with this book, this book is much cheaper ($15 vs $350) and possibly will be just as good.
William Glasser: The Quality School: Managing Students Without Coercion
I saw Glasser speak a few years ago. Just as powerful in person as this book is in your lap and then in your mind.
Neil Postman: The End Of Education : Redefining the Value of School
From the back of the book: "...today's schools promote the false 'gods' of economic utility, consumerism, technology, or ethnic separatism and resentment."
W. James Popham: The Truth About Testing: An Educator's Call to Action
Shows much more than I thought possible about the dangers of too much testing. (*****)
Martin L. Gross: The Conspiracy of Ignorance: The Failure of American Public Schools
This affirms for me many thoughts I have had about the public schooling system in the US. (*****)

Blog powered by Typepad
Member since 08/2003

Subscribe to this blog's feed

Site Tracking

« "You're Not Special" | Main | Seating Arrangements »

Monday, February 23, 2004

Sharing a Room

A bit of a problem here, and it's a problem I've been having all year:

How can I tell a colleague that she needs to leave when I am in that room to teach?

Monday, February 23, 2004 at 06:29 PM in Building/Staff | Permalink

Comments

I had the same problem the first two years I taught when I worked from a library cart pushed between five different rooms. Both years there was a teacher who stayed in the room while I was teaching (different people each year). My first year I put up with it until a colleague suggested that I simply ask them to leave. It worked in both cases, although the first one was not too happy about it.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

Posted by: Tim | Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at 06:00 AM

Ask politely. I would hope that none of your colleagues would be so dense as to refuse a polite request. But if you don't ask first, you'll never know how she'll react.

You can always consult Dale Carnegie for tips on how to word that request...

Posted by: Vito Prosciutto | Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at 05:21 PM

Get a spell checker.

Posted by: John P. | Tuesday, February 24, 2004 at 07:23 PM

Oooooo. I hate that.

I was teaching a class last semester in a room that belonged to another teacher the rest of the day, and she would come in all the time. Drove me nuts. ...I just don't work well feeling like what I'm doing is being judged that way.

Didn't help that the class was an...interesting...mix of characters.

Posted by: Curiosity | Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 04:39 PM

Oooooo. I hate that.

Didn't help that the class was an...interesting...mix of characters.

Posted by: Curiosity | Wednesday, April 21, 2004 at 04:43 PM

I guess I'll throw in the flipside of this debate. My room is used by another teacher during 1 period of the day because he is a floater. I hate having to share my room as much as he hates having to go from room to room and use other peoples. I'm sure I get on his nerves coming in and out, but it's my conference period and I use it to get work done that I may not otherwise get done. Most of my work has to be done in my classroom because lugging all of my things around isn't usually possible.

And to the person who said to ask her to leave. I think that is pretty rude considering the teacher may have things they need to get done like I mentioned before. Unless the teacher is a distraction to the students, I don't see the harm in the teacher staying in her room.

Posted by: Lori | Monday, May 03, 2004 at 08:30 PM

Lori,
While I can appreciate your flip side view, I feel it is very short sighted, and frankly very rude.

I am certain you get on his nerves. Just because it is your conference period does not entitle you to be able to come and go. During that hour it is HIS room, much like it is MY room during the hour I speak about.

Where do you think he gets his work done? How does he get his stuff around? Does he lug it around as you mention you don't feel is possible? Does he come in to your room during HIS conference period because most/some of his work has to be done in the classroom?

Whether the teacher staying is a distraction to the students is irrelevant; if s/he is a distraction to the teacher trying to conduct class than s/he should absolutely leave.

And calling another professional teacher a "floater"? Doesn't that just make him seem like a lesser form of teacher, not good enough, etc.?

Please think about these things before you continue in "your" classroom when it is his teaching period.

Posted by: Butterfly Gemini | Monday, May 03, 2004 at 09:07 PM

Interesting post. I currently work as a substitute teacher and I always find it nerveracking when there is another teacher present. I just feel like they are judging everything that I am doing. As soon as they're gone everything is so much easier.

Posted by: Gustavo | Sunday, January 16, 2005 at 11:45 PM

I am a "floating teacher" who luckily shares a classroom with a great roommate. On occasion I have had to "pop in" and pick something up while my roomie is teaching and there have been times when he has had to come in as well. At times, we have both stayed in the classroom while the other is teaching. As long as you are not a distraction, I do not see the harm in staying in the room. As far as feeling uncomfortable with having another teacher in the room while you are teaching, think of it as good practice for when you will be observed by an administrator.

Posted by: Chris | Friday, February 25, 2005 at 08:50 AM

This references the post by Chris...
I just wanted to say that the whole "practice for an administrator" idea is silly. I have nothing to prove to other teachers who may or may not gossip about me and the job they think I'm doing. Administrators have a job to do when they observe me. That's why they're there and, consequently, they tend to be professional about it. A fellow teacher has no right to make me uncomfortable and compromise my teaching the class because they don't want to be inconvenienced during a conference period. Teaching is difficult enough; why bring so much gravity to the classroom and scare away new "floating" teachers. Finding teachers is hard as it is. You're clearly doing more harm than good (otherwise these other professionals wouldn't take such issue with it), and as a courtesy, I think "hosting" teachers should accommodate other teachers and respect their rights to space. After all, you'd hate it if it were done to you, and I hardly think you'd compare another teacher's imposition as "practice."

Posted by: Rebecca | Monday, June 19, 2006 at 10:15 PM

Posted by: 40inchplus | Monday, June 18, 2007 at 09:59 AM

Chantix, Chantix, Chantix. Why so popular? The answer to this often asked question is that Chantix directly works on the nicotine receptor brain cells and induces the same feeling as one does while smoking. Not to mention the care it takes in doing away with the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Now tell me, why will it not be popular?

Posted by: chantix | Thursday, September 20, 2007 at 11:38 PM

One isn't necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential.
Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.
adipex
http://adipexadipexonl.blog.ijijiji.com

Posted by: overnight adipex | Tuesday, September 16, 2008 at 07:42 PM

The New Orleans Airlift supports and sustains New Orleans art and culture by facilitating artistic opportunities for the city’s artists domestically and abroad. The Airlift also extends an invitation to host selected foreign artists in New Orleans. Imported artist's collaborations with locals helps to put New Orleans on the map as a dynamic contemporary arts destination. Online university China | curriculum and instruction undergraduate diploma

Posted by: Markweee | Monday, August 16, 2010 at 02:05 AM

The comments to this entry are closed.

About

Book Crossing

Have old books? Join Book Crossing and have some fun tracking where your books go.

Teaching High School

...the funny things kids say (which is better than chronicling all the stuff that makes you mad)...