How long have you been a teacher for and what grades have you taught?
A: This is my fourth year of teaching and I have taught grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9
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B: I have taught for 22 years. Mainly grades 6-9 but I have taught elementary classes and short stint teaching grade 10.
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C: I have been a teacher for 12 years and I have taught every grade K- 12
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In your experience, what type of school calendar is most successful academically for students, and why?
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A: I think full year is more successful because it gives the students more time to explore what they are learning and not be stressed about getting through the material in a short number of months.
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B: I would say that semesters. Enough of a time span to cover the curriculum effectively. Students can be more focused in their studies with less classes as compared to a full year year.
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C: In my experience there is no perfect calendar that is best academically for all students. It really depends on individual student needs. The quarter system has been great from some of our diverse learners but has been detrimental to others. I think really it depends on a students' adaptability skills.
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What type of school structure do you prefer to teach in and why?
A: I prefer yearly, I like to do project based learning and I feel like with yearly I have more time to do awesome projects.
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B: I look forward to trying the semester system again. I think semesters allow students to have a better focus and I think it is more fair when it comes to final exams.
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C: As a teacher who personally experienced the quarter system when I was a student in high school, I really enjoyed it and benefitted from it. I felt that the longer classes prepared me for university lectures and Phys ed was amazing in the quarter system. We went scuba diving at a local pool and cross-country skiing in Canmore for half the day. However, as a student you really needed to be diligent with your studies and as I was a strong student, I was able to be successful. During my experience, breaks were strategically placed at the midway point for each class and lunch separated the morning and afternoon classes. I feel the quarter system was successful with multiple regularly scheduled breaks. However, the quarter system during a pandemic is different from the quarter system that I experienced.
As a teacher I prefer the quarter system as I am able to plan my instruction for two classes instead of 4 or 5 classes. There is more collaboration and support with my colleagues. It is a little challenging when you do not have prep time however.
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How do different school structures affect the way you teach?
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A: We did semestered for a year and so it affected the way that I taught by making my teaching more fast paced. I gave less projects and more tests for assessments.
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B: The semester system seems a little too rushed. Therefore, project based learning is more of a challenge. Delivering content and allowing adequate time to complete projects can be difficult in a semester. In yearly courses, I can allot more time for students to complete projects.
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C: I feel in teaching a quarter I need to be more mindful of giving students frequent breaks and not lecture for the entire class as well as giving students more time to work. Breaking instruction into manageable chunks with different types of activities such as videos, interactive games, group work, individual work and direct instructions, enhances students' learning. I rely a lot on my elementary training.
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