I know teachers who go into school to work on the weekend. While I grant that that's better than bringing work home with you, it's still something I can't bring myself to do. I'll stay after school to get work done, but won't give up my weekends.
What do other teachers think?
17 comments:
I don't go into the school on weekends, mostly because our school is alarmed and I cannot. But, if it were open, I would only go in to set up any labs, or do general tidy since I bail ASAP on fridays.
why not? students have hw over the weekend, most combined with jobs too....why shouldn't teachers have hw over the weekend, which is for their job?
You must teach math.
Scott, I asked teachers what they thought. You're not a teacher, so you don't get input here :-) But fine, let's address your points anyway.
I didn't assign any homework this weekend.
If I had given an assignment, students aren't compelled to do it over the weekend.
I was a student once, too, suffering all the indignities you claim (and more, considering where I went to school).
I don't agree with "summer reading lists", though. School isn't even in session; teachers shouldn't be assigning work over the summer.
therefore, the teachers who assign work on the weekends should have to return during the weekend to do some work; whereas teachers who dont assign work over the weekend, get the weekend free.
....but that's just in my world
Scott
I take it from your article you’re a student, aka a kid. Let me add a few things to what my friend Darren listed:
Students have a full time job that takes priority over their part time jobs. It’s called school. Until you’re graduated and out on your own, that is what you do.
Most students don’t have children to raise, mortgages to pay, houses to keep up, car (s) to maintain, a possible second job (e.g. reserves/national guard) or work on advanced education (e.g. master’s degree) to name a few time killers. Students have to get thorough school so focus on that. In a few years when real life bites you in the ass you will realize how easy school was. The experience is sometimes known as Reality Therapy.
I can't really stay after school as I have school aged children that I don't want to leave home alone for very long, plus they have activities I have to get them to (soccer, baseball, etc) that start at 4:30.
As an Honors English teacher, I definitely have to bring work home many days and most weekends. 165 essays don't grade themselves. While I have students peer edit with partners, I still have to look at the finished products. If I spend between 5-10 minutes per paper, that translates to anywhere from 13 to over 20 hours of grading time.
Being only a second year teacher, I find myself at school not every, but most every, weekend. For some reason I have yet to become quick enough to do all my grading during the week. The hour before school everyday is planning, planning period is business in the building, and after school activities keep me busy for at least 2 hours afterwords four days a week. 10 hours a day, and I can't get it all done. I realize it's a lack of efficiency, but I refuse to take it home.
Perhaps I'm inferring incorrectly, but I'm getting the sense that some think I'm faulting teachers who go in on weekends. I'm not at all--it's just not something I'm willing to do, except on the rarest of occasions.
I teach at an international school in Indonesia and to be honest, there are few precious moments in the day when I am not preparing, creating, or otherwise giving up my time for the school and my students.
Its a Christian school so my work is also my ministry so perhaps its a little different, but I'll tell you want. More and more I am leaving the cell phone in the office at home, not turning on the computer and playing with my boys more.
I live across the street from the school. Yet, I don't venture in on the weekends because, like you said, that's my time.
The first 5 years of my teaching career I spent A LOT of time at school on the weekends & holidays. I needed large chunks of uninterrupted time to do my best planning. There came a day during my 6th year of teaching that I had the confidence & wisdom to know that if I am doing "all I can do" in a week, then that is enough. I have my sanity, rest & quality down time on the weekends. I still work extra hours during the week as I need to, but seem to be more efficient in my planning - remembering that while we strive for ideals, we live in reality. I realize that "it doesn't have to be perfect to be perfect." I'm new to this site - appreciate the topics. (c:
Another note for Scott: Us adults, who've left the swaddling arms of academia, also do not get summer break, spring break, Christmas break, nor in-service days.
I'm not a teacher, so I can't speak for them, but I'm personally on my 6th straight year with no vacation whatsoever. They don't pay me to work weekends, so I rarely do.
School-related work on weekends? Not only no, but Hell No!
Just to note; i'm not a high schooler.
I'm a full time student at the University of Arizona with 19 units per semester just HOPING that i'll graduate in the 4 year mark; along with a full time employee on a high-rise campus theatre throwing in 14-18 hour shifts per day just so i can BARELY pay high tuition costs (~$25,000/academic year)....
trust me....life is biting me in the ass...and you can see why i'm against weekend homework.
luckily, my professors for the past few semesters are/were all against homework on weekends (except essays which were assigned months in advance)
Hate to say this, but college is still easier than real life, and I was a 21 unit/semester physics major who had to pay her own everything.
My profs were of the Arbeit Macht Frei philosophy. Weekends were their chance to have us concentrate on their incredibly important material without the distraction of those *other* professor's irrelevant classes. Unfortunately, they all thought that way. That's physics for you.
OK Scott let me get this straight. You are old enough to make your own decisions, sign contracts, purchase a vehicle or real estate although and die for your country but not old enough by law to purchase a handgun or have a drink (something I problem with but that’s another story for another day).
And you made a decision to go to a university where you will have to pay high rates (from what you’re writing I’m assuming you are an out of stater) and going into a program what will take a lot of you time. Again, I assume you wanted to do this.
Now you made the decision. Don’t complain of the repercussions of your decision. Live with it and go on. Hoping that other people are going through tough times won’t change the circumstances of your life.
And I will second Erica…going out into the real world will be bring much greater challenges.
Because art projects are difficult to bring home and accelerated block makes for lots of grading, I go up most Sunday afternoons. And I am not alone. It seems that every new report or software application or test brings more people to work off the clock.
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