Originally Posted by
Chicken lady
The director creates the master schedule of classes. Any rooms that are empty during any part of the school day are then available for $5/hr first to those teaching classes, then to those with an already established tutoring presence in the school, then to outside tutors - example, there is a piano in the room used for music classes. If the room is empty after lunch, the music teacher has first claim to rent the room for teaching private piano lessons, then the woman who does private voice instruction in our building but does not teach classes, then “can I rent the room so my child can practice during study hall?” or “can my child’s piano teacher rent the room so that my child can have his lesson during study hall?”
the math teacher currently rents rents her classroom three hours a week to offer tutoring to students who have fallen behind (small group that changes) or private instruction for students who need one on one instruction (iep issues).
as the pottery instructor I would have first claim to my room because my equipment is there. (Official policy)
I have ten students who need a class that is not being offered. The director’s choice may be that they simply fill their schedules with another subject. Alternately, they can take up spaces in the instructional class and be allowed to work on their own, which has been done before for two or three students, but is not optimal. Classes only have 12 slots.
currently I believe I have 15 returning students. 5 of them belong in the class being offered - which is a minimum. The class being offered is appropriate for new students, who choose classes after returning students. So, there would be no slots available. (So I see no reason to promote the class)
my intention is is to speak with my parents and students, find out if they do in fact wish to take the missing class next year, and find out which time slots would work for them. If 6 of them ask for the same slot, I will have a pretty good case to add the class - it is most likely to be during the new teacher’s class, so I will be standing next to her all evening offering a possible alternative to the class she needs to fill. (Ouch!) if the director refuses to add the class, or there are less than 6 strong requests, I will ask to rent the room during that time for tutoring and teach the class anyway. This is likely to draw students out of other classes and cost the school a small amount of lost revenue as my “class” will be generating a flat $5/hr and not a tuition based profit.
also, this will effectively be the opposite of promoting my class.
i can set my own tutoring rates, and it is likely I will end up barely making my gas money if I go the “tutoring” route, as I know at least two of my students are scholarship students, and scholarship money does not get paid out for tutoring. But, I would be spared ALL the parts of my job I don’t like for the “tutoring class”, and both groups of kids (tutoring and existing class) would benefit - so I am ok with it.
as an aside, the director actually always pairs me with a new teacher, so I should not have been surprised and doubt there was any deep plot. I don’t really know why, except perhaps because a lot of families come to talk to me even if their child is not taking my class, and so it gives the new teacher many introductions?