Job Discussion Forums

[sock]

The new school year starts tomorrow, and I had good intentions of trying to really improve and make the classes that I teach interesting, until I saw my schedule. Last semester, I was teaching 3 different (elementary school) grades, but this year I see that they want me to teach 7 different grades plus an English corner (which I guess I don't mind). The prep work for the English corner is minimal, but I don't know how they expect me to prep (well) for 7 different classes (with 7 different books)?

Any advice? I know many of you don't do lesson plans, but if I don't, my lessons seem to not work out well. I don't spend a lot of time doing them, but last year we would do a hands-on activity about every other week, which usually involved a lot of prep work for me (buying supplies or building games), but I can't imagine doing that this year for 7 different grades.

Thanks!

[Volodiya]

I feel for you, man. I agree that good preparation works wonders in terms of teacher satisfaction with the result.

I'm preparing three totally different classes, then using portions of those plans for putting together three other classes (which lie, in level, between the three groups), and I feel quite harried enough.

The thinner you're spread, the more adrenaline is circulating and working with too much stress sure takes some of the pleasure away, over time. Good luck with finding a happy medium.

[go_ABs]

Are you saying you are going to teach seven levels once per week + English corner? I mean, do you see these kids more than once a week? For how long?

I've not been teaching very long, but my lesson plans generally take less than fifteen-thirty minutes to prepare. If I have to make resources, maybe that'd be an hour or two. My lessons are forty minutes long. (Primary school, too.)

What I'm saying is, seven lesson plans is a lot compared to three, but might only take you a few hours per week to prepare for all of them, if you see them once a week. If you see them twice or more a week, that's when it starts to get hard!

I've managed to get some classes starting later than others, by which I mean I might teach lesson A one week, then a few weeks later I find myself teaching it again to another class that started after the first. Mheh, that's the nature of private schools.

I think Volodiya has a good point, but even if you can't get the classes learning any of the same content, you could try to have similar themes. Ie a beginner class learns "What's your favourite colour?" and a more advanced class learns "Where's the blue pencil?" or something. The 'colour' theme throughout the classes could result in less resource preparation, and an easier mind-switch if you teach classes one after another. Just a thought.

Good luck! Keep us updated if you come across a fantastic way to do this!

[sigmoid]

How about complaining or saying 'no'?

[bubblebubble]