Just another ordinary day...

by Elizabeth Van Allen

scribblesbyartteachervanallen.blogspot.com

When people ask about my profession, the most common response tends to be "Wow, you're an art teacher?  That must be fun!"  While it can indeed be a fun time, it's also a LOT of hard work.  For the majority of the public who haven't participated in a normal K-8 school day since they were young, it is my distinct pleasure to help you understand why the 'fun' classes can be very tough to teach.  

Warning: the following fictional advertisement is completely accurate.  

Daily Routine
When it comes to my daily schedule I consider myself to be very lucky.  Most of my days start with older students for 3 periods, followed by my lunch and then lunch duty.  After that I have 2 periods of younger students.  

KEY- #=Grade Level, K=Kindergarten, AS=Autistic Support, LSS=Life Skills Support
Anything else... keep reading!

Class sequence really matters! 

Some days it takes more energy 
than expected to meet my 
students at their level with 
the dignity and respect 
they deserve... especially 
the more imaginative ones.

Having grade levels in descending order helps me to transition more smoothly from one age group to the next. Some years I've taught grade levels in what seemed to be a completely random order. This means that not only is there a materials "set change" every 45 minutes, I also have to change my demeanor, vocabulary, class format, and even the way I give directions in order to keep the subject matter accessible to all age groups.   

The next time you spend time with a young child, take notice of the small changes you make while interacting with them. What does your body language say?  How simple or complex are the words that you use?  Would they respond better to a silly song about colors or a story about how a graffiti artist layers paint in order to create 

Teaching strategies vary widely depending 
on the level of the students being taught. 
 Just imagine this scene with teenagers!
http://www.donorschoose.org/we-teach/851213/?historical=true

 different effects?  How would you adjust your demeanor when shifting between talking with a 5-year old and a teenager?  The type of vocabulary, body language, and subject matter you use with older students can be pretty different than how you would present yourself to the little ones.  Imagine having to make that type of shift five or six times in one day in order to teach appropriately to your students' developmental level.  I get exhausted just thinking about it!  For many teachers, this is what happens on an ordinary day. 

Scheduling Wild Card: Lunch Duty
At first I was very apprehensive about lunch duty.  Now I see that it's given me the opportunity to interact with my students a little less formally and in a different way.  This strengthens our teacher-student relationship by allowing us to get to know each other on another level.  For me, the secret to lunch duty success is to provide something for the students to do.  I noticed a while ago that my students love playing mancala.  I went out and purchased a couple of sets and in no time there was a race between students to borrow my games.  

Behold the awesome calming powers of MANCALA!

After 5 months we've only lost a few pieces and the boxes are still in great shape.  Why?  Because I stress that the person who borrows it is 100% responsible to return it in tip top order.  If I have to go looking for the games or they are brought back in bad shape all of my mancala sets go on vacation for a week.  

Reality Recap
So what does this all add up to?  
To summarize my day: 

• I usually teach 5 classes a day of up to 33 students ranging in age from 5 to 15.  That's a weekly total of 26 classes and up to 700 students.
• Each class is 45 minutes long with no break or transition time in between periods.  (that means no emergency bathroom breaks!)
• I never have the same age or developmental level two classes in a row.  
• I get 45 minutes for lunch and 39 minutes to prepare my lesson plans and supplies for the next day. If my lessons require more prep time than that, it's done on my own time either before or after school.
• For 45 minutes each morning I could be asked to teach any grade level in any subject at a moment's notice.
• 45 minutes in the afternoon are dedicated to making sure that all of the girls in grades 6-8 are fed and safe in the lunchroom.
• I put my own resources into extras not because I enjoy a lighter wallet, but because it makes the quality of life better for others, which in turn makes my job a little bit easier.

...and I do all of this because I love my students and I'm passionate about giving them a quality public education.

What 'norms' exist in your workplace that people in other professions find surprising?