what's going on?

by out of the loop

Dec 13, 2012

I've been finding more and more that certain teachers on my campus seem to always have so much information about everything relating to our school. I generally don't leave my classroom that much, so I will grant that it's unreasonable to think that I'd be much in the know, but what are these others doing? Do any of you find that certain teachers always know everything and seem to live for the job? If they're expending so much energy on what goes on on campus, it seems fair to conclude they don't have much life outside of campus. Or does it just seem exaggerated to me because I'm at a small school and many teachers at my school come in early, stay late and come to special events or put them on regularly? I just hate always being so clueless, and I can't tell where some of my co-workers are getting information. I also wonder if the faculty I'm on is more overachieving than is typical and what percentage of these kinds of teachers can normally be found on a typical high school campus.

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hst On 12/13/12, out of the loop wrote: > I've been finding more and more that certain teachers on my > campus seem to always have so much information about > everything relating to our school. I generally don't leave > my classroom that much, so I will grant that it's > unreasonable to think that I'd be much in the know, but > what a...See MoreOn 12/13/12, out of the loop wrote: > I've been finding more and more that certain teachers on my > campus seem to always have so much information about > everything relating to our school. I generally don't leave > my classroom that much, so I will grant that it's > unreasonable to think that I'd be much in the know, but > what are these others doing? Do any of you find that > certain teachers always know everything and seem to live > for the job? If they're expending so much energy on what > goes on on campus, it seems fair to conclude they don't > have much life outside of campus. Or does it just seem > exaggerated to me because I'm at a small school and many > teachers at my school come in early, stay late and come to > special events or put them on regularly? I just hate always > being so clueless, and I can't tell where some of my > co-workers are getting information. I also wonder if the > faculty I'm on is more overachieving than is typical and > what percentage of these kinds of teachers can normally be > found on a typical high school campus.

A few things come to mind: Do you live in the community where you teach? If so, are you active in the community outside of school? Do you approach your administrators about issues to improve your school or even on a personal level? (Been fishing lately? How is your son doing with karate?) Do you make a point to develop personal relationships with fellow staff members? (Do you know all staff members by name?)

None of these things would be required of you to do your job, but I think they would impact how plugged in you might be. I am focusing on your comments "certain teachers always know everything" and you are "clueless." Now about "live for the job" that seems to me to be a different question. I have found that some teachers who put on elaborate outside of school activities are not doing similarly elaborate planning for daily classes. Not commenting on right or wrong, just speculating on how they seem to do so much.

Dec 15, 2012

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mc You have to get out of the "bubble" (cnn anyone?) Great armies kept their ears to the ground for the approach of advancing troops. The grapevine in any organization is where all info passes and a surprising amount of it is based on fact. Get out there! Show yourself on personal and professional level! And select 2-3 things that will involve you dir...See MoreYou have to get out of the "bubble" (cnn anyone?) Great armies kept their ears to the ground for the approach of advancing troops. The grapevine in any organization is where all info passes and a surprising amount of it is based on fact. Get out there! Show yourself on personal and professional level! And select 2-3 things that will involve you directly with the staff and student community over a wide range of activities. A rising tide raises most boats (not the leaky ones) so consider yourself lucky if you're in a school with exceptional teachers. Go with them. You'll thank yourself down the road.

On 12/15/12, hst wrote: > On 12/13/12, out of the loop wrote: >> I've been finding more and more that certain teachers on my >> campus seem to always have so much information about >> everything relating to our school. I generally don't leave >> my classroom that much, so I will grant that it's >> unreasonable to think that I'd be much in the know, but >> what are these others doing? Do any of you find that >> certain teachers always know everything and seem to live >> for the job? If they're expending so much energy on what >> goes on on campus, it seems fair to conclude they don't >> have much life outside of campus. Or does it just seem >> exaggerated to me because I'm at a small school and many >> teachers at my school come in early, stay late and come to >> special events or put them on regularly? I just hate always >> being so clueless, and I can't tell where some of my >> co-workers are getting information. I also wonder if the >> faculty I'm on is more overachieving than is typical and >> what percentage of these kinds of teachers can normally be >> found on a typical high school campus. > > A few things come to mind: Do you live in the community where > you teach? If so, are you active in the community outside of > school? Do you approach your administrators about issues to > improve your school or even on a personal level? (Been fishing > lately? How is your son doing with karate?) Do you make a > point to develop personal relationships with fellow staff > members? (Do you know all staff members by name?) > > None of these things would be required of you to do your job, > but I think they would impact how plugged in you might be. I > am focusing on your comments "certain teachers always know > everything" and you are "clueless." Now about "live for the > job" that seems to me to be a different question. I have found > that some teachers who put on elaborate outside of school > activities are not doing similarly elaborate planning for > daily classes. Not commenting on right or wrong, just > speculating on how they seem to do so much.

Dec 16, 2012

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Zodea Gossip. They gossip and you don't.

If you want to know "what's going on" at my school you have to listen to the gossip, often from the students. Students are more than willing to tell you everything that is going on (or they think is going on) if you let them.

Sure, some of it might be because they hang out in the office instead ...See More

Dec 27, 2012

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