Transparency in Teaching (stuff‪)‬ Transparency in Teaching

This week, Anne shares updates and opinions on the ongoing battle of whether to tell or not to tell on Trans kids. Is this trust-busting practice worth fighting about? And she sheds light on the growing academically deadly pandemic affecting our schools, Chronic Absenteeism.

To get all the resources and research used to create this episode, head over to TransparencyinTeaching.com. There, you'll find all of our informative episodes and blog posts to give you the information you need to improve your teaching experience or at least find a place where people get what you're going through.

Find us on Instagram at @Transparency_in_Teaching or get in touch with Anne by visiting @L2tchr at Linkin and X.

A huge, warm, grateful teacher hug to all of our faithful listeners and a giant welcome to all of you new listeners who may have stumbled upon us through luck or recommendation. We are glad you are here. Pass along the welcoming atmosphere by sharing this episode with others. The more, the WAY more merrier!


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In this episode of EdNews This Week, Anne announces that she and co-host Jen will be featured guests on another podcast called Behind the Mic, out September 1st on the Education Podcast Network. This week's three news stories from the education world share how New Hampshire teachers are getting paid to teach chess, with the state providing funding for training and equipment, how Rhode Island's realignment of graduation requirements created with input from the community ensures all students will graduate ready for careers or college, and a third story about how Kentucky's alternative path to a teaching credential doesn't require a bachelor's degree.



All the links to the resources used to create this episode can be found on our website, TransparencyinTeaching.com.



Please leave us your comments about this episode and what educational news you have to share.




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The Teacher Workload: Teachers Get Less for More







In this episode, Anne, Jen, and their special guest Maria delve into the multifaceted nature of the teacher workload, shedding light on the fact that the profession entails much more than simply standing in front of a classroom and delivering the curriculum. 



We discuss the term "teachering." Anne found this term in a blog post on teachbetter.com’s site. The curriculum coordinator for 21st Century Teaching and Learning, Alexy Valencic’s discussed the term “teachering” in his post. 




[00:06:08] Teacher workload Teaching vs Teachering. 

[00:10:57] Duties and responsibilities. 

[00:25:57] Compensation for extracurricular activities. 

[00:29:27] Teacher overtime and FLSA labor laws. 

[00:32:48] Teachers' workload and overtime pay. 

[00:36:43] Teachers and overtime restrictions.

[00:46:14] Saying no and setting boundaries. 




According to Valencic's definitions, the teaching workload involves identifying what needs to be learned and guiding the learning process until achieving the desired goal. This encompasses state standards, curriculum instruction, teacher-student relationships, assessment, and progress monitoring. On the other hand, the teaching workload also includes “teachering,” made up of all the additional tasks and responsibilities that teachers are asked or expected to undertake, often without any extra compensation.



“Teachering" tasks can range from the many meetings teachers are expected to attend to everyday things like bus and dance duties. Expectations can also include giving up lunch and after-school time for detentions, clubs, professional development, IEP meetings, and parent phone calls. Overall, the episode sheds light on the additional responsibilities and tasks teachers must shoulder beyond their classroom teaching duties. 



Did you know that teachers cannot receive overtime payments? We didn’t until we learned about the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). If the word “teacher” is attached to your job description, you are not entitled to overtime, no matter how little money you may make.



New teachers are in the dark about the extent of the teacher workload. While new teachers may anticipate some meetings, the sheer number of meetings they must attend may surprise them. Teacher education programs fail to prepare teachers for the wide range of responsibilities they will encounter throughout their careers.



To address these challenges, we suggest that teachers engage in discussions to identify and evaluate the value of their extra tasks. By collectively determining which duties are essential and which are unnecessary, teachers can advocate for changes and potentially alleviate or reduce the burden of the teacher's workload on specific responsibilities. 



Additionally, we emphasize the importance of supporting new teachers and ensuring they can handle these additional duties. Experienced teachers must demonstrate to new teachers that it is acceptable to decline certain tasks, ultimately promoting a healthier work-life balance for educators.



This episode underscores the reality that teachers must often go beyond their primary teaching role and assume additional responsibilities. We emphasize the need for awareness, support, and advocacy to address the challenges associated with these extra tasks and to ensure fair compensation for teachers’ efforts. 



Summertime is the perfect time to start coordinating efforts to reform the expectations on a teacher’s time. Now is the time to get the conversation about all the unnecessary “teachering” at your school. Do this before the beginning of a new school year overwhelms your attention and you find out you’ve been signed up for more than you’ve bargained for!



Thanks for listening!

For a list of all the resources used to make this episode, visit https://transparencyinteaching.com/



How do you handle the workload at your school? Should teache

Welcome to another edition of Ed News This Week. This week I’ll share why LAUnifed School District teachers (and a lot of us other teachers) are not happy about mandated discipline changes, What Congress has heard about mental health issues in school (will they finally listen?), and How ChatGPT has a sister AI being born that is supposed to be better for students.

This week's question: How does your school or district handle discipline? Is it working? Add your comments below.

For links to the sources used to put this episode together and to find other great content on other important education issues, please visit https://transparencyinteaching.com/

Please let us know what you think about this episode and any ideas you have for future shows. We'd love it if you could share our podcast with others who you think might enjoy it. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen! 🙏🏽❤️


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Ah, summer vacation! The time when teachers can finally break free from the clutches of students, exams, and endless lesson planning. It's a time to kick back, relax, and forget about school... Or is it?

Many teachers count the days until the last bell before summer vacation sounds. At my school, our science teacher begins writing the countdown on the teacher’s lounge whiteboard the day we return from winter break. 

The end of the school year is incredibly stressful, and anticipation of summer freedom doesn’t make it any easier to get through. This is the time of year when you begin to panic because you realize you don’t have enough time left to get through all your required curriculum. This is partly because state testing and other end-of-year assessments all encroach on the limited days left and because there are the obligatory awards assemblies and the student “fun” days. There’s also finding time to wrap up your classroom for the summer, collect textbooks and computers and hand out registration packets for next year.  Next year…. Ugh! The last thing any teacher wants to think about right now. 

So when that final bell sounds, ending the school year, lock your classroom door, turn in the end-of-year paperwork, and take some time away from all of it. 

Well, enough time to catch your breath and refocus.

Because if you are a weirdo like me, you love using summer to jump-start planning for the next school year! 

WAIT! Before you roll your eyes and skip to the next podcast, hear me out. This episode actually discusses how to make your summer MORE relaxing and the beginning of the next school year much less stressful. So go get one of those fancy drinks with an umbrella and hit play to find out the secret way Anne and Jen totally forget about school. Sorry, controversial substances are not included!

Wanna read it instead? Visit TransparencyinTeaching.com "Maximizing Summer Vacation: How Planning Sets Teachers Up for Success"






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In this episode of "Transparency in Teaching," host Anne discusses three news stories related to education—the first shares how mastery learning has now been approved in all 50 states in the US. The second story explores why the Carnegie unit, which has defined learning for the past 100 years, is now considered obsolete. And lastly, Anne breaks down how the US spends money on education.

Please share any education news stories and links that you'd like to hear covered in the comments section.



To view the resources mentioned and used to put together this episode, visit TransparencyinTeaching.com


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