LS1 Teacher Inquiry

Monday 3 April 2023

Teaching and Paperwork

A teacher's job is to teach, correct? What about planning? Of course we need to plan. We need to plan what we will teach, how we will teach it, and to whom we will teach it - in the current New Zealand system. To what level should we plan?

Too little detail in planning and teachers could end up stumbling through a lesson, not being as efficient as they need. They may not have resources ready for students. 

Too much detail planning means teachers there might be detail that is forgotten or overlooked and the time gone to waste. Or worse, they will lose time from their personal lives. 

Planning week to week. Is this meeting students' needs, or is it consuming time that teachers could use to be creative in their teaching, get upskilled/upskill other teachers, or take on leadership responsibilities? 

Planning by term. Is this failing to meeting students' needs, or is it ensuring exposure to a full curriculum?

I have experienced all of the above, and I need to consider the balance in case I decide to become a school manager/leader. How much do I trust my teachers to do their job, especially in a modern context where it is difficult to fire someone for not doing their job? How much do I micro-manage my teachers, especially in a context where teachers aren't getting the pay and respect due to them? How do I create a culture where teachers want to help and have the time to help each other?

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