History Department Chair: Hi Kevin, it turns out that some major changes will be made to your teaching load this year. Instead of your usual 2 sections of APUS History, 2 sections of US History survey and one elective per semester we would like you to teach two sections of your electives each trimester. This means that you will teach 2 sections of Civil War History in the Fall, 2 sections of Civil War Memory in the Winter, and 2 sections of Race and Gender in the Spring. In exchange you will give up 1 section of your regular survey course. Do you have any problems with this arrangement?
Well, can you guess what I said in response to this? I'm off to my first back-to-school meeting with classes starting next Wednesday. Best of luck to my fellow teachers who are preparing their classrooms for a new year and trying to get back into the right frame of mind. Few professions allow you to start over fresh each year so take advantage of it. We've got the best jobs around.
I coached football and track last year, but this year I’m a history teacher and have left coaching. Four sections of Texas history, one section of advanced Texas history and one section of world events (interpreted “How what happens in the US affects the daily lives of everybody in the world,” at least by the way I teach it since it is a local elective and there are no state standards to dictate what I teach), all of them are year-long courses. To quote my coaching mentor last year, “They actually pay me to do this!”
Claus, — Unfortunately, you do hear it all too often.
Given attrition rates in the profession, it’s refreshing to hear someone call teaching “one of the best jobs around.”
Tim, — This is our first year with the trimester system so it will be interesting to see how the year flows. Of course, I am thrilled to be able to teach more electives.
Giving up survey courses for electives that you already pursue in your spare time? This aggression will not stand, man.
Kevin: If you were already on a tri-semester schedule, I can’t imagine that you’d have any intellectual problems with this: you just have to adjust your practical plan for the year. But maybe I’m reading your post wrong—i.e. you normally teach on a two-semester schedule? – TL