departmentalized

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Home : 2007 : February : 20

departmentalized
By SusanTeach

My first year of teaching was departmentalized (I taught 4th) and we had 4 teachers. All of us taught reading to our homeroom - as soon as school started. It helped that the classes were ability-grouped. Then we each had
another subject to teach - mine was science.

We switched every hour, I believe, and ended up the last hour with our homeroom again. That way we started and ended our day with our homeroom. It made it easier for attendance, early check-outs, bus/car rider notes, etc...

Whatever class we had at lunchtime was the class we took to lunch. Same thing with activities.

With

5 teachers I would suggest each teacher take a different subject, and give about 50 min. for each. That gives you time for activities and lunch as well. Your first class would be your "homeroom" to make any announcements, attendance, etc... You'd have 15 min. extra in the first class to cover that. Here's a sample schedule for one teacher:
8:00-8:15 - homeroom
8:15-9:05 - Group A
9:10-10:00 - Group B
10:05-10:55 - Group C
11:00-12:25 - Group D (and lunch split into 30 min. shifts)
12:30-1:20 - Group E
1:25-2:15 - Activity (off)

Really, what that does is gives each teacher a different block off for planning time. Each "homeroom" would have a different time for going to different places. Another teacher would have 8:15-9:05 off, then Group A, etc... Does that make sense?