All-day school schedules

You really are a one-dimensional person who is impossible to talk to.

If I were allowed, I’d just dump my entire life's work on you: my digital logs, my calendar, my hourly logs and scheduling, my task timers, and my full productivity tracking for the last year. I did all that just to see if my time management was actually off. Every single thing I’ve recorded—every conversation and how long they lasted (especially with parents), every email and the time spent on them, every tiny detail from other duties, every single professional and unprofessional substitution I make just so I can be damn prepared and ensure no one else has to pick up my slack. My contributions to the school, my colleagues, tracking student needs, their individual portfolios, the data charts... Honestly, if I just sent you screenshots of my notes, you'd finally understand what actual professionalism looks like. You’d realize that in 70 percent of cases, the "unprofessional" ones are making inhuman efforts just to maintain teaching standards and decorum, while there's still a small percentage of idiots that need to be purged from the faculty, much like in the corporate world.

In a country where I'm aiming to move, maybe I'll get an extra hour in my day along with 90 percent less paperwork and dealing with parent drama. ☕

Paul Davis2 said:Well, if the pay is $3667, then nobody will be underpaid.

Making anything less than $2,200 a month after taxes—while being tied down by strict government regulations—is basically being underpaid given the current economy.

Counting every single minute or hour a teacher spends on lesson prep is just pointless nitpicking.

What actually matters is motivating teachers to be the absolute best they can be—to show up and give it their all. Sure, a decent paycheck is huge, but it isn't everything. You need solid working conditions, genuine support, respect, and the freedom to actually try out new ideas. We should be fueling creativity, not stifling it.

It would be amazing if every school across the country provided a dedicated workspace where teachers could just focus without being interrupted. But honestly, we also need to trust them to decide how and where they work best.
Some people knock out a task in an hour, while others might need two. Taking more time doesn't mean someone is a worse teacher. (And what even counts as "work"? If you’re lying in bed at night fleshing out a brilliant new project idea, is that work? I'd say yes.)
From what I've seen, the truly great teachers usually put in way more hours than most people realize.

At the end of the day, true educational reform comes down to support, help, and motivation. That includes supporting those who realize teaching isn't their calling and helping them find a better fit elsewhere 😉. It really boils down to this one sentiment I once saw on a protest sign: "We are the only reform you've got."

Actually, I’m right in the middle of working at the moment.
I've got my headphones on, listening to this lecture from a national convention—and honestly, because of my ADHD, just sitting here listening to a convention isn't really enough for me... I need to be doing something else at the same time to stay focused. Like, say, picking fights on an internet forum. 🤣

Jose Wells3 said:You really are a one-dimensional person who is impossible to talk to.

If I were allowed, I’d just dump my entire life's work on you: my digital logs, my calendar, my hourly logs and scheduling, my task timers, and my full productivity tracking for the last year. I did all that just to see if my time management was actually off. Every single thing I’ve recorded—every conversation and how long they lasted (especially with parents), every email and the time spent on them, every tiny detail from other duties, every single professional and unprofessional substitution I make just so I can be damn prepared and ensure no one else has to pick up my slack. My contributions to the school, my colleagues, tracking student needs, their individual portfolios, the data charts... Honestly, if I just sent you screenshots of my notes, you'd finally understand what actual professionalism looks like. You’d realize that in 70 percent of cases, the "unprofessional" ones are making inhuman efforts just to maintain teaching standards and decorum, while there's still a small percentage of idiots that need to be purged from the faculty, much like in the corporate world.

In a country where I'm aiming to move, maybe I'll get an extra hour in my day along with 90 percent less paperwork and dealing with parent drama. ☕

Then I guess it's a shame you aren't teaching my kids.
And why the complaining when you're doing all this work that will finally get recognized?
And yeah, if I were in your shoes, I’d move to that "ideal" country too—the one where parents stay out of the classroom. It’s written in every textbook: hands-off parents. That's the global dream, right?

Man, this just isn't going to be recognized for what it actually is. It’s going to end up being extra weight on my shoulders, yours, and everyone else's—just more busywork. They’re basically saying that on-call shifts don't count toward our core hours because they aren't "direct instruction," as if I'm just sitting there guarding the chairs and the walls or something. We're talking about an 8-hour shift every week—that's a literal full workday right there—and it all gets dumped into some vague "other duties" bucket without any actual time tracking.
And let's talk about how these teaching programs work—they don't even acknowledge the time we spend prepping lessons or handling all the paperwork. Yet, they still expect us to differentiate everything into at least three levels, provide one-on-one support, and handle constant formative assessments. You really want to call that recognizing our hard work?

Sarah Hall53 said:Man, this just isn't going to be recognized for what it actually is. It’s going to end up being extra weight on my shoulders, yours, and everyone else's—just more busywork. They’re basically saying that on-call shifts don't count toward our core hours because they aren't "direct instruction," as if I'm just sitting there guarding the chairs and the walls or something. We're talking about an 8-hour shift every week—that's a literal full workday right there—and it all gets dumped into some vague "other duties" bucket without any actual time tracking.
And let's talk about how these teaching programs work—they don't even acknowledge the time we spend prepping lessons or handling all the paperwork. Yet, they still expect us to differentiate everything into at least three levels, provide one-on-one support, and handle constant formative assessments. You really want to call that recognizing our hard work?

Jose Wells3 sounds like a truly dedicated teacher—honestly, I'd love to have them teaching my kids. You, on the other hand, are a bit of a mystery to me; you seem unhappy with your job, yet you wouldn't change a thing about it.

And let's be real—differentiation should be happening from day one, every single period. Anything less is just failing the students.

Honestly, there’s a ton of stuff I’d change—so much—but it’s definitely not the things they’re targeting, and it’s certainly not going to be done the way they’re planning to do it.
If these proposed changes actually go through, though? Yeah, I’m handing in my resignation.

Sarah Hall53 said:Honestly, there’s a ton of stuff I’d change—so much—but it’s definitely not the things they’re targeting, and it’s certainly not going to be done the way they’re planning to do it.
If these proposed changes actually go through, though? Yeah, I’m handing in my resignation.

Why not? They claim it's the "ideal" way to work—switching things up every 5, 10, or 15 years. Plus, at the Institute, there's a whole crowd of young talent just waiting for an opening.

Yeah, I mean, it’s just great, isn't it? The system basically thrives on losing people who have poured 15 or 20 years of their lives into this—people who rack up hundreds of hours of specialized training every single year, plus all that extra formal stuff through workshops and lectures. They’re out there teaching others, staying active in professional associations, and probably spending ten times more effort engaging with everyone on social media and mentoring students or interns... and instead of keeping them, we just swap them out for someone who graduated yesterday and is going to need at least five years just to figure out what the hell they're even doing. 🤣

Do you realize that the mass exodus of veteran educators is actually a massive, burning issue in several Western countries? It’s not even that they don't have teachers—I mean, sure, they can just plug in some young grad straight from college—but the real tragedy is the loss of all that hard-earned EXPERIENCE. And then, just when those newer folks finally get their footing and start realizing the system is actually trying to improve, they decide they aren't going to put up with the bureaucracy anymore and they walk out too.

Paul Davis2 said:Jose Wells3 sounds like a truly dedicated teacher—honestly, I'd love to have them teaching my kids. You, on the other hand, are a bit of a mystery to me; you seem unhappy with your job, yet you wouldn't change a thing about it.

And let's be real—differentiation should be happening from day one, every single period. Anything less is just failing the students.

You aren't reading her correctly. I feel the exact same way, and from everything I've read, Sarah Hall53 is a top-tier professor.

My writing style just comes off as flowery, which makes it look like I have some massive ego or superhuman abilities. The reality? I work hard and I love what I do. My efforts aren't fully recognized now, and they certainly won't be in a standard day-to-day setting. There is no way anyone would work this passionately for the paycheck provided. Besides, I have children who never even needed after-school care. They are brilliant students and incredibly independent; they actually find group work tedious unless they're the ones picking the groups. They don't need this whole circus, and frankly, I don't want it for them.

My students are split down the middle. Among the younger ones (5th and 6th grade), the good ones think this approach would solve all their homework issues. It's a small town, so they don't have those extracurricular options that city kids do. They are the kind of positive souls who would wish for peace and flowers in the world. Good kids. But they don't realize how much they'll suffer when the classroom structures remain frozen in time. Though, one student mentioned that it might be better to group classes by ability level—I'm proud to say I've never once suggested that to them.

The older ones (7th and 8th grade)? They speak about it with such verbal disdain you should probably record them. They literally ask if people actually think they're incompetent idiots. I'll publish their written responses once they finish; we've been sidelined by unpredictable obligations and exam absences, and I want everyone included before we write. Their answers regarding why people enter the teaching profession are all very clear: underpaid, unappreciated, and treated like a punching bag for everyone else. Perhaps two of them still view Branka Shen as a total legend, and even now, that idealism is messing with my head.

Jose Wells3 said:Making anything less than $2,200 a month after taxes—while being tied down by strict government regulations—is basically being underpaid given the current economy.

We can talk about the money. We cannot talk about the official civil servant status.
You don't even know what you'd do with those powers if you actually had them. But that's the problem—that status.

What does official status actually bring to the table—other than just handing someone a much heavier sentence if they decide to get aggressive with an officer?

Carl Bishop2 said:What does official status actually bring to the table—other than just handing someone a much heavier sentence if they decide to get aggressive with an officer?

Beyond that? It creates a psychological barrier against harassment and attacks.

Authority? What authority? We don't have any.

Jose Wells3 said:Making anything less than $2,200 a month after taxes—while being tied down by strict government regulations—is basically being underpaid given the current economy.

I was under the impression that you guys already had that in place? Or maybe I'm just mistaken—it feels like something that should have been settled by now, I guess.

nimblelynx7 said:We can talk about the money. We cannot talk about the official civil servant status.
You don't even know what you'd do with those powers if you actually had them. But that's the problem—that status.

Why not? I mean—if my memory serves me right—they have those resources available in healthcare, and I believe social services have them too. Maybe.

Carl Bishop2 said:What does official status actually bring to the table—other than just handing someone a much heavier sentence if they decide to get aggressive with an officer?

That’s how it works—you get a heavier penalty, and you don't even have to file a private lawsuit; it always goes through an official report to the authorities.

Jose Wells3 said:Beyond that? It creates a psychological barrier against harassment and attacks.

Authority? What authority? We don't have any.

You don't actually gain any real authority just by holding that status. Maybe you pick up a few extra obligations since you're technically an official around the clock—it’s a bit of a double-edged sword, I guess. For instance, if you happen to commit some kind of misdemeanor, you’re essentially committing it in your capacity as a public official. It's a messy way to live, really.

Jose Wells3 said:Beyond that? It creates a psychological barrier against harassment and attacks.

Authority? What authority? We don't have any.

This is a fundamental failure to understand the law—honestly, it’s a failure to understand the job itself.
The Education Act and its various regulations clearly outline what a teacher can and cannot do, along with student rights and obligations. It explicitly defines powers, duties, and responsibilities. You just have to be able to read.

Jose Wells3 said:Making anything less than $2,200 a month after taxes—while being tied down by strict government regulations—is basically being underpaid given the current economy.

I have to disagree on the salary part (I mean, in the US, corporate managers pull way more weight than we do anyway), but regarding that "official" status? Yeah, I'm with you. Honestly, I’ve seen so many headaches lately caused by parents who think they're "somebody." I've probably managed to dodge most of them just based on my physical presence, but let's be real—I won't look this intimidating forever. Eventually, I'll get old too, and then what? Have we really devolved as a species to the point where we operate on animal logic—where the biggest guy in the room is the one you don't mess with? 🙄

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wh6...l=StefanThyron

Take Sweden, for example.

I honestly can't think of a single manager who was pulling in anything even close to the bare minimum $6.75 at those rates. It used to be $60,000 or more easily. Now we're talking about what, $2,000 a month?

Kenneth Garcia9 said:I honestly can't think of a single manager who was pulling in anything even close to the bare minimum $6.75 at those rates. It used to be $60,000 or more easily. Now we're talking about what, $2,000 a month?

I know of one attorney at a major American corporation—we’re talking around $150k. But then again, that was about five years ago, so they probably pull in way more now.