Hour-long classes for non-practical subjects

beveragelady

The more talk there is of moving to hour-long classes the more I like the idea. I teach English and I was hoping to hear from other teachers of non-practical subjects in schools where classes are an hour long.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of making the switch, specifically in subjects that have no practical element?

TheValeyard

Disadvantage :

May only see them twice or three times a week, depending on the subject. So, reinforcing learning becomes paramount with the follow on class.


One hour can be difficult with certain groups like LCA

Advantages :

Can get a lot done in the hour or even experiment with teaching styles and group group (pre Covid)

Only six classes a day

When off, an hour is a lot of time to get work done

Less students messing on the corridors

100% would never change back.

Smacruairi

Agreed, you have time to teach a lesson, do some work, correct it and then recap. Can cover all skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking in the same class. Reduces the amount of ****ty hookwork to correct. Easier to plan for your day with less classes per day.

Grueller

How does the 40 minutes jct time work? Tou can't teach 21.20 with hour long lessons? Do you only teach 21 hours?

beveragelady

Grueller wrote: »

How does the 40 minutes jct time work? Tou can't teach 21.20 with hour long lessons? Do you only teach 21 hours?

Good point. I wonder if any schools have hour classes four days a week and 40 mins for one day to get around things like that. Get home ec double classes done in two 40 min classes, maybe.

TheValeyard

Grueller wrote: »

How does the 40 minutes jct time work? Tou can't teach 21.20 with hour long lessons? Do you only teach 21 hours?

All staff have to do an extra 11hours learning support during the year.

Moody_mona

We have staggered breaks and lunches, does anyone with hour long classes do this?

doc_17

I don’t like the idea for a subject like Maths. Only seeing them 3 times a week would be a disaster. I’m assuming it’s 4 times a week at senior cycle though with 1 hour classes?

Random sample

Grueller wrote: »

How does the 40 minutes jct time work? Tou can't teach 21.20 with hour long lessons? Do you only teach 21 hours?

We get around it by having 58 minute classes.

I like it from a planning perspective. I’ve less classes to plan for and topics don’t stretch across so many class periods. I don’t know how good it is for students learning. Depending on the timetable, I can go 4 actual days between classes, I like seeing students every day to reinforce points. We know this works well.

wildwillow

It is very difficult for practical classes, especially cookery in home economics. An hour is an impossible time frame to arrive in class, gather utensils, prepare, cook and serve, wash up and return the room to normal.

Some dishes are left in ovens to continue cooking and collected after break or next class. Some classes come to the room early morning for first class or skip break to get a headstart or finish. Means I'm taking my breaks in the classroom, actually fine now with Covid.

I have managed it by teaching the very basics such as veg prep and then expecting that step to be done at home for soup, stir fry, etc. Butter and flour rubbed in for baking and pastry. Pastry made in one class and frozen to make pie or quiche or whatever in a later class. I must remember to defrost in time!! All ingredients weighted and measured at home. Not all home situations are ideal for children to achieve this preparation.

Demonstration classes are needed more as time is such a constraint.

In sewing, one can finish the class easily enough as nothing is half cooked or washing up isn't finished. Difficult to give attention to each student's work in the class time and you need to be aware of who my be falling behind.

The main problem I have though is the joy has gone from teaching the practical class as you are constantly time aware and pushing the students to finish.

It's not such a problem in the senior cycle as there are fewer practical classes and the students are well capable of doing all the prep at home.

beveragelady

Interesting responses here. In general it looks like this works well for teachers of non-practical subjects.
The 58 min classes definitely makes more sense to me than throwing everybody into learning support.

Ectoplasm

beveragelady wrote: »

The more talk there is of moving to hour-long classes the more I like the idea. I teach English and I was hoping to hear from other teachers of non-practical subjects in schools where classes are an hour long.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of making the switch, specifically in subjects that have no practical element?

I teach English and I'm teaching hour long for the first time this year. 100% would not go back. Yes, I only see them 3/4 times a week vs 4/5 (juniors/seniors) but I get significantly more done in each class so I don't see that as a disadvantage.

That extra 20 minutes can be used to get students writing and I can support struggling students far better. I have technically fewer classes to prepare for (although it is roughly equivalent time wise.) With texts it is possible to cover a meaningful chunk AND complete activities in the same class.

Struggling to think of disadvantage tbh.

Smacruairi

Be careful with the 58mins classes, watch what happens to your rostered professional time..

Random sample

Smacruairi wrote: »

Be careful with the 58mins classes, watch what happens to your rostered professional time..

What do you mean?

Our professional time has never been rostered.

Treppen

Random sample wrote: »

We get around it by having 58 minute classes.

I like it from a planning perspective. I’ve less classes to plan for and topics don’t stretch across so many class periods. I don’t know how good it is for students learning. Depending on the timetable, I can go 4 actual days between classes, I like seeing students every day to reinforce points. We know this works well.

Smacruairi wrote: »

Be careful with the 58mins classes, watch what happens to your rostered professional time..

Agree with above quote

I think it's a bit of a sly way to take your 40 min JC time off you.

Whether the classes were on the button 60min with no few minutes gap OR 58mins... you'll still be transitioning between the exact same way regardless.

Treppen

Random sample wrote: »

What do you mean?

Our professional time has never been rostered.

Think he may have meant allocated.

Random sample

Treppen wrote: »

Agree with above quote

I think it's a bit of a sly way to take your 40 min JC time off you.

Whether the classes were on the button 60min with no few minutes gap OR 58mins... you'll still be transitioning between the exact same way regardless.

We don’t have time between classes, we have random times for class starts throughout the day.

Millem

Random sample wrote: »

We don’t have time between classes, we have random times for class starts throughout the day.

How many 58 minute periods do you teach?

Smacruairi

Millem wrote: »

How many 58 minute periods do you teach?

22...which gets you down to 21:20 but feels like a huge technicality

Grueller

Smacruairi wrote: »

22...which gets you down to 21:20 but feels like a huge technicality

But over a six period day means you finish up 12 minutes earlier in the evening or could add 5 mins to morning break and 7 to lunch.
It's not a bad way to do it to be fair.

Treppen

Random sample wrote: »

We don’t have time between classes, we have random times for class starts throughout the day.

?

So if school starts at 8:30 the next class is timetabled at 9:28?

Smacruairi

Grueller wrote: »

But over a six period day means you finish up 12 minutes earlier in the evening or could add 5 mins to morning break and 7 to lunch.
It's not a bad way to do it to be fair.

Yeah but you are doing 22 classes that are effectively an hour, rather than 21 and then your professional time properly.

Swings and roundabouts but it's clearly an accounting trick.

Random sample

Treppen wrote: »

?

So if school starts at 8:30 the next class is timetabled at 9:28?

Yes. It took me a while to get my head around it.

Though a lot of us only teach 21 classes and have a tutor group for 12 minutes in the morning. The non tutors start 12 minutes later.

Smacruairi

Random sample wrote: »

Yes. It took me a while to get my head around it.

Though a lot of us only teach 21 classes and have a tutor group for 12 minutes in the morning. The non tutors start 12 minutes later.

Are you paid for the tutor time? Or are you giving up the extra 12x5 for free /SnS or? Just curious, don't have yo answer a personal q!

Treppen

Smacruairi wrote: »

Are you paid for the tutor time? Or are you giving up the extra 12x5 for free /SnS or? Just curious, don't have yo answer a personal q!

We were told after a dept inspection that the few minutes before school for tutor time weren't recognised by the department and shouldn't appear as part of the timetabled paid dept hours. Now it's on the timetable as a full wellbeing class.

Random sample

Smacruairi wrote: »

Are you paid for the tutor time? Or are you giving up the extra 12x5 for free /SnS or? Just curious, don't have yo answer a personal q!

It counts as a period, but it’s spread over 5 days. So tutors do 21 classes plus tutor time, non tutors do 22 classes.

joebloggs32

Everyone here is getting a raw deal.

You cant fire teachers into learning support for 11 hours per year to balance the books.

Secondly 58 minute periods are leaving subjects timetabled twice a week at jct level short of tuition time over the full 3 years.

Thirdly tutor periods of 12 mins dressed up as wellbeing also breaks the minimum 40 minute rule.

If management want to introduce 1 hour classes as they feel they are more effective then they have to suck up the loss of 20 minutes contact time (God knows we make it up other ways)

We join unions for a reason. Use them.

TheValeyard

joebloggs32 wrote: »

Everyone here is getting a raw deal.

You cant fire teachers into learning support for 11 hours per year to balance the books.

Secondly 58 minute periods are leaving subjects timetabled twice a week at jct level short of tuition time over the full 3 years.

Thirdly tutor periods of 12 mins dressed up as wellbeing also breaks the minimum 40 minute rule.

If management want to introduce 1 hour classes as they feel they are more effective then they have to suck up the loss of 20 minutes contact time (God knows we make it up other ways)

We join unions for a reason. Use them.

Unions wont do anything. Staff accepted the 11 hours. The way it is.

Treppen

TheValeyard wrote: »

Unions wont do anything. Staff accepted the 11 hours. The way it is.

Probably. Department are against using learning support as a timetable filler though.

mirrorwall14

I haven’t taught it but I would be interested to hear from maths teachers. We see our classes every day currently. I find it great for progression. I’d be very reluctant to lose the regular contact for longer classes

joebloggs32

TheValeyard wrote: »

Unions wont do anything. Staff accepted the 11 hours. The way it is.

Not what happened where i teach.

The union is not some abstract entity. It is the members of staff coming together with a united front backed up with good advice from the TUi on what the relevant circulars permit.
We told management that we'd happily revert to 40 minutes if they were so insistent on getting to 21h 20m.
Guess what; they retained 1 hour classes and we just teach 21 periods, no fillers added in.