McCormick Week 8

While at school this past week, I noticed how many standards and requirements teachers have to meet. In a meeting with the Vice Principal this week, we were instructed to administer the pre-assessment for Unit 3 of the math curriculum this week rather than next week so that we can assess it at our next grade level meeting. I noticed that not only do teachers have to follow a specific curriculum and meet state and national standards, but they also have to meet requirements for other people in the building. My mentor and I adjusted our schedule to allow for the pre-assessment. I simply noticed that teachers are being instructed what to do from all different sources, while at the same time, they are instructing students.

It's important that I learn how to manage all of the different standards and requirements by watching my mentor juggle these ideas this year. It's important to know who you have to comply with as a teacher and what types of things can wait. My mentor knew that we had to comply with the Vice Principal's requests, so we adjusted our schedule. I can understand that anyone in a superior position above a teacher may make requests for teachers to do certain things. I also understand that in order to keep a positive environment for all staff, teachers must obey these suggestions.

This is a case of completing other necessary tasks as a teacher besides just teaching and lesson planning. I have learned all of this in courses, but now it is settling in as I observe all of the things a teacher must do daily, weekly, monthly, etc. This is also a case of learning to prioritize different requests from other people.