June 6, 2016

Type B Teaching

You all know that I generally hate round-ups of teaching tips and, let's face it, most of the "funny" ones aren't actually funny. Memes are generally kind of 2013 at this point, right?

This article I read was different and it made me realize some interesting personality quirks about myself.



A teacher friend posted this on Facebook and, I must say, I am a Type B teacher. 95% of the way. My class is NEVER messy. I'm pretty picky about surfaces being cleared off by the end of the day and things being organized. But, other than that, I am Type B all the way.

For example, if you read the article, this is where I align...

I usually toss markers in the trash as I'm teaching, because they don't work and I usually let out a frustrated "grrr" while the kids chuckle. For Valentine's Day, a kid bought me a pack of multicolor Expos. There is no greater gift to a teacher. Schools barely supply those things. I buy my own at the beginning of each year when they're on sale.

Only about one weekend a month will I get it together and grade all the papers and do all the paperwork. Usually right before midterms or report cards are due.  The last week of school, I was bringing home paperwork each night because I wasn't done. I've really been pushing it to the limit this year.

Oh the copy quotas. It took almost two years in this district for me to get used to it. I never had a copy quota before I came to Colorado. Last year, I ran out of my first semester copies on October 10th and the semester wasn't over until December 18th-ish. It was bare bones for two months there.

I will save the 6 things I need to do on my prep until the last 6 minutes of my prep. Always.

I think that, the longer I teach, the worse my time management gets.

I've not figured out the pencil struggle yet. I HAVE realized that it's because each class is so different; what works for one will NOT work for another. I have to readjust each year. My greatest frustration was that I didn't figure it out this year.

The kids rarely notice anything, but they will notice if the date hasn't been changed the second the walk into the classroom.

This is exactly what my desk looks like all day long, but it will be completely cleared by 3:45.


"Stuff I'm Ignoring"? Yes.
Confiscated toys/things? Yes. I keep them in a ziploc bag in my bottom drawer though. 
Memo(s) with acronyms? Yes.
4 beverages? At least.

Examples of my Type B-ness:




The 5% of non-Type B comes in here though...some things I'm really particular about:

My bulletin boards are always seasonally appropriate.

I don't believe in teaching in flip-flops or Ugg boots.

There will never, ever (ever) be debris all over my floor. At the end of each day, I make up some kind of formula from the date and have the kids pick up that many pieces of trash each before they can pack up. For example, May 17 would be 7-1=6, so pick up 6 pieces of trash.  


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What do you think? Are you Type A or Type B? In the past, in my everyday life, I would've classified myself as Type A. Now, I see myself as more Type B and just being Type A about a few things (floor and car cleanliness and clutter). 

4 comments:

  1. Wow a copy quota?! That is definitely something I have never heard of. Interesting.

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  2. I'm a speech therapist in a school, so I understand many of these (and ones from the article) - especially the top of the desk phenomena! Every August I make a pact with myself that I have to be able to see at least 50% of the wood on my desktop when I walk out the door every day. (I am a stacker, but hey - it works for me, so I'm sticking with it! There is a method to my madness!) I do pretty well until November, then I have to stage an intervention and make myself stay late one afternoon until whittle down the chaos. From that point on until May, it's just a vicious, cycle...

    At my school, we are allotted 2 boxes of paper at the beginning of the year. *Usually* the "Paper Fairy" will gift another box at Christmas. It has always been that way. During my current principal's first year, she thought the rationing of paper was a ludicrous idea so she just kept paper stocked in the copy rooms. The faculty had gone through 75% of the year's allotment before December! Give us an inch and we'll take a mile! Needless to say, we had to go back to rationing the following year!

    Fun post!

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  3. this is hilarious. i remember pointing out the date not being changed as a kid as well. KC was super type A, i think, in his first year (from what he told me) and now he's more like type B, very relaxed and his time management stinks haha. i'm not a teacher but i leave everything till the last minute for sure.

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  4. HAHA! Nope, actually, I can still say that I'm a Type A teacher. A few things on the Type B list apply to me, but not enough that I actually fit into that category! I will say that I have no problem in teaching in flip flops, Uggs, or other comfy shoes. BUT that's also mixed in with ridiculous, sometimes uncomfortable heels! ;)

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