A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 6)

In response to the post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long,” an assistant principal writes:

This is interesting. The teachers’ reactions do not surprise me. According to my principal, people typically resist change. I agree.

What you should do is create some kind of chaos, like distracting them or redirecting them, then make the changes you want. Then you can recognize their hard work and soothe their ego's. You will soon see some great ideas at work!

SC Response

There will be many that will see your comment as a primer on how to manipulate people. But actually it is not. One of the secrets to managing change is to focus on small improvements and then celebrate the quick victories. This in turn builds confidence in the staff to try new things.

There is a campus that I am working with right now. The campus was supposed to be remodeled over the summer. The work is still not finished. Classrooms assignments and schedules have already been changed a number of times as the teachers and students move to avoid the construction. However, morale is through the roof. As the staff solves new and novel problems everyday, they get more excited.

Why? Because, in the grand scheme of things, how tough is it to get your grades in on time, when you have already moved your classroom three times in two months. A little chaos can be a good thing. As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 5)

In response to the post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long,” a teacher writes:

I could not disagree with your philosophy more. Try adding about 20 hours to the amounts you have stated above and you might reach the number of hours a teacher puts in of his or her own time. I love my job, my avocation, but the truth is this: I am contracted by my district to work a certain number of hours and I go way over that amount already at no additional pay.

My family does come first, and we are being "prepped and paper-worked" to death this year by new arbitrary concepts, philosophies, etc. that take away from our planning hours and time we need to prepare lessons and be effective teachers. We are being pulled out of class for meetings during the day (sub days), which are detrimental to our students. All in the name of what?

Please do not insult us and tell us how many hours we work and what should come first in our lives. We are actually in the classroom right now, and we are better judges of that than you are.

SC Response

Again, I in no way was attempting to make the claim that teachers only work 60 hours a week. I was pointing out that as a rule, effective teachers work at least 60 hours a week, and attempted to show how those hours are allocated. But let’s be reasonable, 80 hours a week would require over 11 hours of work a day, 7 days a week. This does not happen on a continuous basis. But I think we both agree that there are a lot of hours involved.

I will argue that if you are a professional, on salary, that you are not contracted for a specific number of hours a day. You are contracted to do the work as assigned. I know that is not warm and fuzzy, but it is the truth.

I cannot address the specifics of what is occurring on your campus. I would just hope that the concepts and philosophies that are being introduced on your campus are directly related to improving student performance.

I apologize for insulting you, for that was not my intent. My intent was to validate that teaching is a time intensive endeavor. My intent was to point out that there are ways we can work more efficiently, which at the very least reduces stress. And my intent was to point out that if you don’t love this job, I don’t know if the renumeration justifies the time that you will spend on it.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 4)

In response to the post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long,” a teacher writes:

I do not mind giving my time because it is the right thing to do. But I feel demanding hours without paying people is unjust. How will we ever get the bright and the best to teach? Is satisfaction from helping children enough to let your own families suffer? I want it all the best of everything.

SC Response
Good comment. I do recognize that the discussion of hours is more personal to teachers than other professionals in our field. Additionally, there is no question that teachers do the majority of the heavy lifting in education. I will not say that they are the lowest paid, because that is not always the case. As a young AP, there were a number of teachers on my campus that were paid more than me. As a young principal, there were teachers and AP’s that made more than me.

But, as professional educators, we are not hourly employees. We essentially agree that for a set amount of money, we will complete a job to the satisfaction of those paying us. Unfortunately, there are two external factors that make this arrangement feel more and more unfair.

1. Teachers are paid essentially the same. Yet all teachers do not work in equally difficult settings and all teachers are not equally effective.

2. We continue to vote for politicians that demand increased services from schools without making corresponding investments in those same schools.

If you are one of the best and the brightest, at some level, you recognize this and you make one of two decisions. Either avoid the profession, or assign significant value to the intrinsic rewards the profession provides.

As an advocate for public education, I work everyday to improve what we do. I work to make systems more efficient and people more effective and I vote for those who are willing to invest in schools (a difficult task this past election). By doing so, I hope make the profession more appealing and rewarding.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 3)

In response to the post, “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long,” a teacher writes:

So if you have children at home that you are have to leave with a babysitter, when they reach school age will they act out and have behavioral problems because their mommy or daddy were never at home with them when they were awake?

SC Response

Again, my argument is that effective teachers work a lot of hours. As do effective lawyers, doctors, accountants and entrepreneurs. It seems to be a hallmark of being considered a profession.

My work (avocation) is to make the long hours that teachers put in as effective and efficient as possible.

The individual has to decide if the profession can co-exist with the family life that he or she desires. This same decision applies to any job or profession. Which brings me back to my avocation / vocation premise. If teaching is your avocation, the intrinsic rewards offset the hours, stress and time away from family. If it is your vocation, the extrinsic rewards can be considered low and the intrinsic rewards mean little.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long - Part 1 & 2)

The same reader/writer submitted the following two comments.

Mr. Cain,

I commented on this blog (Yes, I Know the Hours are Long) yesterday, yet I see you refuse to post my comments. Are you afraid that the readers of this blog might actually agree with me about the extreme hours, over the top demands by administration, and piling on of concept after concept, all at the expense of actually being able to teach? I see that 3 people disagree with your blog while only 2 agree. Can you not post comments from someone who doesn't agree with you?

SC Response

First of all, I appreciate the fact that you are reading the blog. However, by the tone of your comment, I have to assume that you are fairly new to the LYS forum. Based on that assumption, I’ll explain how I deal with reader submissions. In general, I post comments on a first come, first served basis. So it takes about two to three weeks for a comment to post. Which is why the topics seem to be presented in waves. Occasionally, some comments will be moved up in the order, because of interest, timeliness, or as in your case, there is a contrary view.

Second, as for a suggested “fear of disagreement,” there is none.

Third, as long time readers and true LYS’ers know, this is the arena of ideas. May the best idea win.

Fourth, debate is healthy and hones the intellect by fostering critical thought. This blog began as a vehicle for a handful of progressive school leaders (the old school LYS’ers) to discuss, vent and debate on topics relating to operating an effective school or school district.

Fifth, I sign my initials at the start of every one of my comments. If I write it, I stand behind it until new information or experiences revise my thinking. I do not hide behind an anonymous posting. I do not believe that is what a true leader or a person of conviction would do.

Now for your original comment, which has been moved up in the rotation (along with all the submitted comments relating to post in question).

Think. Work. Achieve.

In response to the post “Yes, I Know the Hours are Long,” a teacher writes:

Mr. Cain - your numbers are way, way off. We put in about twice the hours you have noted in your chart. Yes, I agree that this is a job I love, but we have had so many changes piled on us this year (your program being one of them), that the stress level of our school is off the charts. I would LOVE to have the time to completely devote to teaching and preparing for my students, but all of our time this year (almost every planning hour, after school hours, etc.) is being swallowed by strategies, theories, concepts and meetings (during the day which requires a sub) that we have absolutely NO time left to breathe. My mental and physical health are very important when facing 155 students every day, and that is being compromised this year by theories, theories, theories. Don't try to make us feel bad because we have families and outside lives when we are devoting many more hours to our jobs than you give us credit for. Dare I say, yes, my family does come first in my life, but that doesn't mean I don't love teaching also.

SC Response

First, in my post I illustrate that to do the job well requires a minimum of 60 hours a week. I did not imply that teachers work only 60 hours a week. However, a claim of 120 hours per week is hard to support.

I do empathize with your struggle to implement new practices. Any change can be difficult and stressful. Though I cannot address the specifics of your campus, I can address the specifics of the training and support provided by Lead Your School. At the classroom level we emphasize the execution of a common scope and sequence (a foundation practice), the use of short-term common assessments (a foundation practice) and the reflective implementation of five fundamental instructional practices. Yes, it can be stressful when first working on this, but to not do so is to decide to be purposefully ineffective. From your statements, I do not believe that you fall in this category.

Though you may be in the “fake it until you make it" mode, I doubt that your students are being harmed by education theory. What harms students is the failure to attempt to apply theory and best practice in the classroom.

In no way was I attempting to make effective teachers feel bad. I was validating that exceptional teachers work exceptional hours. I was validating that teacher hours are long in every setting. And I was attempting to point out that if one entered the profession because they thought that the hours would be easy, then they chose the wrong profession.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...