Extended School Hours

[AKA2D '91]

PADDLE? Say what? It's legal?

[whatchasay_1920]

Originally Posted by AKA2D '91

PADDLE? Say what? It's legal?

I know some places, it still is. The parents have to sign a written consent form, and two or more individuals have to be present when the paddling take places.

Quite frankly, if the parents aren't doing it at home first, then a stranger doing it won't help the matter. It's sending the wrong message to the child.

[pinkies up]

Originally Posted by AKA2D '91

PADDLE? Say what? It's legal?

Yep. I don't paddle the students, the principal does. Yes, they have to have a witness, and I do agree that if we do it at school, it doesn't work if the parents don't care.

[AKA2D '91]

That's how it was done when I was in elem. school. A witness? Everyone must be related in your district.

[MeezDiscreet]

Although some points from the article are theoretically sound, an extended day wouldn't be needed if other problems were fixed like class sizes, resources, inefficient planning periods and consistency of discipline.

When I first started teaching, 7th grade had 3 clusters that consisted of 1 science, 1 history, 1 math and 2 English/Reading teachers. My biggest class was 25 and my smallest was 12. The class of 25 was the GT class and the class of 12 were the lowest in terms of intellect. My smallest class never reached the level that the others did but they showed the most growth because it was easy to control them and I was able to work with them more.

Now, we only have 2 clusters and every class has more than 30; some have 35. It's crazy and some days I wonder if they've learned anything at all. I get so worn out dealing with 100 kids a day that by the time school lets out at 3:15, I feel like I've run a marathon. With that said, there would be no way I could stay until 5:00 teaching because, as one of my students says, the light would go out in my brain.

As for resources, I don't know about other schools and other districts but my students don't even have books assigned to them. We keep a class set and only parents can check out a set of books. I can't assign any work because not every student has the books so I have to spend the 90 minute period doing things that could be done for homework if students had books. It would free up so much time and I could feel as if I accomplished so much more if I could assign a story or a book assignment like we did when I was in school. And of my workbooks that I have, the students can only write in 1 because I have class sets of the others.

I just feel like I have to do so much as it is--meetings on top of meetings, data analysis, reports and other bullisht that having to stay until 5:00 would mean having to find another career.

[Little32]

^^Exactly, and one of my friends who is an elementary school teacher routinely stays at work until 6:00 to grade, prep, etc, though her day ends at 2. An extended day would push her schedule back until 8:00, only to be up a 5 the next morning.

It is no small thing to add two additional hours with 25+ students onto a teacher's already marathon like schedule.

I wonder whether there is potential for other trained and certified teachers to step in?

[Conskeeted7]

My school schedule from kindergarten until 8th grade lasted until 4:30pm. We were in classes a long time, but we didn't know any different because the vast majority of us had never gone to another school. Parents were always able to pick us up because they were usually off of work between 4pm and 5pm. Looking back, I think it was fantastic. We spent more time learning and when we got out of class, we were sent directly to our parents, instead of to video games and unsupervised activity for several hours until the parents got home. I'm pretty sure the teachers at my school were paid comparable wages to others in the district.

[AKA2D '91]

Originally Posted by Conskeeted7

Looking back, I think it was fantastic. We spent more time learning and when we got out of class, we were sent directly to our parents, instead of to video games and unsupervised activity for several hours until the parents got home. I'm pretty sure the teachers at my school were paid comparable wages to others in the district.

What time did school begin? I'm sure it was still the 7.5- 8 hours. Pay is generally uniform across the board in the same district.

Still, if a FAMILY does not VALUE education or deem it as important, teaching kids 12 hours a day means NOTHING. It will only cause (more) teacher frustration and low teacher efficacy, IMO.

[eduakator]

There was no mention about the educators input. It has amazed me that the people held most accountable for the children's education is never asked for a real input. I can't get homework, projects, pencils,etc. to come to school. Maybe with parental input and not sucking up to them the children would learn.

[MeezDiscreet]

Originally Posted by eduakator

There was no mention about the educators input. It has amazed me that the people held most accountable for the children's education is never asked for a real input.

** A toast to YOU for the TRUTH!! **