Being a teacher entails much more than just teaching. All teachers have many responsibilities, some of which go far beyond what most students may expect. Buying supplies for their classrooms and creating a happy environment are all things that happen behind the scenes.
Amongst these general responsibilities, RCHS has also given teachers extra “duties,” such as monitoring a study hall, checking students in and out of the bathrooms, and supervising events, like Prom and Homecoming. There are also morning supervision and bus duties.
Duties take time out of the teachers’ day to manage students outside of the classroom. Nearly every teacher has a duty of some sort. History teacher Chris Gallagher has bathroom duty.
“[The duty amount] isn’t more than last year, [but] some of the duties have changed,” Gallagher said. “I do think that they’re helping [improve student behavior].”
Another teacher who has bathroom duty is history teacher Paul Gundacker.
He believes there are more duties this year, “but they’re after and before school.”
Math teacher Rebekah Kingsley has bathroom and Prom duty.
“I think it’s more responsibility than I had in the past where my duty was study hall,” said Kingsley. “Despite the increase, teachers don’t get something back for the duties.”
Gallagher, Gundacker, and Kingsley all said the new duties don’t influence their teaching.
All teachers have a planning period, but not all have a duty. Some teachers are “paid to teach an extra class because of certain needs,” Gallagher said. “But in general, every teacher has a duty period every day…Most teachers have seven periods, five classes, one planning period and one duty period.”
Aside from duties, all schools are required to give teachers a planning period. According to Virginia State Law, chapter 13.2 section 22.1, “school divisions shall provide all middle and high school teachers with one planning period per day or the equivalent, unencumbered of any teaching or supervisory duties.” (virginia.gov) However, sometimes teachers are pulled out of these planning periods for mandatory meetings or subbing for other teachers.
Although teachers face these responsibilities every day, it’s not always apparent to their students.
Sophomore Mary Jane Ingram believes her teachers’ biggest responsibilities were “keeping classes in order and lesson plans.”
Sophomore Lucas Secoy said it was “keeping kids under control.”
Both thought some extra responsibilities teachers had outside of their classroom were resupplying supplies like pencils and tissues.
While all teachers have many responsibilities, they are assigned even more to monitor their students. Since last year the duty accountability has increased, leading teachers to have less time for completing necessary things like grading and planning.
