This Week at One Schoolhouse: Preserving Faculty Time

Brad Rathgeber "New schedule!" "Hybrid now three days a week!" "We'll be online from Thanksgiving through the winter holiday!" Changes are coming fast and furious this year, for good reasons and with good intentions. But, the changes can be disruptive to learning. In this school year unlike any other, teachers need time to plan. It is critical that academic leaders develop and implement systems that protect the energy and time of teachers so that they can succeed in their role and our students can learn as effectively as possible this year. That's our focus this week at One Schoolhouse... our Pulse Survey asks what changes to teacher planning time you are discussing for Winter and Spring 2021; Sarah's blog describes one of the ways schools can support and preserve time; and our webinar guest, Pete Bonds, Dean of Faculty & Academics at Blue Ridge School, will share how his school prioritizes faculty time with asynchronous and synchronous instruction. As December begins, schools that are moving back online need to continue to adjust their plans and systems that support faculty. Question of the week: How have you preserved faculty time this year? Taking the Pulse: Flash Survey Sarah Hanawald So You’re Back Online… What Do You Do Next? Welcome back... to distance learning (for many of us). Let’s be honest--this isn’t where we hoped we’d be when we started the school year. Whether it’s in response to travel, rising case loads, or local restrictions, many schools have returned to online instruction at the moment when teachers are feeling more exhausted and overwhelmed as ever. Schools may need to be in distance mode, but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of their teachers. There are concrete steps you can take to make the next phase of this crisis more sustainable. First, it’s essential to recognize that schools aren’t able to operate online the same way they do on campus. I like to use the metaphor of a race here: your 100m sprinter and your 100m hurdler are covering the exact same distance, but they aren’t going to do it in the same amount of time. We trained as sprinters, and we've had to switch to the hurdles. The past nine months have thrown very real obstacles into the ways schools usually operate. Now, educators need to measure ourselves in the race we're running, not the one we expected to run. Read more Most schools won't be able to bring teaching candidates to campus this year so how do you hire from a distance? Our new, one-week course will teach you how to successfully navigate the hiring season. Also back by popular demand are our integral courses on building trust with faculty and adjusting your school's hybrid plan. New! Hiring During a Pandemic (Begins February 1) Building Trust With Faculty: Critical Skills for Challenging Times (Begins January 25) Assessing and Adjusting Your School's Hybrid Learning (Begins February 8) New for Department Chairs! What are the essentials of your curriculum? What won’t be covered this year? In these five new, one-week courses, department chairs will be equipped with the tools they need to build an Action Plan for their department to finish the school year with integrity. Arts Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8) Humanities Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8) Math Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8) Science Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8) World Language Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8) Join Sarah and Peter on Wednesday, December 3 at 12noon ET, as they interview Pete Bonds, Blue Ridge School’s Dean of Faculty and Academics. Pete and his colleagues have created a plan for remote learning that better meets the needs of students and teachers. The plan includes synchronous and asynchronous instruction for students, as well as extended professional time for faculty to prepare, provide feedback, and adjust their courses. Register here! ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Brad Rathgeber

"New schedule!" "Hybrid now three days a week!" "We'll be online from Thanksgiving through the winter holiday!" Changes are coming fast and furious this year, for good reasons and with good intentions. But, the changes can be disruptive to learning. In this school year unlike any other, teachers need time to plan. It is critical that academic leaders develop and implement systems that protect the energy and time of teachers so that they can succeed in their role and our students can learn as effectively as possible this year.

That's our focus this week at One Schoolhouse... our Pulse Survey asks what changes to teacher planning time you are discussing for Winter and Spring 2021; Sarah's blog describes one of the ways schools can support and preserve time; and our webinar guest, Pete Bonds, Dean of Faculty & Academics at Blue Ridge School, will share how his school prioritizes faculty time with asynchronous and synchronous instruction.

As December begins, schools that are moving back online need to continue to adjust their plans and systems that support faculty.

Question of the week: How have you preserved faculty time this year?

Taking the Pulse: Flash Survey

Sarah Hanawald

So You’re Back Online… What Do You Do Next?

Welcome back... to distance learning (for many of us). Let’s be honest--this isn’t where we hoped we’d be when we started the school year. Whether it’s in response to travel, rising case loads, or local restrictions, many schools have returned to online instruction at the moment when teachers are feeling more exhausted and overwhelmed as ever. Schools may need to be in distance mode, but it doesn’t have to be at the expense of their teachers. There are concrete steps you can take to make the next phase of this crisis more sustainable.

First, it’s essential to recognize that schools aren’t able to operate online the same way they do on campus. I like to use the metaphor of a race here: your 100m sprinter and your 100m hurdler are covering the exact same distance, but they aren’t going to do it in the same amount of time. We trained as sprinters, and we've had to switch to the hurdles. The past nine months have thrown very real obstacles into the ways schools usually operate. Now, educators need to measure ourselves in the race we're running, not the one we expected to run. Read more

Most schools won't be able to bring teaching candidates to campus this year so how do you hire from a distance? Our new, one-week course will teach you how to successfully navigate the hiring season. Also back by popular demand are our integral courses on building trust with faculty and adjusting your school's hybrid plan.

New! Hiring During a Pandemic (Begins February 1)
Building Trust With Faculty: Critical Skills for Challenging Times (Begins January 25)
Assessing and Adjusting Your School's Hybrid Learning (Begins February 8)

New for Department Chairs! What are the essentials of your curriculum? What won’t be covered this year? In these five new, one-week courses, department chairs will be equipped with the tools they need to build an Action Plan for their department to finish the school year with integrity.

Arts Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8)
Humanities Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8)
Math Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8)
Science Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8)
World Language Department Leadership During a Pandemic (Begins February 8)

Join Sarah and Peter on Wednesday, December 3 at 12noon ET, as they interview Pete Bonds, Blue Ridge School’s Dean of Faculty and Academics. Pete and his colleagues have created a plan for remote learning that better meets the needs of students and teachers. The plan includes synchronous and asynchronous instruction for students, as well as extended professional time for faculty to prepare, provide feedback, and adjust their courses. Register here!