Subject Department Folder

Little Miss Confused

Hi all,

I'm just looking for some info here. I am an Irish teacher in a school in the south of the country.

Due to issues with a past teacher in our school I have been given the task of putting together a new department folder. I have never done this and have no idea what goes into a department folder or the layout of it.

I have googled and looked on slss.ie and any other websites I could find but can't seem to find any info. Are there any templates online? Anybody able to give me a list of what is in their folder?

I am really at a loss as to where to start.

gaeilgebeo

I'm assuming it is a department plan?
If this is the case, you put in each year group and level.
For example : 5th Year Ordinary Level.
Course content/Breakdown
Text Books/Resources used
A plan of what will be covered each term.

TBH, it is a lot of work for one person. We split our dept .plan between 7 teachers and even at that it was a lot of work! We had an inspection and got commended for our plan so it was worth it!

vamos!

We keep ours fairly simple.
-Began with general policy... How many teachers in your dept. Are classes streamed, mixed-ability etc and under which circumstances students may drop a level or be exempted from subject., students profile , comparison to national averages. Timetable- banded or not, how many periods a week, any extra class periods dedicated to oral/aural work etc or at individual teachers discretion, assessment: common tests, mocks, orals etc
-Books and (shared) resources.
-Plans year group by year group (as well as each teacher having their own variation). Varied methodologies.
-Separate sections for TY and LCA.
-Record of any in-services/ training attended.
-Minutes from departmental meetings.
-How is the subject promoted in the school?
-Copies of common tests.
-We are planning to add in evidence of self-assessment and literacy next year.

I have no idea if this is a comprehensive list and realise that I haven't phrased my points very well, but hope it helps! I have never been involved in a subject inspection.


Edit: One person takes responsibility for the folder but we work together. You could do the general department blurb yourself but make sure all staff members take a year plan!

Little Miss Confused

Thanks folks. So am I right in saying there is no set layout of the folder?

gaeilgebeo

vamos! wrote: »

We keep ours fairly simple.
-Began with general policy... How many teachers in your dept. Are classes streamed, mixed-ability etc and under which circumstances students may drop a level or be exempted from subject., students profile , comparison to national averages. Timetable- banded or not, how many periods a week, any extra class periods dedicated to oral/aural work etc or at individual teachers discretion, assessment: common tests, mocks, orals etc
-Books and (shared) resources.
-Plans year group by year group (as well as each teacher having their own variation). Varied methodologies.
-Separate sections for TY and LCA.
-Record of any in-services/ training attended.
-Minutes from departmental meetings.
-How is the subject promoted in the school?
-Copies of common tests.
-We are planning to add in evidence of self-assessment and literacy next year.

I have no idea if this is a comprehensive list and realise that I haven't phrased my points very well, but hope it helps! I have never been involved in a subject inspection.


Edit: One person takes responsibility for the folder but we work together. You could do the general department blurb yourself but make sure all staff members take a year plan!

Vamos, great post and I have highlighted the parts I left out.
We have had a full departmental inspection as well as an incidental or "drive by".
The inspectors in both occasions liked the simplicity of our plan. One said how it should be accessible to the student body and should be laid out in such a manner that it was easily understood.

Little Miss Confused

Thanks a million! You have both really helped me get started. Guess I should get cracking on it so

vamos!

My post may not be the clearest (fuzzy brain day!) but the plan is! I have been in a number of schools now and have so far avoided an inspection but luck will have to run out soon! I don't know how I would cope with a 'drive-by' even though I am well-prepared! I think I need a dose of the calm like gaeilgebeo...

vamos!

Little Miss Confused wrote: »

Thanks a million! You have both really helped me get started. Guess I should get cracking on it so

Make sure you don't do the lot on your own. I may be a cynic but I would not like it to be on my head if an irate inspector didn't like it or if my department weren't impressed by my laying down the plans for the year with no consultation. Oh and share the workload too:)

rainbowtrout

You might find this link useful

http://www.sdpi.ie/subject_planning.html

It will give you a template for the subject plan (Subject Profile Template about half way down the page).

These are the templates we use for all of our department plans. It makes it easy to fill in as you have a guide to follow and won't forget anything, and you can develop it once you have the basics covered to start with.

We've been using these for the last 6-7 years and have had no problems with subject department inspections. Page 13-18 can be duplicated as many times as you need to fill in all the details for a particular year group. One thing I would say there is if you have an aim/objective filled in there and then have how it will be achieved (oral work, aural etc) match your objectives to the syllabus rather than saying Ch1 Book X.

spurious

Throw in the syllabus and guidelines too - if there are any.
Maybe old exam papers if you wanted.

bdoo

I include an analysis of results for JC and LC. It gives a bit of a focus for our Sept meeting. That's where the number crunching ends for me. Also include minutes of dept. meetings.

Our plan has the syllabus aims and objectives and an outline scheme for each year so that we can have common tests etc., - I don't get caught up in policy statements etc just refer to whole school policies.

If you are only starting I wouldn't launch head first into it by myself. You should have time for meetings etc. share the work out, record in the minutes who has to do what, makes sure that you are not left carrying the can.

I wouldn't be afraid to have a half finished plan, at least if it's a work in progress, it's a work in progress, genuine planning cant be done overnight and any inspector who doesn't accept this obviously hasn't a clue.

Lockedout

Are you Permanent/CID? If so make it clear you will do this job for one year-otherwise its yours for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In an era of pay cuts and removal of any promotion prospects for most teachers-it amazes me how quickly teachers queue up for more unpaid work!! Done plans myself but always set a clear time frame for my co-ordination role.

bdoo

Lockedout wrote: »

Are you Permanent/CID? If so make it clear you will do this job for one year-otherwise its yours for life!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In an era of pay cuts and removal of any promotion prospects for most teachers-it amazes me how quickly teachers queue up for more unpaid work!! Done plans myself but always set a clear time frame for my co-ordination role.

Subject planning is part of the job. Like it or not. I would say though that the work should be shared. Don't get saddled. You will spot the slackers quickly enough so make sure that the work is divided and that the meeting is minuted. Too much for one person and the lazy bas***ds will be the first to pipe up if you make a mistake.

Fizzical

Related query: how often do ye have dept/subject meetings? When do ye have them and how long are they?

A few years ago, we were allowed to hold them during particular class times when most were free, and the other classes were covered. This would be twice: beginning of 1st and 2nd terms. Other meetings were in our own time i.e. at lunch time.

These days of shortened class times and max classes free classes are as rare as hen's teeth, so they're all at lunchtime - which has been shortened and is now broken up by yard duty so it's very difficult to have any meetings at all. And half an hour doesn't achieve much.

seavill

In relation to the subject folder I'm not sure was it clarified or not but there is the possibility that this teacher is the only subject teacher in the school and hence it is her complete responsibility.

I am the only subject teacher in my school so am on my own doing the JC woodwork, LC Construction studies, JC Tech graphics and LC Design & Communication Graphics, All of which I am the only teacher in the school.

There isn't always a subject department

In relation to subject planning meetings we are given 2 or 3 a year, one at the start I think we were given time twice during CP hours.

But as I said being on your own usually doesn't entail arranging a meeting

implausible

Our subject planning is done during Croke Park hours which is ridiculous as all the other teachers of my subject teach another subject and can't be in two places at once. I'd much prefer being able to schedule when all of us meet and submit the hours to the P/DP.

OP, the link that Rainbowtrout gave you is the easiest path to follow and a good start. Remember that your task is an organisational one, don't get sucked into writing the policy, all the year plans etc. Delegate each year plan to a teacher. Provide them with a template and a deadline if you want it done properly. If you look in the school, I bet you'll find some class of an Irish policy, probably only half-done. Someone has to have started one. Was there ever an inspection in the school? If so, there has to be a policy somewhere. If there's no sign of an Irish one, rob the English/French/Spanish one and let it guide you.

Little Miss Confused

I'm not permanent/CID but am depending on my hours for CID after this year so I want to keep on the Principal's good side.

I teach Irish so am not the only teacher in the school but last in so obviously given this job!

I was in contact with one of the other teachers and she said if I make a start they will divide out other parts at the start of the year so I'm feeling a lot better now:)

Guess I was a bit overwhelmed at the thoughts of it!

whiteandlight

Can I suggest that some of the information in this thread is worth a sticky. I'm using it as a reference for writing up the music folder right now and its really excellent