Re: workload's effect on quality

[Joe Heafner <heafnerj@VNET.NET>]

> From: Herbert H Gottlieb <herbgottlieb@JUNO.COM>
>
> To answer such a question, it is first necessary to define the terms
> "quality" and "teaching load".  You are correct in stating that it is
> very difficult to define and quantify the term "quality".  But it is
> almost as difficult to define all of the aspects involved in your other
> term ,"teaching load".
At my institution "teaching load" is defined as the number of contact hours per week.

> By teaching load do you mean:
>
> 1. The total number of students in all of your classes each day?
Nope. That's "membership hours".

> 2. The total number of homework assignments, lab reports, and tests that
> you
> must grade and return each day?
This is not specified by my institution.

> 3. The total number of underachievers, discipline problems, culturally
> deprived,
> emotionally deprived, and academically deprived students in your classes
> each day?
I don't understand this one.

> 4. The number of administrative reports, cafeteria assignments, hall
> patrols,
> parent conferences, study hall supervision, and school bus problems that
> you must handle EVERY DAY?
Irrelevant since I teach at a community college, but no.

> 5. The science teaching apparatus, audiovisual equipment, computers, and
> science lab apparatus that you must order, inventory, and maintain?
This is not related to teaching as defined by my institution.

> 6. The total number of DIFFERENT subjects for which you must write lesson
> plans, and teach each and every day ? For example ....  Physics,
> Chemistry, Mathematics, Earth Science, AND remedial English as well?
This is the number of "preps", and while my supervisor pretends to take this into account he actually does not.

> 7. ... and does the total load include writing recommendations for your
> students who are applying for college, attending parent-teacher meetings,
> providing student guidance, supervising graduation exercises,
> etc.etc.etc.etc???
Again, these are not part of "teaching" as defined by my institution.

> Yes, Joe Heafner it is almost as difficult to define teaching load as it
> is to define teaching quality.  However, I am sure that someone will join
> the long line of teachers who have tried to do so  in the past ....and
> I'm just as sure that several of them who will embellish their efforts
> with laudable statistics to earn EdD doctoral degrees in the process.
...and accomplish nothing...


Cheers,
Joe

Due to my excessive teaching load, I cannot reply to email during the business day.

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