tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12897315.post4615191854273429280..comments2024-03-28T03:14:51.294-05:00Comments on Dad29: Elmbrook Committee Finds the Brass Tacks and Carts for TeachersDad29http://www.blogger.com/profile/08554276286736923821noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12897315.post-54815741558111439322007-08-17T00:06:00.000-05:002007-08-17T00:06:00.000-05:00No matter how good we teachers have things, I can ...No matter how good we teachers have things, I can promise you that we're not riding around on motorized carts. "Traveling on a cart" is just a saying, meaning all of your materials that would normally be kept within a classroom need to be kept "on" the cart.<BR/><BR/>I traveled "on a cart" the first year I taught seventh grade, and I can sympathize with anyone who wouldn't want to continue doing that. <BR/><BR/>One of the biggest problems I encountered with traveling from room to room was that it wasn't always guaranteed that I'd be in the new room before the kids were. A classroom full of 12-13 year olds without supervision for any amount of time is a bad idea. The same probably holds true for high school age kids. <BR/><BR/>Another problem was that one of my 7th grade classes was held in the 6th grade wing during 6th grade study hall, so if we had any group work, the other teachers complained about the noise interfering with their kids' concentration.<BR/><BR/>There are lots of other problems, such as losing materials more easily, having to teach around the teacher whose classroom you're using, trying to keep the kids focused on what you're teaching rather than what the other adults in the room are doing, etc. Overall, it's not an ideal teaching situation. <BR/><BR/>I don't know the situation specific to Elmbrook, but I'd think having more classrooms that are smaller is a better way to save money than cutting the number of classrooms; however, I'm not sure why teachers need "planning rooms" if the district budgeted for enough classrooms. <BR/><BR/>From reading the article, it sounds like they could save a lot of money if they didn't have to demolish existing parts of the school. "Inadequate natural lighting" sounds like a weak excuse to spend a significant amount of money demolishing and rebuilding. Natural lighting often means windows, which tend to become a distraction.<BR/><BR/>My point is that I'd focus on other ways to reduce costs rather than forcing teachers to move room to room. <BR/><BR/>Now, if they really were budgeting for teachers to have little go-carts to travel around in, that would be something!<BR/><BR/><BR/>KrisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12897315.post-32890390653787073812007-08-16T10:44:00.000-05:002007-08-16T10:44:00.000-05:00Jimbob, my man--the quotation I used was direct.Th...Jimbob, my man--the quotation I used was direct.<BR/><BR/>Thus, the reporter relates that "the teachers travel...on carts."<BR/><BR/>Nothing whatsoever about all that OTHER stuff you mention. <BR/><BR/>So are you telling me that there are TWO carts--one for the teacher and one for the stuff?Dad29https://www.blogger.com/profile/08554276286736923821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12897315.post-56900931060573856132007-08-16T07:33:00.000-05:002007-08-16T07:33:00.000-05:00I think the carts they're referring to are the one...I think the carts they're referring to are the ones that you push from room to room, that contain all your books, materials, handouts, and homework assignments. 'Tis a nomadic life to be sure, where the teacher's desk in the classroom is a way station and not home base.Brother Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697860817229595126noreply@blogger.com