Reply To: Planning Time

[nafmeadmin]

The March 2011 Orchestra Mentor, fiddle-player Sue, added

I put in hours outside the classroom every day for 35 years. No other way for me. I did get the contractual planning time, which seems to often be less for teachers of younger students than in high schools, never did get that 🙂 I tended to spend the in-school time on the phone (or computer) to parents, in the workroom making copies, or running to the bathroom. Actual PLANNING and completing required paperwork was always before or after the kids were there. I didn’t spend any less time after many years of experience. Often I spent more, in part because I knew so much more about observing/evaluating kids’ needs, and wanted to approach instruction in a diversified way. I just plain had more to do, too. What had been a program of 100 became 120, became 180. What had been a beginner ensemble & one orchestra became three plus this & that… Sue