It’s A Hardknock Teacher’s Life
A ToC trying to keep it real, in spite of the odds.

Gee or Haw?

Sometimes I believe that teachers really aren’t that smart. Teacher blog company excluded. :)

I oversee the after school study hall for the middle school. I make sure that the students who should be in study hall are there, and, I make sure that there are two adults on duty every day. I follow up on students who don’t show up, and, I try to make sure that the adults are taking attendance and are making a reasonable attempt to maintain an environment conducive to doing homework.

One of the two women on duty came to me, after about 30 minutes (the study hall begins at 3pm), and says to me, “I haven’t taken attendance yet. Do you want me to do it on a piece of paper, or print out the study hall roster?” I looked at her and said, “Print out the roster, please. Thank you.”

Now, I have made it very easy for the proctors to print out the rosters: I have uploaded a copy of the roster for each day of the week, for the sole purpose of allowing them to download the rosters whenever they need them. So, why would this particular colleague ask me such a thing? Was she afraid to exert the minimal energy required to go to her computer, download the roster, and hit “Print”?

Why is it that some folks have to be told when to gee and when to haw?

4 Responses to “Gee or Haw?”

  1. Because they need to make their jobs easier … :: shakes head::

    Jose - October 18, 2007 at 5:24 pm

  2. I won’t argue about the “not smart” business. But your example shows laziness. I don’t know which is worse, sometimes.

    Sigh.

    tamasha - October 18, 2007 at 5:37 pm

  3. That’s a mystery, for sure. And how the heck did they get into education?!

    Hugh O'Donnell aka Repairman - October 18, 2007 at 7:26 pm

  4. There seems to be a category of teachers that believes that by just investing the minimal effort (which in many cases means: nothing, because they believe that after having taught the same material for 15 years there is nothing to prepare) they can do their jobs. I miss the energy, the drive and the enthousiasm that i.m.o. naturally go with the profession of education.
    BTW, I love your blog. In the previous template I couldn’t post messages, for some strange reason, but this one works perfectly.

    Frumteacher - October 21, 2007 at 6:27 am

Leave a Reply